The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-25
SUCCESSFUL FARMING.
An Onslow County Farmer
Started With Nothing and
has Made Much Money!
80 Nz.x..x..

EDITOR DEMOCRAT ACCOUNTING
to your request and nv promise, !
proceed 10 give il condensed form,
my success as a farmer, quality Of
land, and mode Of cultivation.
First, / was raised a poor farmei
boy BY my father, who was hard
listed, common sense man, and died
at the age of IA and followed his
plow up to his death. lie was q 10.
cal Methodist minister for 40 years
and q liberal churchman. At his
death my distribution share in his
estate was twenty dollars. My broth.
er Henry joined me and we added
ten dollars each 10 our shares and
erected tomb stones to our parents
graves.
AT twenty one years Of age ] left
nv old home and engaged in over,
seeing for some Of the best farmers
in Onslow--such as Jno. NJ. FraLck,
VIM. Humphrey and others. That
expanded my views on farming. /
started at low wages but kept adyans
cling. Ny employees all proved TO
be good friends Of mine in after life.
They had confidence in my honesty,
and I commanded their names and
money at any time. After few
years overseeingI purchased . pan-
ration al three fhousard dollars.
paid half cash, and in three years /
was out of debt with all necessary
stock on my farm. Then / comrnen.
csd purchasing negroes to work said
land, generally paying cash.
At the commencement of the war,
/ purchased another plantation for
Eve thousand dollars cash. Then on
came the war and ! was robbed and
plundered of nearly everything |
possessed except land, and my ne
groes all set free. But / did moi
surrender as many farmers did. NV
negioes all remained wi b me. sue
ceeded in getting in some lousy
mules and horses, and Just went RICH.
on, and made one Of the best crops
in '65 and realized more clear cash
than any crop / ever cultivated.
That year I sold $50 barre,s corn o,
$500 per barrel, $1,000 pounds ba
con. lard and pork from 20 to %
cents q pound, and other things IN
proportion That year and the next
three was the best time for making
money that / ever experienced as Q
farmer. Wages we're not so high IS
now. Esz as.s ri ~ g.
Now that the war has closes, all
We old slave owners had to turn owe,
. new leaf. / am one that always
tries TO adjust things in general al
once. Many times obstacles are puI
10 our way TO test oar ability TO over.
come then. So / soon purchased
another plsntntdh sttfss fhousa q
dollars, and then my children grow,
ing up had 10 be sent to school. NJ,
boys i educate on nv farm. 1 teach
them 10 run their furrows straight
and deep. My daughters are given
good training in domestic affair,
by my wife We intend TO have The
girls taught 10 cook good meals and
do all other thing necessary, and &c
into the parlor and play and ring good
pieces on the piano.
i have sent my children TO some
Of the best schools in the South
such a. the Washington and lie,
University ofsVirginia, Gre, nsborc
Female College, 81: Mary's and 9th.
ers. I have paid out for the tduca,
lion Of my children, outside, ofprepa
ratory schools, seven thousand dol
lars; for lands fourteen thousand
dollars; for negroes six thousand
dollars; and have my farm well sup,
piled with good stuck, ny blrn ant
smoke house well filled, am out O
debt and thousand or 30 insolven
credits; and have been cheated on
OF several thousand by designing ras
Gals, who are ever lurking around /,
get q chance at honest toll. But !
is cheating never thrives. All hay,
] made by farming-never got on,
hundred dollars outside.
The quality Of lands / cultivate j
clay subsoil, about one half underiai,
with rock mari. and phosphate rock
10 what depth or thickness / have no
ssceTtained. Muth Of the mari i
cropping out Ofien strike in pillow
Ing, Adapted 70 corn. cotton, be aputs
sweet potatoes, oats, rye, field pe4l
rice and grasses. I generally plau
in drills with beds slightly elevated
and cultivate as level ~ D ssibIe
BY drilling The work CONES reeuls
all the roots drlf. enc way. Breal
deep then cultivate shal.oy.r uuti
laid BY. Having . plenty Of ricl
swamp muck and mari. I dOnt Us
any foreign fertilizers. / culuvat
my lands alternately, 20 a. 10 keep j
up In high state Of cultivation.
run four plOws With hired labor, lou
On the tenant iystem-for so mucl
cotton. You sec ! am trying ii
plans and win nv 70 hoId o. 70 tia
which is good I am one Of the elias
that belong 20 tbe ''gentlemen Of ID,
old school, and have tried Al
through life 70 pursue strict cours
OF moral conduct and attend 10 NJ,
own business and let other peopi,
alone. lTt
! say 70 The pre- ntsge Of progress