The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-02-28
For THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
FLOWING.

sisting on the earth nearly six thou
sand years. The population has been
on the increase all that time. We
can't say the same of it's yielding
capacity. We know that portions of
it has become poorer. This state of
things should not be. Neither do we
believe the wisdom of God, in his
arrangements, is at fault. 1t is proper
that the inhabitants should multiply,
that is His business. That a given
quantity of land should yield more is
rational, this is our business. 1t is
our duty to put forth our energies and
wits to secure it. We have been
remiss somewhere or this poverty
would not exist. We are not at lib
erty to say that it is impossible to
prevent it, for the contrary is de-
handed; and God never makes i'm
possible demands of us. This would
be an accusation of injustice, a thing
He is incapable of. His part has been
faithfully performed. We are the
delinquents.
Having located the fault of this
failure in yield at our own doors, it
becomes u duty to right it. To keep
on in the same old ruts would correct
nothing. To do this way or that "be-
cause father did " would kill progress
as dead as Julius Caesar. The philan-
thropist sees cause for alarm. He
who has any regard for his W pos
terity sees the anne Something must
ho lono fo oroora fhic o,,oo-fo.; - 80
real. There are only two remedies
possible for us by which to right it.
We must either cultivate more land,
or cultivate what we have better.
Which alternative shall we take If
we cultivate more land, the time will
come when we will require more than
the earth affords. Then we will be
forced to adopt the only true plan
that of increasing the yielding capacity.
The earth don't expand in area to
afford more land, neither have we any
available facilities to leave it alive, and
go to another planet should starvation
threaten us.
When but n man lived on the
earth there was no preparation of soil
or planting for him to do. Jehovah
done it for him Adam had nothing
to do but dress the garden. After
the transgression, he was driven out
of paradise and sent to "tW the
ground from whence he was TAKEN"
and Cherubim with flaming sword set
to guard and prevent his intruding on
the garden for all time and procure
his subsistence through the "sweat of
his brow" This places the response
bility where it justly belongs. Let us
buckle down to business and 90 at it
the best we know how or can learn
from others. In Adamic times but
little thinking was necessary, and one
nan had it all to do, for he had no
help. Now, things are different; we
must all think for ourselves.
The first step in bringing about this
grand revolution is breaking the soil
in such a way as to produce the largest
results. This the experience of cen
turtles has taught us, can be done
equally as we'll and much more ex-
%peditously with the pillow, and the
united testimony of the most success
full farmers is that the term pillow is the
best for the purpose, if properly con
structed and ~judiciously used.
To construct it so a. to economic
draft, the manner in which the ground
should be stirred or moved; the season
of year it should be done for the
various crops; the depth it should be
broken, and the treatment afterward
to prepare a seed bed for these crops
are the essentials to be considered in
blowing.
The earliest authentic history we
have of the existence of the pillow Tin
a crude state no doubt) is that given
by Job in the Old Testament.
The same rudely constructed pillow
was used for centuries, until the time
of the enlightened Grecians and
Romans, that Abraham and his de-
scendents used. 1t seems that for
forty or fifty centuries this necessary
implement of ours was used without
any material improvement.
To the scientific mind of Thomas
Jefferson we are indebted for the first
demonstration of the true principles
upon which the modern urn pillow
should be constructed. While travel
ing in France and Germany in the
year 1888 his spirit of observation led
him frequently to alight and examine
the working implements of the farm,
ers there. While there he made the
following entry in his journal: "The
awkward figure of their mold-board