The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-12-08

there Is an abundant supply of
these on almost every farm. Don't
clear up any more land until all the
present area is highly improved.
Look after the bitches on your
bottom lands and see that they do
not become clogged up with trash &c;
and then overflow and damage your
best lands Don't allow the winter
rains to wash out all the fertility of
the soil. All the muddy water
running off Of grain tields-the soil
in solution-is a sure sign of coming
poverty Stop it,
Mild days in winter is good time
also TO make under-drains in low
wet places, which in their
present condition are almost worth
less to cultivate. Another perma-
nent Improvement you may make
now is gathering up the rocks on
rough ground where they have been
in the way of cultivation for genera
tions-get them out Of there and
thereby tighten the labor of tillage
and increase the yield.
The farmer has a standing job all
winter, whether the weather is fair
or foul, in looking out after the
making or saving of manure; this
cannot be neglected if he would
hope for fourishing crops
Cut up all rough feed for stock
and make the feeding and watering
as convenient as possible. Keep
everything about the barn and barn
lot neat and clean. All this requires
work and that is just what we are
talking about-winter work on the
farm.
And then there are the roads on
the farm that need attention-make
them at least good enough to render
them passabIe. And if the farmer
has one spark of patriotism in his
soul or decent regard for self he
will fill up those ugly places in the
public road in front of his house.
Don't wait, my brother, for the COM
missioners or the overseer, for they
are generally long time in coming
and you may be- disgraced beyond
remedy by depending upon them
In passing a farm, if you see the
dwelling and out-houses, the orchard,
the road, the fencing and the farm
all neat and tastily arranged and in
good order, you need not stop to
find out how those people live, that
is plain even to the ''passer-by."
But on the other hand should you
see few poor cattle in the lane and
scattered about the premises gener-
ally without shelter, old wagons and
plows and other farm implements
left here and there to take the
weather, the barn and stables dilap-
idated and leaky, the doorway of
of the stable filled in with crossed
rails to serve as a shutter, but
through this obstruction may be
seen the head and neck of a poor
horse, patiently interviewing the
outside world and anxiously hoping
for better times, it is needless for
you to 60 in to see how they live.
[ have been there and can testify of
the true inwardness of the whole
The window frames are
noisy and reckless, the sash is almost
without pane Of glass and in these
openings are to be
seen rare specimens of cast-off gar
ments, such as obsolete breeches legs
stuffed, old hats and superannuated |
bustles, besides great variety Of
ct ceteras too numerous to men,
ton. These arc show windows /
indeed and in truth On all such
farms, and [ am sorry to say there
are thousands of just such even in
North Carolina, there is an urgent
opportunity for winter work. Let
US strive to do better work in all of
our farm operations. So mote it
be.
D. M. Payne. Men who plant
more tobacco than they ought, as
We think, find plenty work for the
winter months in preparing it for
market. This is one reason of the
great causes arising from that crop
hat deteriorate our farms. The
ong tedious job Of casing, asserting
md handling crop of tobacco con-
,umes nearly all of the time set
apart by nature for us to enrich and
prepare our land for the next crop
bor ,r;odor, h q cnitod tho