The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-01-15
SYSTEMATIC FARMING-RAISE
HOME SUPPLIES.

EDITOR FARMER The old sayings,
Demonstration is the thief of time"
and ga stitch in time ave nine,"
should never be forgotten. A neigh
Dor of mine quoted the first of these
in referring to the hardness with
which farmers commenced sowing
wheat. He said, why is it when a
farmer knows that he has wheat to
sow and knows that it will make more
and better wheat if sown in October,
does he put it off until the last of
November or first of December ?"
[ told him | thought it was laziness
and d lack of management-and l
might have added, system. A lack
of system in their farm operations
has caused more farmers to fail than
the lack of fertile lands. [ think
every farmer ought to keep a diary
and a set of books, in which he ought
to keep an itemized account of all ex-
penses incurred in making the crop,
and credit his farm with everything
sold from it.
Our Warren county farmers have
gotten in the habit of relying too much
on our brother in black" 1t was
bred in the bone, but we must get out
of it if we wish to succeed. l believe
in the negro. I believe he is the best
labor we can get; but he needs close
looking after. He will be certain to
leave your wagon and plows out from
under shelter, and carry your hoes
and guano sacks to his cabin, unless
you are at his heels all the time. [
think we ought to pay and feed them
we'll and then see that they work.
Brother farmers, " 1t is too late
to mend" Come now, let us reason
together and find out what is the cause
of our depressed condition. I &C
knowledge that the tariff is burden
some, and hat we are heeced on all
sides in the sale Of our market crops
and the purchase of our few (O neces-
sites. But are they the prime causes
of our condition 2 [ think not. Don't
we have u smoke houses, corn cribs
and hay too far off Don't we wear
ourselves out and kill our teams going
so far -? And besides the great dis
lance to travel, don't we have them to
pay for, often 100 per cent. on the
dollar above cash value, because we
are. bound to have them? You &C
knowled that we are bound to have
these articles. Don't you know that
you cannot continue to buy them and
live7 Don't you believe that you can
raise these articles at home if you
would try? Don't you know that if
you would be prosperous, contented
and happy, you must raise your own
supplies? Knowing all that 1 have
said to be true, won't you turn over a
new leaf for l889-be sure you
paste it down so that it will not blow
back-and raise your corn, meat and
everything necessary to feed man and
beast.
This is the only road to independ-
ence and comfort. Prepare your corn
land first, and then, if you have any
extra time, put it upon a market crop.
l well remember, Bro. Polk, that while
you were in Warrenton attending the
Institute, you asked to be shown a
man who raised his own supplies and
you would guarantee that he always
had money in his pocket and always
had money to lend. Such was a fact.
Now, brother farmers, let US strive to
live at home-to raise our own sup
plies, for this is the only road that
will lead us away from the over-reach-
ing hands of our enemies.
HOWARD +. JONES.