The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-16
FARMING.
Valuable Paper Read Before the L. L.
Polk Alliance at q Recent Meeting
by Prof. B. Irby, OF the


by Prof. B. Irby, of the
A. g. M. College.
There are two styles of farming, n
special and the other dlVersineu'
snaciaI farming is the raising OF one
or two crops to the exclusion OF all
oIse This system OF farming Is prac-
ticed to advantage near large clIles'
on6 IN special spills where immense
Weld can be obtained.
On very valuable land where large
profits can be realized of course 1t
will nav to grow these special crops
and buy other products. But with nine
tenths of the farmers of North Caro-
lima diversified farming will pay best.
This system of farming includes the
growing of several different crops, be-
sides the keeping of live stock on the
farm.
Just on the face of the proposition it
will be seen that it is better for the
farmer generally as he is enabled by
the diversified system to grow nearly
everything he needs at home, and with
his stock he has q home maket for
everything that he cannot sell, besides
getting rid of his waste products. In
fact, there need be no loss on the farm,
for what cannot be sold for paying
prices should be fed to the stock. The
expense connected with the two is
very different.
Where the special farmer is worried
over lack of labor, and inability to
perform certain work in a specified
time, the diversified farmer goes on
in the even tenor of his way and a r
ries on his farm operations with hard
ly a ripple to disturb his peace of mind.
Take for example the labor question,
which, by the way, is the hardest
problem to deal with, not only on the
Southern farms, but throughout the
world generally. The special farmer
is actively engaged only a short time
each year. His labor the rest of the
year is disorganized, and by the time
he collects labor for his work and is
ready for business, they see that his
business is suffering and that what he
does he must do at once, and they con-
ceive the idea of making him pay all
that it is possible, and forthwith insti-
tute a strike. They believe that he
will submit rather than let his work
suffer. Now, the diversified farmer
has no such trouble. He keeps his
labor employed all the time and they
are better satisfied. He does not have
to give such high wages, because he
gives them steady employment. OF
course where q man works only eight
months in the year he must make
enough to live on the rest of the time.
1t is true that the specialist becomes
expert and can do more in q day than
the man of all work, but in the long
run the general laborer will accom-
plish more.
Then, too, the farmer who raises q va
riety is not affected by the fluctuations
In the market like the special crop
man. If he has but one crop, that is
his all and he may make a fine profit,
on the other hand lose everything.
If, however, his crops are general,
surely some will sell well and he can
keep the rest for higher prices or util-
ize them to advantage on the farm.
This brings up the question, what can
be raised on a farm in North Carolina9
To make a complete list must be to
name nearly everything that crows in
the United States. So, only a few will
Ia ma0tiOnad sy,oh ~.
tobacco, wheat, rye, barley, oats, peas,
potatoes, groundpeas, all kinds of hay
crops, fruits and vegetables almost
without number. Cattle, hogs, sheep,
horses, and poultry. The truth of he
business is the farmer here in this
State can raise nearly everything that
ne vii need. Although the State, as
GtaAAInstitution for the RIAA-aaAA
shown by statistics, Ia a poor one, tht
lands are susceptible of high develop
zment and the climate is exceptionally
good. In fact, anybody with the most
varied taste can surely be suited some
where between the semi tropical eli
mate of Newberne and the mountains
of the west with a climate resembling
that Of sturdy New England.
In North Carolina the stock featur,
rs destined to become n of great i'm
,pertance. It is a surprising fact an,
"a slur on the Old North State, with al
her rich pasture, to see beef cattle i'm
ported from Richmond, Va, every year
The farmer should bear in mind the
when he sells a beef from the farm