Thursday, October 24, 1907.
How My
Paper Hao Helped Me.
as a Factor in Good Farming,
THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
Mr. Broom Tells How the Agricultural Paxer and Other farm literature
Have Helped Him to Good Farming and a Higher Lif e The Young
Farmer's Best Investment. .
Messrs. Editors: We promised sev
eral months ago that we would speak
of some things that had been help
ful to us, and v we would feel un
grateful if, in this recital, we failed
to give credit to the agricultural pa
pers, the bulletins of the Experiment
Stations and other agricultural litera
ture that we" have , read. They have
helped us immensely! In fact, we
consider the bulletins and agricul-
tural papers indispensable to us in
our farming operations. We would
not think of tryjng to " farm without
them. , r '
How Have They Helped?
They have taught us the science of
; agriculture, instructed us in the art
of farming the land to the best pur
pose, enabled us to gain a knowledge
of our business, and this is one of
the first requisites of success in any
calling. They have inspired in us a
love for farmlife and a sense of its
dignity. They have caused us to real
ize that in no field of human action
are there greater opportunities for
the culture, development and employ
ment of all the faculties of the mind.
What shall we say of the ideas and
suggestions they bring to " us each
week?; Why, they simply sweep us
off our feet sometimes, and we -are
away to the fields planning to put
them into execution. v
What Are Some of the Results?
The stumps have disappeared from
our fields, gullies and washes are no
more. Our fields are all terraced, and
heavy rains 1 do hot terrorize us as
they once did. improved farm ma
chinery is being used, crop yields are
increasing, and at less cost. Rotation
and diversification of crops is the
rule. Improved seed are planted in
a well-prepared soil, fertilized ac
cording to the needs of the plant and
character of the soil and cultivated
in the most up-to-date manner. We
working in harmony with the great
forces of nature and assisting her in
her efforts to ,. cause , the earth Jo
bring forth fruit.
, The Inspiration of It.
And then, the beauty and gran
deur of it all! How it rejoices our
nearts and rerresnes our; spirits to
look upon the waving fields of grain,
the growing corn and cotton that the
earth has brought forth in response
to our touch! How it brings us in
touch and communion with the great
God of nature, our loving Heavenly
Father, "who giveth us richly, all
things to enjoy," and who hath de
livered to man the keys to nature's
great store-Jiouse, and in effect say-
U Wilt OVJ UC Xl UUW H-lC
Yes, the agricultural papers have
helped us to see the beauties and ad
vantages of farm life and to enjoy
the fruits thereof.
A Young Farmer's Best Investment.
In this connection we would like
to mention papers and names of con
tributors that have been especially
helnful to us, but we will content
ourselves by saying that the editors
nf the best papers are men who know
the "science of agriculture and are in
direct contact" witn the problems of
farm life and have secured a host of
contributors whose thoughts come to
them while they are in the plow fur
row and are in contact with the
every-day problems of the farmer.
If a young man just starting in farm
life were, to give us a dollar to invest
lur-uim ucic u wuum uring mm tne
greatest possible returns, we. would
put it in an -agricultural paper, and
should he give us two dollars we
would send him two papers.
' The Man Who .Will Not.
And yet, there are farmers, some
where, yes, they are somewhere, who
expend large, sums of money each
yea'r for fertilizers, labor, and sup
plies, and will not invest a dollar in
an agricultural paper for the im
provement of their minds and the
gathering of information that will en-
Intelligent Acquaintance With the Best Farm Journals and Bulletins a
Powerful Factor in Successful Farming How Can All the People be
Reached? - "
Messrs. Editors: The importance
of raising thoroughbred stock on the
farm, is being better understood year
by year, as such breeding shows its
superiority, and - as farmers become
more enlightened by the reading of
better and more intelligent farm lit
erature. The stock bulletin's issued
by the Department of Agriculture are
helping a great "deal in the spread of
a better knowledge of the various
breeds of all farm animals.
The increased circulation of such
YOUNG FARMER'S BEST INVESTMENT.
If a young man just starting in farm life were to give us
a dollar to invest for him where it would bring him the greatest
possible return, we would put it in an agricultural paper, and
should he give us two dollars we would send him two papers.
(From Mr. T. J. W. Broom's article on this page.) -
&
MADE FOR THIS SECTION AND FHxLS THE BILL.
Rural route number four from Monrog goes through a" good,
country. It splits four local tax districts, and every church
and school house along the route is painted. There are probably
as many good farmers pursuing up-to-date methods along this
I route as any in the county. There ar - probably more copies
of . agriculural papers taken on this route than any other one.
Mr. Rogers carries a big sack of The Progressive Farmers. ! This
tells the tale. Mr. J. W.' Ashcraft, whoives on this route below
Carmel, and has become ; a . fine farmer, describes the value that
this paper is to a farmer. He says it is made by men who
know exactly what they are talking about and tells the farmer
what he wants to know. The paper is made for this section and
fills the bill. ( From the Monroe Journal s October 1 5th Mr.
