Thursday, June 13, 1912.]
THE CAROLINA UNION FARMER
Page Nine
Agricultural Affairs
CULTH^ATION OF WHEAT.
The farmers in the Piedmont and
mountainous sections are familiar
with the ordinary methods of wheat
culture as practiced in the State.
Usually, the crop follows wheat or
peas which have grown on a wheat
or other small grain stubble, or is
sown on corn stubble after the crop
has been removed. In the eastern
part of the State cotton is sometimes
all picked out in time to allow wheat
to follow this crop. More generally
wheat follows corn. Where level cul
tivation of the corn has been practic
ed, and where the land was well pre
pared for the corn crop, the wheat
may be put in with a drill.after the
corn has been removed, by giving the
land a thorough disking before
hand, going over it a sufficient num
ber of times to make a good seed
bed two to four inches deep. Many
farmers, however, prefer to give the
land a light plowing before putting
in the crop, even where corn has
been grown. This latter practice is
likely the best where there is much
Weeds and grass on the land, which
should be cut with a disk harrow two
or more times before plowing; but
the plowing should be shallow. The
iisk harrow should be run over the
land after it is plowed so as to fur
ther fine the surface, cut up the vege
tation, and aid it in settling and be
coming compact. If land is still'
Somewhat loose a heavy roller should
be run over the surface just before
Seeding. This will still further com
pact the surface and lift the moisture
loto the upper stratum of the soil
^here the wheat plants can utilize
It. When we recall that every pound
of dry matter in wheat requires over
^00 pounds of water for its produc
tion, the necessity for so preparing
the land that the greatest amount
of moisture may be rendered avail
able to the plant will become ap
parent. With a view to the conser-
'^ation of moisture, the land intend
ed for corn which precedes a crop
Of wheat should be well and deeply
broken in the fall or winter and
thoroughly disked in the spring be-
^pre planting the corn. Where pos
sible, a crop of green manure for soil
improvement should occupy the land
during the winter and be turned un-
'ior in the spring to precede the crop
Of corn. Where practicablefi the cul
tivation of the corn should be level,
this is best, as a rule, for corn,
^bd leaves the land in the best shape
for
preparation for wheat or other
Small grain
Where wheat is to follow peas,
^heat or other crops, the same prin
ciple as to seed-bed should be kept
S'irly in mind. Not infrequently
''^heat follows wheat or other small
^I’aln where weeds and grass have
^I'own to a greater or less height
bring the interval between the har-
bst of the previous crop and seed-
S time. Where this growth is con-
Sl(l
urable it is the best practice to
-Ci" it a number of times with a sharp
harrow, then plow it under shai-
g ^ and disk once more with the disk
at a slight angle. Where the
Sro
wth of weeds and grass is not
V \jk. OpUU ^iCtOO lO iiwt
large, they may be turned un-
Plo
and disked once or twice after
jjj V^ing, but in both cases the plow-
bpf ®bould be done at least a month
ure seeding time, so as to allow
g ® ground to settle. Disk and
ljb°°i-bing harrows should be used
u f^blly in cutting up the soil to aid
'• In - -
mavy
Settling and becoming Arm. A
fj. roller may be run over the
h ®bly plowed land soon after
Nking
\v^. and compact the soil
fo follow the roller with a
clods and
It is
I
bothlng harrow, especially if seed-
ing time is near at hand, so as to
form a mulch to prevent the evapora
tion of water.
On account of our dry falls, the
wheat should be put in rather deep
ly, and the drill rows left open or
undragged, in order to prevent win
ter killing by the heaving of the soil
and be a protection from cold winds.
One bushel is a fair seeding, though
some use as much as one and one-
half bushels with good results. The
seed should be put in sufficiently
early to allow the plants to attain
sufficient size and hold on the soil
before cold weather comes, to re
duce, as far as possible, the bad ef
fects of freezing and soil heaving.
The best time will vary in different
sections and in different seasons.
Where the Hessian fly is troublesome
it is likely best to delay seeding un
til after a good frost, but where it is
not troublesome seeding may be
made prior to this time to good ad
vantage.
