The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-07-17
PASTURES AND FENCING MA
..- TERIAL.

At my time of life it is impossible
to conduct a farm up to the modern
progressive ideas. of management, as
new theories, new ideas, new plans
and systems have been advanced and
carried into practice by many, when
are so different from the old-tlme
methods, which / do not pretend to
criticise or condemn. So l am merely
a looker-on to what is going on in the
fields, but stick mostly to what | have
been accustomed to and have found
successful and profitable. [ condemn
no new methods; in fact, [ like to see
them fully tested, for in these days OF
wonderful progress and improvements,
much good and benefits accrue. New
implements have been introduced on
the farms that save time, labor and
expense, that are valuable, new modes
of cultivation that expedites the work,
also in fertilizing crops, and above all,
I look upon the %terracing of the fields
as the most valuable of all modern
improvements, for it saves the soil
and leaves your land worth cultivat-
ing. Every farm in Georgia should
be terraced and properly ditched and
where the lands are too wet for proper
cultivation. | consider ~terracing and
| ditching as the basis of successful
farming. l have terraced, and where
it has been done the soil has been re.
tanned, and where there were washes
and gullies, now there are none. This
l consider the acme of all modern
farm improvements-the retaining OF
the soil. We want another improve
ment, and that is doing away with rail
and board fencing, and if we must
fence, give us a cheap, durable wire
fence that will not cripple or kill
stock. Doing away with field fencing
is much to be desired, and keeping uI
stock, but as pastures become neces'
sary under that system, we want a
cheap wire fence, safe and durable,
and that can be removed as desired.
A farm should have plenty of stock,
not only for their value as work ami
mails, for milk and butter, but for
merchantable purposes also, rs we'll as
to furnish manure for the farm. Com
mercial manures are too expensive to
depend on, and we want manur from
our animals, which would make them
doubly valuable to US as market stock,
as we'll as fertilizers of our farms. We
have the terraces that retain our soil,
so let us have the benefit of our cattle
to fertilize our farms and this we can.
not have until we can furnish pastures
for them, and we cannot have cheap
pastures until we have cheap fencing.
Pastures and stock are next in value
to terracing, yet to accomplish this,
we are dependent on Legislative aid, as
we'll as the genius of the mechanic to
furnish cheap material that will an
swer our purposes. This should be
the efforts of u young farmers to
have accomplished such necessary
conveniences and wants [ can only
make suggestions to them. I am too
old to lead off, for when they have
accomplished the plans through the
legislature and manufacturers, then
the older farmers can follow. It takes
work and perseverance to carry out
plans, and that must be the task and
duty of our young farmers. The
Farmers Alliance may do much in
accomplishing such things, so let us
p~ersevere to the end.-Jno. II. Dent,
an Southern CuztayatOr.