The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-05-14
"DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP"
LITTLE Rock ALLIANCE, No. III,

LITTLE Rock ALLIANCE, No. III,
Purnell, Wake Co., N. c., April 3.
Mr.. EDIToR:-" Don't give up the
ship" What ship The Chesapeake
No. The great Alliance ship-the
ship that has more Shannons to fight
than the Chesapeake had But though
the agencies brought to. bear upon
our great ship are as the sands of the
sea, should we, like dogs. lick the
dust? answer no. believe that
we have Gideon for a leader, and
that if we only humble ourselves so
much as to get down and lap water
that our legions will be flushed with
victory, and that trusts and combina-
tions will soon have their Waterloo.
In the great fight let us love our
enemies. Let's use no abusive words
against them. Il we cannot speak
we'll of them, let us remember that
God knows of all their acts, and that
Whatsoever man soweth that shall
he also reap" Let's prove to them
that we desire them to live, but at the
same time let's remind them of the
fact, that " self-preservation is the first
law of nature )" that while they eat
cake and ice-cream, we wish to take
bite Of cracking bread.
Let us make our farms self-sustain-
ing. This will be the breastwork
behind which we shall be SAFE No
shot from the line of the enemy will
penetrate it. Instead of whispering
in the ear of the merchant that may
run" us, the merchant may be glad
to whisper in our ears. Just here, l
will state, that am acquainted with
man who has traded for number
of years on time. He owns an OK,
which he drove so often to the place
at which he traded, that the OK soon
learned the way, and all that was
necessary to get him there was to
start him on the road, six miles away.
If this man was an hour late in get
ting to the store, he would find his OK
standing at an accustomed place, en-
joying the chewing of his cud. No
matter how many trains passed by
nor how much noise they made, old
N would stand with twinkle Of
contentment in his eye. He did not
seemingly grow weary going to the
store during the spring and summer
and bringing back light loads. But
in the fall, when the roads were
muddy and the tugging up hill and
the holding back down hill with a
heavy load behind him, the old fellow
would become thin and his master
detected When the season for haul |
ing cotton to market was over, the old |
OK was still thinner and his masters
face still longer. Not till the wintry
winds had ceased to blow and the
balmy spring had come, would the old |
OK regain much of the vigor Of youth.
On the first of January last, this old |
ox's master turned over new leaf. He |
borrowed money at s per cent. with |
which to buy supplies this year. A
few days ago he paid visit to the
merchant Of whom he bought supplies
on time last year. Instead of his
whispering in the merchants ears, the
merchant whispered in his. He says
he is buying -four $500 cheaper per
barrel. If he buys six barrels during
the year he saves $1,000, enough to
pay the interest on $4,000 for year
at s per cent, He has taken step
in making his farm self-sustaining.
He SAYS he has told his old OK to rest
from his labors, whether his works do
follow him or not.
There are ways by which our farms
may be made sef-sustaining. Economy
and diversity of crops and intensive
rather than extensive farming will
bring new life into our homes. What
is the use of thro wing piece of meat
away that was boiled yesterday for
dinner? What is the use of hiring
done that which we can do ourselves
What Is the use of buying that we can
do without 2 Why plant all cotton
and no corn? Why save fodder and
harvest no oats Why pay attention
to a melon patch and neglect gar
den 2 Why put ten acres in cotton
when if the same manure used on the
ten acres were used on five the yield
IF cotton would be greater and the
cultivation easier ? But / must stop.
on all know Col. Polk.
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