This bulletin contains all kinds of
meat for the farmer who raises small
grain. If it isn’t on your reading
table, write to the State Department
for it.
SAVING MANURE.
Bulletin 143 Texas Agricultural Ex
periment Station — “Observations
on European Fanning.
No small part in the system for
maintaining and increasing the fer
tility of European soils is played by
the careful saving and application oi
manure. Not only are the solid and
liquid excreta of the animals care
fully conserved, but all farm waste
which may contain fertility or which
may add organic matter to the soil
goes into the manure pile if it cannot
be better utilized. Forest leaves,
ashes, bones, etc., are all made use
ful.
The value of liquid manure is well
recognized in Europe, but it is not so
well recognized in this country. As
a matter of fact, over half of the fer
tilizing value of the feed goes into
the liquid excrement. In Bulletin
104 of the Texas Experiment Station,
it was shown that when a ration of
cotton seed meal and hulls alone or
with kaflr, inilo or molasses, was fed,
about 42 per cent of the fertilizing
value of the feed goes into the solid
excrement. Thus, if a ton of cotton
seed meal is fed, having a fertilizer
valuation of $30,000, the portion of
its fertility which goes into the solid
excrement has a valution of $12.60,
and that which goes into the urine
has a valution of $15.90. Both these
values are often lost in American
feeders, but in European feeders,
cottonseed meal has a value of about
$20 per ton more than to such .Amer
ican feeders.
In Europe, it is considered that a
part of the profit of keeping animals
lies in the manure; sometimes, an
the profit. If the animal sells for
enough to pay cost of feed( care, and
maintenance, then the manure makes
the profit. It i^ considered as exceed
ingly poor farming for one not to
save manure, both solid a«d liquid,
as carefully as possible.
All the cattle sheds- or barns which
we saw had stone or concrete floors.
The barnyard or shed fn which the
manure is stored, also had stone
pavements. The liquid manure was
either absorbed by peat, or else run
through stone or concrete troughs
into a stone tank. If run in a tank,
at intervals dviring the year, the li
quid manure is pumped into tank
carts, and distributed, generally on
grass land. The leaching from the
manure piles run into the liquid ma
nure cistern.
GRADUATED LAND TAX,
The evils of tenant-farming which
afflict all parts of America no less
than the southern States, must he
corrected if ever the farmer is to ar
rive at his true possibilities as a citi
zen and an independent producer.
Back of the prevalence of tenancy is
land-monopoly, perpetuated by a
host of what may be called “lana-
hogs,’’ content to either keep their
acres in “Cojd storage’’ or rent them
out on usurous terms to a few indif
ferent tenants who often wreck the
soil by their antiquated or indifferent
agricultural methods.
It is the easiest matter in the world
to overestimate the amount of avail-
ble land in this country and to per
suade one’s self that there is plenty
of acres to go around when survey
ing the impressive showing made by
the federal census-bureau and the
federal department of agriculture.
As a matter of fact, the quantity of
land in this country susceptible to
profitable cultivation is already well
established. To a large extent, it is
monopolized by a limited few and the
small farmer who could and would
develop and safeguard it is unable to
buy or lease it save on the most ex
orbitant terms.
I understand, of course, that there
is a small element of farmers as of
every other class, so lacking in man
agement that if t^iey were given
farms on golden platters, they would
speedily get rid of or be “done” out
of them. But I am speaking now of
the vast majority who would, if given
the chance, profit by the advantage of
land-owning upon reasonable terms.
I have studied the situation care
fully in this country, and with espe
cial reference to the southern States.
At first glance, it may appear a radi
cal suggestion, but I am really be
coming convinced that there is but
one sufficient remedy for this condi
tion, and that is a graduated land
tax.
We all know the theory of the in
come tax. It imposes a levy on all
incomes above a certain figure—say,
for purposes of illustration, all in
comes over $5,000 a year. From a
minimum of 1 per cent a year on in
comes over $5,000 a year, the tax in
creases as the income increases, until
those with the largest incomes pay
the largest tax—a method against
the justice of which no thinking
man can raise complaint.