T. J. W. Broom lives on this route.)
able them to use their fertilizers ju
diciously and to direct their labor to
the best advantage. They care noth
ing for the bulletins issued by the
Experiment Station, take no stock in
the Farmers' Institute and pay no at
tention to the demands of the organ
izations that are formed for their
benefit. Their slip-shod methods of
farming are responsible for the ills
the farmers organizations are seek
ing to correct. We dislike to think
it, but the conclusion is forced upon
us, mat it is ignorance, plain, sim
ple old-fashioned ignorance, and in
many instances with enough of greed
and self-conceit mixed in to make it
impervious to helpful - knowledge
that is at the root of all the farmer's
troubles.
Farming Knowledge the Prime Need
of the Farming Classes.
Therefore we conclude that knowl
edge- a knowledge that includes in
its scope ( all the principles that un
derlie successful farming is the
great need of the agricultural class
in the South to-day. And it is just
such a knowledge ' that the agricul
tural paper is ... seeking to impart.
Yes, the agricultural papers are the
aides-de-camp of the farmers' organ
ization in their battle for the better
ment of their condition. - And, read
er, when you seek to extend the cir
culation of your farm paper, you not
only help the editors and your 'neigh
bor, but you are bringing the day
dawn of the realization of your own
ideals nearer.
And, in conclusion, we admonish
you to look well to the reading mat
ter and instruction of your children.
Provide them with wholesome book3
and periodicals, suitable to their, age
and comprehension, such as will de
velop within them those traits of
character that make the ideal citi
zen. Don't let them grow up to swell
the already too large ignorant class
that we have to-day.
T. J. W. BROOM.
Anson Co., N. C-
farm papers as The Progresive Far
mer with its able corps of writers on
stock-raising is helping greatly in
the dissemination of a better under
standing In the - management of live
stock, and the creation among farm
ers of a higher ideal both as to
breeding and condition of the stock
on the farm. I firmly believe that
both farming and stock-raising could
be greatly improved if all the : farm
ers in the country could be induced
to take and read one or more good
agricultural journals.
If the Farm Papers Could Reach All
the People.
The above is preliminary to saying
that in my opinion no better service
could be done the agricultural inter
ests of the State or country generally
than the discovery of some plan by
which all the people can be reached
by the agricultural press. How it
is to be done is a question. If the
subject could be put in the public
schools; and intelligently taught, the
next generation would be greatly
benefited, and while an attempt has
been made in this , direction, little
advantage is being taken of the op
portunity of. such, study by the boys
in ( the publics schools Some plan to
get tne iarmers or tne present to
read more and become better ac
quainted with better methods is a
pressing need. :
A Reading j People . Always a Pro
gressive People.
So far aslmy observation extends
the . enthusiastic breeders of Im
proved stock! read much on live stock
subjects. In my own case this is
true. I am a J breeder of tnorough
bred Poland; China Hogs, and I de
vour greedily any matter on hog
raising. "Any bulletin on the subject
interests me, whether on the differ
ent breeds, the management, or the
diseases of swine. I also raise
Plymouth Rock fowls, and any pub
lication on f chickens interests me.
Some of my neighbors raise cattle,
and they read on this subject, j
;A reading people ; are always 'pro
gressive, and a large fund of general
knowledge and information general
ly: fits one to direct,' in so.me certain
direction, all his energies toward the
yruuucuuu p. uj. - a. supenur arucie.
Mere labor j counts but little in any
direction, ' Intelligent thought and
well directed labor are the moving
factors, in the industrial s?orld and
will be such to the end.
: E. S. MILLSAPS.
Iredell Co., N. C.
Have you told your neighbors,
friends and relatives about our 15
cent offer?" Make a clean sweep
now. Leave nobody out of The Pro
gressive Farmer Family.
The only way to keep cotton above
the fifteen cents limit is not to sell
any until this limit is reached. -J. C.
Stribling: j ;
Have You Sent a Club?
The testimony of good farmers concerning the value of farm papers,
as given on this page is too, strong to need anyadded word from us
but it does offer us an opportunity: to argue that for the Carolinas
and adjoining States there is no paper I published that fully meets the
farmeer's need except The Progressive Farmer,
And why? - i
(1) The Progressive Farmer does more to elp you than any other
farm pape. Why? Because it is made for '.our folks by our folks,
and adapted to our climate, our soils, our crop's and bur conditions, in
stead of being a paper sent from New York or Illinois or Pennsylvania
or Siam or Kamchatka by men who never saw a Southern farm or cot
ton stalk or tobacco plant in their lives, lit helps-that is why many a well-to-do
and wide-awake Progressive Farmer reader will tell you: "It has
given me $100 profit in improved land, crops atid, stock for every $1 I
have paid for it."
(2) The Progressive Farmer is almost the only farni paper in the
country that refuses to go into partnership with patent medicine quacks
or 4stock fod'V frauds, or mining stock cheats, or any of the other ad
vertisements that .will pay any "farm" paper to help them swindle the
farmers. -Time after time, year after year, the Experiment Stations and
Departments of Agriculture have proved that the widely, advertised
"stock foods" are frauds of the first water, but The Progressive Farmer
is the only farm paper in the country! but one that has told the farm
ers the truth about this gigantic swindle. To do this we had to lose
$3,000 in advertising patronage that other farm papers got, but we are
here to protect your interest, Mr. Farmer, and all we ask is your
support. : -
Right now our great 15-cent offer is. the greatest opportunity for
extending our circulation. - '
Have you sent us a club? , 1 . . .