The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-10-28
LIE T FROM IREDELL
COUNTY.
The Alliance as an Educator--Need o.
More and Better Education
in Our Country.

Nh. EDITORIALS nothing from our
Alliance has been published recently
in your valuable paper, permit me, as
correspondent for the same, to send
you q short communication, that our
co-workers may know that we are
alive, fastening slowly, and in
thorough sympathy with them on all
questions affecting mutual interest and
the public good.
Alliance No. 642 has 81 members,
two of whom are ladies. Average
attendance about 20. 1t is a wise
provision OF the Alliance Constitution
to admit ladies in the organization. l
am heartily in favor of it and wish
that every Alliance throughout the
land would multiply their members
from the band of gentle sisterhood.
In many ways the power of their in
fuence for good must be felt. But l
do not intend to tax your time and
space with a lengthy essay ON wo-
mans influence, even If l had the
language and ability to define the
limits of its mighty power. In the
words of the true poet:
"No stream from it's source
Flows seward, how lonely soever its
course,
But what some land is gladdered. No star
ever rose
And set, without influence somewhere. Who
knows
What earth needs from earth'S lowest crea-
ture? No life
Can be pure in its purpose and strong in its
strife
And ali life not bs purer and stronger there
by"
While a goodly number of our Ali
ance subscribe to Tn PROGRESSIVE
FARMER, yet it does not receive the
liberal patronage which it deserves.
1t ought to have twenty times the cir
culGtion that it has. Farmers and
others who refuse to take the papers
are often swindled out of their hard
earned savings by travelling men who
represent every calling and profession.
Those who read the papers have seen
their tricks exposed and so ave their
money.
Moral: Farmers take The PROGRESS
1 farmer and read it. You'll save
money by it. Manure your mental
plantations with brains.
A gracious Providence has blessed
us with abundant crops in this section.
The continued rains, however, have
damaged the cotton to some extent,
which will make the average yield
shorter. The thrifty farmers are busy
curing tobacco, picking cotton and
preparing land for wheat.
l am glad to know that Southern
farmers r beginning to realize the
fact that small farms we'll kept and
thoroughly cultivated, are productive
of much more satisfactory results than
large farms poorly tended and partial
ly developed. Much land and little
working capital, with even less skill
sometimes, keep many farmers behind
in the race. Those who have more
land than they have time and capital
to work, would do we'll to sell the lay
wa ,te surplus and with the pro
ceeds equip themselves with the
necessary farming implements, and
with industry, frugality and 60 ahead
ativeness, make farming in every in,
stance a first class sue cess.
l am hopeful Of great and practical
good, not theories, resulting from the
Alliances school recently established
at Morehead City. AS yet 1 know
little about it, save the fact that such
a school has been provided, but l
want to see 1t a brilliant success In
every particular. May every pupil
who enters it's doors be taught to do
as we'll as to know. We live in an &C.
tive u~tilitarian age. 1t is pre-. eminent
ly the age of applied thought, and the
proper education of to day is a prepa
ration for the duties and responsible
ties of life. If l have one pet theory
dearer than another it is the urgent
necessity of thoroughly training boys
and girls for some n vocation at
least, which may be the means of
sustaining and uplifting them in life
and thereby making the world better,
brighter ana happier for their having
lived in it. My opinion trends in
favor of manual training in
schools. But this is a fertile theme,
and in so limited a space l shall not
attempt a discussion of it. In a future
communication l will be pleased to
say something about our public schools
in the rural districts, to which so
nearly concern our interests and our
children's interests.
Yours f~raternally,
D. E. O.