The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-17

prices. OF their products any better
than ours. On an average not so
good. Are their taxes lighter than
ours? If we were compelled to pay
their tax, either at the North or Eng,
land, our land would at once be sold
for taxes. Have they valuable crops
which they can raise and which we
cannot raise :? There is not a farm
product in either old or New England
which we cannot raise in equal perfec-
ton at the South. Is their labor
cheaper than ours2 The cost of labor
at the North nearly doubles the cost
of labor at the South. II, then, all
these things are SO, why is it that
their land is so valuable and ours so
valueless /? If we take the map of the
United States and put our finger upon
the States O parts of the States in
which land sells at the highest price,
we shall find that in those States or
parts of States the greatest attention
is paid to the cultivation Of grasses
and forage plants. If we open the
map of Europe we shall find that the
same rule holds good"
off more of the land were in grass,
much less labor would be required to
manage it To the wearied business
nan there is something charming in
the thought of broad acres, a few
select l~aborers, green grass, cool
shades, running water, thrifty live
stock, and all the abundance of the
farm.
GA small, well MANFRED and we'll
cultivated area of land in cotton and
the cereals, with a large proportion of
forage plants and grasses, will give to
the cotton planter a pleasure in his
business, and an amount of real profit
which he has never before known.
"Grasses mean less labor, less wor.
ry, fewer hands, more enjoyment,
finer stock and more charming homes,
and, al a consequence, happier fami-
lies, more education, more taste and
refinement, and a higher elevation of
moral character"
Grass once well established is the
farmers bank, which, with a little
care and a~ttentio. produces crops
year after year with very little outlay,
which can either be sold or used profit
ably, thus making manure to improve
the soil and raise the "money" crops,
such as cotton and tobacco, doing
away with the necessity for CONNER
cial fertilizers We have gone into
this matter at length, with the idea
of aiding those farmers who have not
given that thought and attention to
grass and foliage culture which their
Importance demands, knowing that
upon a proper investigation forage
crops will commend themselves to
their notice, which they can grow to
advantage and profit in addition to
the "money" crops they are now
growing.
In grass culture it is most important
to procure only the best and freshest
seeds, as success or failure depends on
this to a very large extent. The ex-
periments made by the North Caro-
lima Experimental Station the past
year with samples of grass and clover
seeds, collected from the different lots
offered for sale to farmers of that
State, has presented some astounding
results. The low percentage of ger
mination aid the admixture of weeds
and other foreign seeds in some of
the samples practically showed some
of them to be almost worthless. All
this goes to show that farmers can,
not be too particular in selecting
their seeds and obtaining
them of reliable seedsmen, who make
their business a life study and hold
their reputation at stake. Any one
~conversant with the seed trade knows
that there is a large difference in
price between the lowest and highest
grades of seeds as quoted on the
markets. For instance, the difference
in price between the lowest and high.
est grades of clover seeds is often as
much as IS cts. and even $l.00 per
bushel. This only shows that dealers
who have no reputation at stake can
make more money and sell at a lower
price by selling lower grades of seed
than the scotsman who considers his
reputation and sells only the best
seeds: and this small difference in
price of a few cents per bushel often
makes a difference Of ten times as
many dollars to the farmers who SOW
inferior seeds, thereby either filing
lands with noxious weeds or failing to
obtain goods stand of grass.
FRO BE CONTINUED.
GpANn CINE La Anr 90 $50