Now, assume—and the amount is
only provisional—that we allowed
each 100 acres of land to go untaxed,
save by the ordinary processes of tax
ation essential to county and State
maintenance. The man who owned
more than 100 acres would pay a
small tax per acre over and above
that amount. His tax would increase
as his acreage increased. When,
Anally, the procedure reached the
man who is deliberatelv holding hun
dreds and thousands of acres either
uselessly or rented out to imnrovi-
dent tenants, the tax would be so
high that he would be compelled to
sell, or rent in such manner as to
lower the impost on himself.
I do not believe in confiscation.
That is farthest from my thoughts. I
would not deprive any man. however,
derelict in his duties to his fellow
men, of the .iust results of his labor
or foresight. But T do balk at the
spectacle of the idle parasite on the
body-politic, keening Indefinitely
huge tracts of land which might fur
nish homes and subsistence to thous
ands of honest, intelligent, and hard
working Americans. It is this class
who would be reached by a graduat
ed land-tax. T say; “land-tax.” As
a matter of strict accuracy, it is not
so much a tax on land as it is a tax
on avarice and selfishness. For. in
the overwhelming maiority of these
Instances, this individual is holding
his acres for a big rise in value, that
he may profit by the activities of
countless others in which he has no
part and for which he has no sym
pathy.
The students of economics call this
the “unearned increment.” In other
words, men in country and city who
own large or small tracts of land are
made rich by the enhancement in the
value of that land, not through their
own energy and public-spirit, but be
cause of the collective and combined
activities of thousands who may
daily pass a street corner and in
crease its value; or by hundreds who
may locate near a vacant country
principality, and thereby make it val
uable.
It should be understood that the
man with the minimum number of
acres such as 100—would not be im
mune from ordinary State and coun
ty taxes. He would bare his share of
the burden of government. But the
super-tax, would come on the indi
vidual who segragates huge quanti
ties of land, letting them go to waste .
or be cultivated insufficiently by
some of the most thriftless elements
in the community.
I commend the idea to the Farm
ers’ Union generally, and to those
legislators with the backbone to leg
islate for tomorrow as well as for to
day, and who are not intimidated by
the massed might of money.
CHARLES S. BARRETT.
Billings, Mont., May 31, 1912.
BRO. CROSBY EDUCATION AGENT
^lecklenburg Man Accepts Appoint
ment From Officials of North Caro
lina Farmers’ Union.
W. C. Crosby of this county has
entered upon his duties as Superin
tendent of Education of the North
Carolina Farmers’ Union and during
the summer he plans to travel over
the parts of North Carolina where
the organization has a Arm hold and
explain the purposes of the Union.
Mr. Crosby was named for this po-
siton by Dr. H. Q. Alexander, Presi
dent of the North Carolina division
of the Farmers’ Union and the State
Executive Committee.
It is the purpose of the organiza
tion to promote interest in instruct
tion in the art of agriculture in
North Carolina, to interest the peo
ple of the rural districts in farm
education and to plan a series of
farm-lifg institutes to be held in ev
ery county , in the State. The teach
ing of domestic science in the public
schools of the counties will be urged.
Mr. Crosby is a teacher of expe
rience and for a number of years he
has been engaged as principal in a
number of public schools of Meck
lenburg. The officials of the Farm
ers’ Union think he is amply quali-
fled to All the new office to which he
has been appointed. Mr. Crosby
hopes to organize his work so ef
fectually during the summer that he
will be able to return here in the
fall and continue his work as princi
pal of the public school at Carmel in
Sharon Township. His duties will
call him away from the county for
the greater part of the time during
the summer, but by using the ma
chinery of the State Farmers’ Union,
he antiqipates that he will be able
to get the work in hand during the
idle months of the summer so that
it will run along smoothly thereaf
ter.—Charlotte Observer.
The third commencement of the
East Carolina Teachers’ Training
School at Greenville last week in
cluded sermon by Dr. T. H. Rise, of
Richmond, and an address by Dr. P.
P. Claxton, U. S. Commissioner at
Washington.
It is a good thing to be rich, and a
good thing to be strong, but it is a
better thing to be loved of many
friends.-—Euripides.
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