THE INDUSTRIAL, AHD EDUCATIOUAJL INTERESTS OF OUII PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Volume XVIII.
RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1903.
Number 41.
AGRICULTURE
HARRY FARMER'S TALKS.
CXXIX.
Editor of The Progressive Farmer :
Oftentimes we want to turn horses
and cattle in fields of cowpeas, and
yet ve are afraid they will eat enough
to kill them. We have followed this
plan over twenty years and have yet
to lose our first. Just two hours be
fore the stock are turned they are
given all the hay, etc., they will eat
up clean, and when they reach the
pea3 there is room for only a small
quantity. Let them remain about
two hours. Repeat this the next day,
but do not give so much hay and let
the stock remain one hour ,longer.
Continue this plan for two days
longer, decreasing the hay and in
creasing the time, and the results
will be satisfactory.
SWEET POTATOES IN THE NORTH
The Northern people are learning
to eat our Southern sweet potatoes,
the kinds which we prize so highly,
such as the nortan yam, vineless,
sugar yams, etc. Those who have
tried them speak in , the highest
terms about the superior qualities
over the yellow Jerseys. We think
it would be best for the Agricultural
Department of the State to pre
pare a circular giving our way of
cooking and making the different
dishes which we enjoy so much. Let
the farmers have them at cost. And
hen the fanner is" nailing up his
package or barrel, let him place a
lot of these on top of the potatoes.
It would be best to have the circu
lars enclosed in an envelope with a
few words printed on the envelope
like these: "It will pay you to read
the enclosed; something new; what
to South is doing," etc.
KIND OF POTATOES THAT SELL
WELL
spent two months in the North
cities, and when we were not con
M to our bed or kept irr by bad
father, we traveled over different
farts of the cities, studying the mar-ets-
Here is the first thing we ob
ed: evt?IT fruit, vegetable, etc.,
orier to bring the highest prices,
. have a bright, clean look. Po
tatoes (sweet) must be free from
,n- is is likely the cause of their
consumption. We, in the South,
ho 5 thSe Vhl1 bkck skin' but we
for 1 m SCnd these' but keep ihem
farm hme market- Almost any
that er-iiai1 SGlect the kind of land
Produce the bright- skin
kinds. Now as to size : We saw them
from the size of a goose egg to some
that would weigh four pounds. We
could not find out the size most pop
ular. It would be well to take care of the
second crop of Irish potatoes, as the
crop is short at the North. We
carefully examined the market of
this crop to see the kind and sizes
mostly sought after. The light skin,
medium size, or those about four
inches long, seem to take the fancy
of most consumers.
HARRY FARMER.
Suppose.
Editor of The Progressive Farmer:
Suppose an intelligent farmer were
in such circumstances that he was
able to subscribe to one newspaper
only,which ought it to be ? (Of course
what I have to say is meant only for
North Carolinians.) If the intelligent
farmers will permit me to answer
that question for them, I would im
mediately say, "take The Progressive
Farmer' Now some reasons for my
answer:
' ITirst. This paner is better for him
than a daily would be, for few farm
ers have time to read a paper every
day.
Second. Because it- contains such
a variety of such excellent articles
on the various branches of farm
work, always written by experienced
and capable' men who know the truth
of statements made by them, and
whose suggestions are well worthy
of being considered.
Third. Not only is the paper well
supplied with articles on the sub
jects which bear specially upon the
day, but many other subjects are
treated of which 'interest, or ought
to interest, every man who desires to
be considered as being alive to every
important event which occurs, not
only in his own country, but in all
the countries of the world.
And the editorials are always
strong, terse, and bravely stand for
the right, hurt who it may.. In fact,
the whole paper is highly education
al. And the writer thinks that it
would be a good idea for every public
school in the State to have in its
library a weekly copy of The Pro
gressive -Farmer.
Lenoir Co., N. C.
