The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-09-30
ROC hN MOUNT FAIR
TO be Held this Year November 10th.
IL ith and .2th.

The CHRONICLE is indebted 10 ThoS II
Battle, Esq, for a ticket to the Rocky
Mount Fair. The .'Obiects of he As,ocia-
tion" are set forth 50 clearly, and the needs
Of Eastern North Carolina farmers are 80
plainly and strongly stated, that wc give
il place, believing that our readers viii he
interested and protited:
he main object of this Association is to
promote the farming interests Of this see
ton. We realize the fact that, on account
of the numerous Fairs held in the State
each one must depend for its support upon
the people of the locality in which il is
held. These two objects, then, the i'm
provement of our agricultural interests
and the support of our Association require
the active aid and co operation of the far
mers of Nash, Edgecombe Halifax and
Wilson. 1t is lamcntablY true that our
farmers as rule are not pIospcring, our
farms are not as profitable nor rs valua
BILE in the market as formerly We cannot
now investigate the cause OF this:-t the
contraction of the currency; the policy of
the National Government and the National
Banking system in forcing Us To look to
the great moneyed ccntcrS for our curreu-
cy, the life blood of all business; the sys-
tematic ignoring and depreciation Of all
the securities possessed by a farming com
munity; the natural result of the forcgo-
ing in compelling us to pay enormous rates
of interest, when III New York money com
maudS only three or four per cent: Il sue
cesson of bad crop years; the large and
growing increase in production Of cotton
in Texas, in India, and in Egypt, lowering
forever the price per pound; last but not
least, our one crop system, raising cotton
to the exclusion of home supplies. All
| these causes have more than overbalanccd
our natural advantages. For we have as
many natural advantages as any country
in the world 80 many that we should not
despair. our lands are good, our climate
| fine our people are hard working. brave.
! and intelligent, our labor Is cheap and
easily managed, we are accessible to the
large markets through a great trunk like
All these things are here to stay and while
we have many changes to make, we should
not despair The latitude in which We
! live free from cpdemicS, floods, cyclones,
&c. has always marked a zone around the
world the most populOus. the wealthiest,
the most refined. The millions Of north
ern money now being spent on improving
and extending our railroads, the fact that
our per cent. bonds are now worth 80
cents in New York, the Improvement IL
| the manufacturing interest of the South,
these and other signs point to vast
and permanent progress. We feel sure
to he lack Of attention to the economies
Of farming. We neglect totally small ways
Of making money, small ways Of saving
it, Why should 4 country like ours i'm
port every year almost aa much in mules,
fertilizers, meat, hay. butter, etc, as our
whole market crop sells forI Why should
we not compete III a small way with the
truckers Of New Jersey, for instance, as
our advantage in climate outwcighs their
prox iuIty to markctl Why should their
land be worth 5000 and ours so an acre
Why should our lands grow poorer anc
poorer when in Europe much land ha;
been in cultivation for a thousand year
and now makes three field crops a year
To aid our farmers in answering these
questions 10 stimulate improved method!
; of farming, 10 enable our progressive far
mers to show and explain the results o
their industry and intelligence and thnl
: offer industrial education where il Is mos
) needed, are the great objects Of our asao
citation and to this end We invite earnes
t cooperation. We wish. however poorl
we may succeed, TO encourage the use 0
labor saving machinery, the growth OF fla
: stock, the raising OF more products il
short a diversified, improved and econo
2 mical system Of farming and 10 spread tn
conviction that the golden key that wi
unlock for US the treasures of the worl
I is the Belgian maxim: Without gra
' no stock; without stock, no manure; witt
e out manure, no crop.