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OA 1 5) (r (n To) 7 THE INDUSTRIAL. AND EDUCATIONAL, INTERESTS OP OBB PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO AM. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Volume XVIII. RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1903. Number 12. AGRICULTURE HARRY FARMER'S TALKS. CXVI. Editor of The Progressive Farmer: "I wonder if the land is too wet to plow t" This question is often asked in wet ?prinirs such as this lias been so far. It may be that the field -is some dis tance from the house and we are so anxious to get all the work done that we hate to lose so much time run ning to the field to examine it. Now hew :nv we to tell what to do? Well, here is the way we decide the matter. We have a ram gauge made out of a common tin can that salmon, oysters or other goods were pre S'Tvetl in or a glass jar that has a !M';ith the same size of the bottom wiil .-.. Xow place this in an open j tare so that it will catch all the rain that falls. It will require some prac tice to be accurate, but the following ml s hold good on our soil: From March 10th to June 10th, one-half inch :i good season when no rain has "lb -ii in 10 to 12 days, one inch iaahe it quite wet for 24 hours un vain eoiues in very large drops; "ii'- and a half inches causes ditches ' i n: two inches produces a fresh (t it ;t eoiues within the time men-ti'-i.e.! above. From June 10th till 'I'M!-hr Kith, it require double die quantity of rain to affect the that it does in the spring. -' il in early spring has been k' ! t lnni-t by frequent snows and ram ii the winter, but when the , ;!V- t long and hot the evapora-ti'-i! n .eiite rapid so that it requires 1:i"lv rain to produce the same effect. Ihlly Ian U which have natural drain-v- or lands with a sandy subsoil ui.l not -et too wet to plow like level '' -' i'h a hardpan or clay subsoil, that fall in large drops, which a downpour, generally run ".:t lv and do not wet the ground a "l"v rain. A to telling when the land is iA,!v l'e injured ly plowing too V,,'T- n enimblcs there is no dam- 1-:M;'1 -hat has not been plowed f''M' 111 winter or early spring jurv "' ,,'1"w,m1 quite wet without in sJrj" 1Jut luvcr under any circum- iC ' i'1'1 AV mt 5oil up arounc anv tat,!,1 XV!" l!u r U be corn cotton, po gr ' " r anv ther crop. Corn will c' make stalks with no ears, on will shed off the forms and ' ail'l potatoes will turn yellow and not bear; if plowed while wet if 1 the dirt is thrown to the plarft. We have plowed very shallow near the plants when our team could not sta. d up and thus killed some of the grass and let the soil dry off but we always throw the dirt from the plant. Suppose there is a bottom or low place that is too wet while the bal ance is in the right condition to plow? Well, we just go right on and let the low land alone or just drag the plow over it. If you think the bottom land will make more than the up-land, then let it stand till the bottom is just right. We have always found it much easier to farm dry years than wet ones. We can stir the soil and make a fair crop, but when the rain comes every day and the grass grows and the crop turns yellow from excess of moisture, we are at a loss to know what to do. But one extreme is fol lowed by others. When it is wet in the spring, look for dry weather in the summer. It is sometimes very hard to drain land so that it will not suffer in very wet seasons. But all lands should be well drained. Level lands well drained are the best for ordinary crops. HARRY FARMER. The value of shelter and comfort for cattle is demonstrated in an ex periment made by the Arizona sta tion. A herd of milch cows were ex posed for three days to a cold rain, at the end of which time the flow of milk had decreased just one-half, notwithstanding that the cattle were properly fed. It was a month before the cows gave as much milk as be fore the exposure. By cutting back the limbs of old peach trees so that the tree resem bles a stump, more than anything else, new and vigorous fruit bearing shoots will be put out and several good annual crops produced, while the young trees are coming into bearing. Unlike apple tree suckers these shoots will bear fruit the sec ond year. Coal ashes constitute a splendid grit for hens. Have you never seen a hen gobble down half a dozen chunks of cinders as large as the end of your little finger, as though they were choice bits of meat ? Fowls will do this if they are in want of grit to operate their digestive apparatus. THE FARMER AND HIS SONS. Mr. Taylor Argues That the Farmer Should Take His Sons in Partnership With Him. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : A favorite theme of a good many writers upon agricultural subjects seems to be, why so many country youths leave the farm. These writers nearly all bewail this practice and preach against it. Some of them seem to think that the country boy is jealous of the "easy life" of the city youth, and thinks that he, too, if he goes to town to work as a sales man or bookkeeper, or some other easy ( ?) job, may soon get rid of his sunburnt skin and horny hands, don the genteel (0 manners and put-on the citified airs of his city cousins, and altogether be "in the swim" of an easy and luxurious existence. I think the writers who jump to such conclusions as this are entirely mis taken as to why so many country boys leave the farm to go to the city. The true reason why they do so, in my opinion, and I suppose 1 ought to know, being one of them myself, and I am personally ac quainted with half a hundred or more others who have taken the step, is not because the country boy is afraid of, or has a dislike for the hard work of the farm; nor is it be cause he is jealous of the soft hands and creased clothes of the city chap. On the contrary, work, hard .work, is what he likes, what he goes to the city to do, and what he does after he is there. That is why the coun try boy is the one who "gets there." That he does "get there" is sufii ciently demonstrated by the fact that so many a majority, I believe of the State and Nation's most successful business and professional men were "raised on the farm." The idea that the country boy is jealous of the city dude is one of the most absurd conclusions imagina ble. He is not jealous; he has an unbounded contempt for such beings, and has sense enough to know that it is because of the existence of more fine clothes and dudish man ners in the city than brains and de sire for work that it is possible for him to win success in the city him self. But none of this explains the why and wherefore of his going there. To succeed is his aim and it is nat ural for him to go where the best in ducements, the most encouragement and help are held out to him. Now, in the great majority of cases, the farmer doesn't give the farmer boy a chance. He doesn't praise and encourage him enough; doesn't try to give him as good an education as he is able to give him, and as the boy is justly and morally entitled to be given; doesn't help him to start as a farmer to as great an extent as he might do with profit both to himself and the boy. On the contrary, he finds too much fault ; thinks the boy doesn't work enough, doesn't.,study when he sends him to school, and wants to drive all the horses on the place to death. To illustrate, there is Sam Brown's farm over there. Sam Brown is reckoned as a good farmer. Any how he has a fine farm, fine stock, and has made and is making a good deal of money; or rather his boys and a few hired hands have made and are making it for him. He has half a dozen or more boys, most of them are gr.own. But where are they now? Oh! the old, old story. Some gone to Georgia, some to Texas, one or two to the devil, perhaps. The oth ers are still at home "working for Dad" and waiting for freedom, when they'll go too. And why this ? Simp ly because Brown has not been broadminded and liberel enough not had horse sense enough to take his own boys into his confidence and partnership, and thus keep them at home, enlarge operations to suit the new conditions and, at thesame time, better his own pocket and that of his sons. Now in the city there is merchant Jones. He makes money too much more of it now than farmer Brown; but the reason is because his sons are helping him to do it, instead of be ing in Texas or Georgia, or in the devil's company of recruits. He, like Brown, has several boys. But he has given each of them a good education, taught them a business, and, when they become of age, has taken them into partnership, and the firm name is "Jones & Sons." And "that's why his boys are not where Brown's are. Among all my acquaintances I know of but one farmer who. has taken his own boys into partnership share and share alike. He and they are prospering now. I know hundreds of merchants and professional men who have taken their sons into their business or profession, and I think but few have ever found cause to regret doing so. I see no reason why our farmers should not follow the same plan. HOBX- L. TAYLOR. Baton Rouge, La. 1
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 28, 1903, edition 1
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