ARACHEL.
tp.h t A wholesale
0.OAiO T HiV '-"-.f " -
looloi- fn-rlflV Raid thatr the apple
VAVC4JL. 1W a '
Ti?a Rpntion was -about the
poorest that has been known m
a layer a nnrnhfrr are bemcr
marketed, but the quality is so poor
that they are unfit for shipping.
Two Undeveloped Resources.
The South is a land of vast and
varied resources. In her bosom lie
untold treasures and possibilities.
What she can and may become no
pen--can describe, no prophet can
f orsee.
Some of her capacities are fully
developed. Her capacity for, beer
and whiskey consumption needs no
further development. Neither does
her capacity for gambling in cotton
and other futures need any further
development. "She has also produced
an abundant. crop of second and third
rate politicians. These and some
other lines of production are rather
overdone than underdone.
Some other lines, such as railroad
building, factory building and town
and city buildin are growing per
haps with sufficient rapidity. They
do not call for special encourage
ment.
But when we' come to consider her
agricultural resources we .find a
practically unlimited field for growth
and culture. While much has been
done, much remains still to be done.
We desire in this article to call
special atention to two undeveloped
resources in her agriculture.
THE PRODUCTIVE POWER OF ACRE OF
LAND.
Statistics show that in our leading
crops we produce about six bushels
of wheat, ten bushels of corn, and
about one hundred and eighty pounds
of cotton per acre.
Statistics equally reliable show
that we have produced over sixty
bushels of wheat, over one hundred
and twenty-five bushels of corn and
over two thousand pounds of cotton
lint per acre.
As jet no one claims that these
figures represent the highest possi
bilities of an acre of either of these
crops. .
Better culture would produce even
a better yield than this.
But as these are about twelve times
the average they should make us
stop and think. -Are we producing
only one-tenth of what we ought to
produce on an acre? About one-
tenth of what our neighbors have
produced ? About one-tenth of what
we can produce?
Can we make as much on one acre
as we are now making on ten? If
we can do it, how can it be done,
and why are we not doing it?
If we can not reach ten times as
much, can we not get somewhere in
that direction? At least, is it not
worth while to try?
. But we are not confined to the few
crops mentioned above.
DIVERSITY.
We should try to develop the unde
veloped productive power of some
of our acres in fruits, vegetables and
forage crops. An acre in cucumbers
often produces five hundred dollars
worth. In strawberries $300 to $400,
in onions $300 to $600, in blackber
ries, raspberries, dewberries,' cher
ries, plums, peaches, pears, cabbage,
lettuce, beans, tomatoes and numer
ous other crops, $300 to $500 is not an
unusual yield for an acre.
Why not try to develop some of
your resources in some of these di
rections? THE FARMEB.
So far we have spoken of the un- i
developed resources of the farm. Be
fore closing we desire to call atten
tion to the undeveloped resources of"
the farmer.
Many of us are too narrow, we
have not broadened out as we should
have done. We are the creatures of
habit, rather than of thought. Our
labor is of the hand rather than
of the head. We work with our mus
cles, rather than with our brains.
We need to develop ourselves. -We
need to give more of our time to -reading
and studying about the na
ture and habits of the plants we try
to grow, , . x
We should familarize ourselves
with the composition of our soils as
to plant food, and the wants and
jieeds of planting in the way of plant
food and plant feediner. We need
to understand what is necessary for
the production of a perfect plant and
how to furnish it.
We do not need more brains but
more culture for the brains we have.
We need fully developed farmers,
that we may surround ourselves with
fully developed farms. There is
jnore in. the man than there is in
the land. ' To a very important ex
tent the man either makes or un
makes the land. Southern Cultiva
Washington Gazette-Messenger:
After traveling through several coun
ties in middle North Carolina we are
glad to be able to say that the farm
ers generally are prospering, and
that the business outlook is good.-
The cotton crop is not large, but
with present prices the farmers are
very cheerful. Corn and potato
crops, generally speaking, are good,
with an abundant crop of persim
mons, locusts, grapes and acorns for
swine. We are thankful to say that
there is a plenty for all and somo
to spare.