Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / March 17, 1903, edition 1 / Page 1
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iTr To) fn fr. O DO to 1 X II- III VII IIIII 1VI y? THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR. PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Volume XVIII. RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1903. Number 6. Agriculture HARRY FARMER'S TALKS. CXI. Kditor of The Progressive Farmer : How are the farmers going to manage the day-laborers to the best advantage of both? The season for picking strawberries and cotton gen erally causes the laborer to go away from home to where it is necessary to have large numbers to do the w.rk quickly. This leaves the small farmer in a bad way. He does not have sufficient work to keep his la borers employed all the time so as to he profitable to both. The labor ers heing mostly women and children cannot do heavy work. In the win ter the children go to school (or some pretend to go but just go hi nigh to have the name). It may It that the farmers have supplied them with meat and bread through the winter with the expectation that they can have the bill paid in-work '.ho following spring and summer. The laborers are not always dishon est for some go away and make mor, y and pay their bills, but this '!" tint ebon the farmer's cotton, h"e hi potatoes or replant his corn. I he lal.or is what he needs and wants at thi- particular time more than lnnn. v. Tlie laborers can make bet ter w.-.-s while picking berries or "H..i. so he is not altogether to Maine. ",v is getting to be a serious laatter with a large number of farm f i. h i a problem that must be s"he,. J le complaint is made in I'rly t V(.rv newspaper published in '''''' r, ,lt':l and eastern part of this ;. People must eat and dress, th,- man who can give work for t,,N f labor the whole year wll"h vil) I,,, profitable to himself re,m nerative to the laborer will 1;'ve ltUt t10 Yexed question. n "in- own farm we employ some ' !lr! the winter months, raking 1,:u' u,:l Utter for the stalls and Jy,!. h itehering h0gS, etc. The 1-ys out wood and split rails, I;'11-11 -e do but little of the last wrk. Xow it is almost use i N '" '::v tnat if we cannot have t m rmrr the busiest season of f' Mar, that we will not employ i knew some farm- a hn t5nie a?o wouM ; c,;lrod people any sweet potato m the spring so that it would whllr .them. for po wiitn digging time came, but this plan failed after a few years. Labor troubles will come, and the wisest men are often puzzled . to know what is best to do. The plan of profit-sharing seems to us to be the most equitable of any we have tried. Some of the most success ful business men pursue this course with their employees. If you will give any one an interest in a busi ness, let it be farming, merchandis ing, or any other occupation, he will do better work. IIAItKY FARMER. Columbus Co., N. C. The Agricultural Department and the A. & M. College. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : You will please publish in full for the benefit of your readers the act concerning the buildings and gen eral appropriations made for the A. & M. College as finally passed by the Legislature, giving the vote, names, for and against the measure, by the Senate-. ... I read your editorial this week on this appropriation wTith a great deal of interest. I was thoroughly dis appointed, and I might say disgust ed, with the action of the Senate in the matter. I am sure the people of the State, especially the farmers, ex pected no such legislation, a discrim ination against the farmers who have to buy fertilizers. If I am correctly informed there is no positive assur ance of an Agricultural Building for at least two years yet. The farmers of the State asked for this building, but instead of getting it, are made to complete the unfinished buildings at the College at a cost not exceed ing $12,000 this year, and to contri bute to the maintenance of the Col lege next year, $10,000 an amount equal to the annual maintenance ap propriation of the State. This is where the farmers are discriminated against. They pay their share of the taxes from which all the State in stitutions are maintained, now those of them who use fertilizers are made to pay a special appropriation to a State College that is open to any boy in the State who wishes an in dustrial education regardless of whether he is a. farmer's son or not. I am informed there are 20 or more Raleigh boys attending this school and boys from nearly all the towns and cities in the State, none of whom, probably, are taking the agri cultural course. We are glad to have these town boys attend the col lege, but we do not think it right to require the farmers who use fertiliz ers, as a class, to support them. Let the support and improvements come from the State Treasury, as the oth er State schools are supported, and we have nothing to say. I have been told this act was pass ed as a rebuke to the management of the College; which reminds rne of the man who fell out with his neigh bor and to get even with him brutal ly beat his neighbor's horse. The farmers of the State are not responsible for the management of the College. If there has been mis management, correct it in the proper wTay, but not by laying burdens on the farmers of the State who are not at all responsible for the man agement of the A. & M. College, any more than they are responsible for that of any other State institution. It may be the Legislature could not distinguish between the mechan ical, textile, engineering and agri cultural departments of the College and treated it as a whole, designat ing it simply as a farmers' college. If this is true, their ignorance of the real situation may be their excuse for the act as passed. I am sure the Legislature did noth ing that will be as disappointing to the farmers as the passage of this act. T. B. PARKER. Will you please correct a mistake that was in your paper of January 13th? I don't kn.ow who made it, the typesetter or myself. It made me say that J. E. Glasgow cleared $7,000 on his farm in 1901 ; it should have read $700. Prom what I can learn there wTill be but little tobacco planted in this section this year. Cotton and pea nuts will be the money crop. There will be a very large acerage of corn and field peas planted, as we farm ers are determined, by the help of the Master, to make our hog and hominy at home in the future. Leonidas, Halifax Co., jST. C. Wa shington Gazette-Messenger : One of our leading farmers remarked this morning that the question of la bor and the securing of sufficient number of the hands to run a crop was fast becoming a serious matter. Last year at least half of the pea crop rotted in the fields for the want of hands to gather them, and so many of the negroes were leaving the country and moving to town, un less the farmers secured labor from abroad, it looked as if it will be useless to pitch a crop. The Scab of the Irish Potato. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : The potato scab is readily recog nized by all growers of the potato by the scabby depression in the nor mally smooth skin of the potato. These scabs may be single or scat tered, but are often so abundant as to involve nearly the whole surface of the potato. To the consumer they are of considerable importance, since they necessitate very thick paring, and a consequent loss of the edible nortion of the potato. To the farmer who wishes to sell his "po tatoes, the loss is even greater, as the scabby tubers command in the market a much less price than clean, healthy potatoes. The scab is due to fungus which grows in the skin of the potato. This fungus on old fields, which have been used repeatedly for potatoes, may be thoroughly distributed through the soil. In ground which has not been used for. potatoes so much, the scab causing fungus may be absent. If, however, scabby po tatoes be planted in a clean soil the scab will be carried to this soil by such planting, and a scabby crop will result. One method then by which the scab gains access to the field is through the seed. This means of entrance is under the control of the farmer, and may be readily cut off by soaking the seed in a chemical which will kill the fungusa dhering to the surface of the potato, and yet not injure the potato itself. Such a chemical is formalin. To treat your seed potatoes mix eight ounces of formalin with fif teen gallons of water, and soak the seed in this solution for two hours. Then cut and plant. The solution may be used repeatedly, but it is well after it has been used two or three times; to either lengthen the time of immersion or to add a little more formalin to make up for any loss in strength. Formalin is a harmless non-poisonous substance (when used externally) which can be used with safety anywhere. It can be purchased at any drug store for about 80 cents per pint. Jn many cases the value of the crop has been doubled by this treat ment, and yet the treatment itself, including both material and labor, costs only a few cents per acre. If you are troubled with the scab do not neglect treatment. P. L. STEVENS, Biologist, N. C. Exp. Station.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 17, 1903, edition 1
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