The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-23

age highly unsafe and adding terribly
to the cost of marketing products; that
Observation-Disclosures have dangerous holes
in them, and are often made OF round
poles laid loosely, that the approaches to
many of the cities and towns where the
run together and travel gathers
are miracles Of badness and call for
attention, in not alone the ems
forcement of the gerry wise and full
road laws, already existent, but the
addition of a road tax. giving the citis
zens a in other States, the option TO
pay u road tax either in money or las
Dor.
18th. We find a good code Of
school laws providing for a system of
free public schools; the s%parseness Of
the population prevents the full admins.
tration of them, and the fund is divis
ded with fairness between both white
and black. The people believe and
.ct upon the principle that ignorance
is the mother Of crime and vice as we'll
as Of superstition. The private school
system always did have preference at
theSOuth, and those who are able pre-.
fer to send their children 10 them, be.
cause the school taX-owing to the
wide distances between homes-hardly
~sutfices to provide for more than the
very rudimentarv branches Of knowl-
edge: yet this is generously supple
mented by private contributions and
in many districts public schools Of fair
character are had, and in some in
stances good grade schools are main-
+,nLl I'i,a .t,Il,n r.l,AnI 80 =,
growing largely in favor; its
are annually increasing. and, but for a
fear of extravaganza in its use. would
be largely increased. The numbers OF
the population at a fair distance from
own and cities. are not enough to
justify many appliances for free
schools. and therefore much Of cduca-
ton IS carried on even now, at home,
while frequently. those who pay school
tax. do not avail themselves OF its use
for the season given. An assurance Of
economy in public school administers
ton would give il swift impulse.
What has jeopardized it, is that in
some portions it was made the subject
Of public plumber a few years since hy
those having charge Of its disbursement
Goth. We find, that taxes since
home rule has been given to the Solth,
nave very materially lightened. In
North Carolina and Georgia they ere
very low, while III the other States
they are high, owing to a system Of
graceless plumber, unconsciohable is
sues of illegal bonds, and diversion of
funds from their proper uses. The
details OF this quest on, that is the rate
Of tax, we prefer to leave to the appli-
cation Of the party wanting knowledge,
to the collectors of the several counties,
or the auditors of the public moneys
Of the respective States. 1t Will be
found. however, that the rate Of tax is
based upon a valuation OF little over
one-third, if any.
21st. That while fruit thrives in the
South most lu~Xuriantly, yet little at
@tention whatever is paid to varieties;
vines go unframed and trees unpruHed !;
that in a country, where fruit of all
kinds thriveS without any climatic
causes for destruction. yet no varieties
are bred. The fruit is largely common
in variety, and all ripens at about the
same time. No attempt is made to
Save IL anu II lldiSS upon llc trees,
breaking them down with its burden,
the branches not even being propped.
But few nurseries exist and cities could
be named which have no nursery with
in 100 miles. The orange districts are
cared for as regards the cultivation Of
that fruit as a crop. but all other fruits
nave hitherto been neglected. Latter.
", attention is being paid to earlier
varieties, and also, kinds which ripen
at different pc iods. The sales of fruit
trees from Northern nurseries are very
large. As a business, canning fruit
could be made a profitable industry.
especially since peaches bear in three
years from the seed.
22d. We find that no attention is
paid to stock growing or sheep hus-
bandry, neither to making of butter
and cheese, and, that vast portions of
the South are in every element emf
nently adapted to these industries,
any of which would return large
profits. IN a small way some thrifty
persons have turned their attention to
some one or other Of these things, and
their resultant profit from stock and
sheep, are exciting attention to this
subject. Cattle are generally of infe-
rior Kind, and receive little feed in
winter; rely on grass in summer and
are in but few instances housed. The
same remarks apply in a general way
to horses and mules, and though more
care is exercised with them. vet no
particular attempt is made in the
country to attain good breeds: as a
consequence horses are cheap in a
country where fine horses are admired.
Good horses sell for good prices in the
th:ckly populated districts, and are
brought from other parts Of the coun-