Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / March 31, 1903, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
w (d) cLL din? tL5Xir N- l j uj uj La A uJ i THE INDUSTRIAL. AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Volume XVIII. RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1903. Number 8. AGRICULTURE HARRY FARMER'S TALKS. CXIII. Editor ofTIie Progressive Farmer: The Ilaleigh correspondent of the Wilmington Messenger says: "Cattle fattening on a large scale has heen begun in Hyde County. Mr. James Sprunt, of Wilmington, owns some ."(. 00 acres of land there, and i piin.ir to wire fence this, dividing it into live sections, each of 10,000 acres. Around one of these the fence lias hem put up, and 900 head of high rni-le Sle rthorn cattle from Iowa ar.'l Illinois have heen placed. Mr. linker, of Illinois, is associated with Mr. Sprunt in this husiness of rais ir.ir hoef eattle. The range for cat tit there is an excellent one, and this is the heginning of what will he a invar industry." CATTLE RAISING IN THE EAST Hyde County is not the only coun ty in the eastern part of the State that has land that can be utilized fr this purpose. We advocated this industry in these columns last year, a many of the readers of The Pro ut -sivc Fanner remember. There air thousands; of acres of land that have all the timber of any value, like ,-vl'!' . pine, etc., cut off, land now I ': i 'lo. that could be made to pay i a value every year in feed t"r ;;i;lc. For instance, swamps warn- iy. cypress and juniper trees have he. ii cut and have now a growth "! r;!n.- on them; then there are the va;,, ,, uhich have had all the I'l'ui tiMhcr cut off and every spring ' :lVe ;) p ,,f ,rrnss xhilt looks 3S w' 11 a- an oat field. Three acres of 'e.t ..r t,.u acres ()f savannah or pine 1 " ill support one beef handsome ' It is surprising that more atten t!"n nut paid to this industry. As Spi rit lias blazed the wTay more w''ii r.,ii.,xV. S0MK INQUIRIES AN-WERED. A Fin County reader of The Pro "ivt' Fanner writes: -Win "i'ie mie please inform me u'iat ii..,,, , i ... ' uv ciover in tne spring, 'ni,i many seed per acre? Also - v rye ior winter pasture for : 'H it be too soon to row it V n . T i" iiiiur wneai.s v in IT 1 ;.. p1" ni ialH The land produced 1-um1s i;nt cottonlast year (per ihV' '1!lh. II. F.). Should -ver ,(, manured? Please an- ''J mzh The Farmer." 1 1 ni i d"v hut 1,ot say what kind of 5 appose you mean com mon red clover. As you are in the eastern part of the State, we doubt the advisability of sowing clover un less it be crimson clover. The drouth in the spring here will kill clover un less it is sown in the fall. We infer from your letter that you want to have feed for dairy cows. Unless you have seen others have clover in your neighborhood, we would advise you to try red clover on a small scale, but sow in the fall on well-prepared land at the rate of 12 or 15 pounds per acre with about three pecks of turf oats. Cut oats after they get about two feet high, with a mowing ma chine and leave them on the land as a mulch for the clover. By this plan you may be able to get a good stand. The yield of cotton shows your land to be in a high state of fertility, but if you want to manure the land spread the manure on the surface af ter the clover gets to growing in the spring. Of course, the manure will have to be fine and spread thinly. Rye can be sown in September if the land has plenty of moisture in it; if it is dry, sow later. Turf oats could be sown among the pea vines and will give early fall pasturage. We would sow two pecks of rye and four pecks of turf oats among the pea vines and pasture the cows on the peas or leave the pea vines on the land and gather the ripe pods ; by this plan you can have a nice winter pas ture. To sow oats in June when wheat is harvested, they would head in the fall and the rye would not grow unless the season was very moist. We have a white clover that grows in the fall and winter and dies down about the first of June that makes l very good pasture, but crimson clover is better. We are glad that you are trying to improve on the old way of managing cattle in the eastern part of the State. If you have some light warm soil plant some early cow peas about the 20th of April to furnish feed the last of June, and all the month of July. Some of the early sugar canes make nice cow feed for about the same time as the peas just mentioned. Our experience with cattle feeding is that the cows will not eat one thing long at a time, and to get the best results, it is necessary to have a variety. HAPPY FARMER. Columbus Co., N. C. It is said that Mr. James or Alex. Sprunt, of Wilmington, owns the land used for the great cattle farm, but the managers are Western men, Messrs. Russell and Baker. Editor. The Fertilizer Tonnage Tax and Some Other Matters. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : Allow me to thank you for the bold stand that you have taken in the in terest of the farmers in regard to the expenditure of the fertilizer tax by the recent Legislature. I thin!; that you are entirely correct in all that you have written about the matter, and it is my decided opinion that the tax should be reduced to 10 cents per ton. I trust that the subject will be discussed and properly adjusted by the next Legislature. Surely Harry Farmer doesn't ex pect his brother farmers to take se riously his remarks about raising the rate of interest, for any man that can give bankable paper can get money as readily at six per cent as at eight. I am planning to build a horse barn, and would be pleased to have suggestions as to plan of building for ten horses; with special regard to an economical use of a hay fork or sling. john Mcdowell. Mecklenburg Co., N. C. The Rural Science Club of the A. & M. College. Editor of The Progressive Farmer: The Club held Its last meeting Wednesday night, March 18th. Three new members joined the Club, in creasing its membership) to fifty-six. This being the first meeting of the spring term, new officers were elect ed. Mr. J. C. Temple, of the junior class, was chosen president, Mr. I. T. Bailey, of the sophomore class, vice president, and Mr. A. L. Paschall, of the freshman class, recording secre tary. The corresponding secretary was re-elected. After the election of officers, Mr. Kerr, of the junior class read an in structive paper on "Plant Food in the Soil." He named the essential elements of plant food found in the soil; and pointed out the ones usual ly deficient. He also discussed the methods by which plant food in the soil can be made available, and the best and cheapest ways of adding plant food to the soil. -The query for debate was : Resolved, That the use of commer cial fertilizers should be abandoned in growing staple crops. The debaters on the affirmative were, Messrs. Lych and Warren; on the negative, Messrs. Smith and Wharton. The decision of the judges was two to one in favor of the affirmative. Through the efforts of our Profes sor of Agriculture, six valuable prizes have been secured, from different firms dealing in agricultural supplies. The prizes are to be given to the member of the Club who writes the best essay on the subject given with each prize. The Club will give a pub lic meeting in May, and decide who the successful contestants are. The Club is highly elated, and the contest will be a spirited one. R. F. W., Corresponding Secretary. West Raleigh, N. C. Cowpeas Immune to Wilt. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : In some sections of the State the cow pea has become subject to a fun gous disease causing the plant to wilt. This trouble is known as "cow pea wilt" and is similar to the wTilt of cotton, tomatoes, and melons. A strain of the Iron cow pea has been developed which resists the attack of the wilt fungus and the Department of Agriculture is in position to sup ply small quantities of this variety for experimental test to such farm ers in the State as are troubled with the wilt of the cow pea. The Iron cow pea also withstands well nema todes and root knot. B. W. KILGORE. N. C. Department of Agriculture, Raleigh. Wilmington Cor. Charlotte Ob server 27th: The truck season .is said, to be at least two weeks in ad vance of last year by reason of the very mild spring. Large shipments of lettuce are now being made and al so some asparagus and other vege tables are going forward. The first solid express train of the season went up the Wilmington & Weld on Rail road yesterday. The strawberry prospect is said to be very encourag ing and some ripening is in progress in favored spots. A number of schools in the berry belt will close their spring terms this and next week to allow the pupils to assist their pa rents in marketing the crop. The season is not only well advanced, but the crop will be a heavy one. Roanoke-Chowan Times : We have interviewed a number of our. best farmers recently and almost without exception we find they are making preparations to produce more to the acre this year than ever before. They say it does not cost as much in labor to make a crop on good land, and as labor is scarce and high they will use more fertilizer and plant less acres than heretofore.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 31, 1903, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75