The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-03-12
HOGS NORTH CAROLINA.

| Of North Carolina turned over i ne"
leaf and began to read new lesson
| in farming. They had been making
cotton, sometimes receiving but poor
prices, and rsking all on it after the
manner of reckless gambler that
stakes his whole pile on one card and
finds himself bankrupt. The farmers
very unwisely neglected to breed
horses and mules, 10 make their home
msnures, 10 make their own bread
stufs, to raise hogs, and TO grow
rough foods for horses and cattle.
The result was they kept their corn
cribs and their wheat fields in the
far West, and had their smoke houses
in Cincinnati, Chicago and LOUIS
vile. What they had left after sell
ing their cotton went to pay the mer-
chants for supplies and fertilizers.
They were dead poor all the time,
and had to turn AROUND and k the
merchants to "run the again.,
| leaving part of the old debt to lapse
to be bought over to perpetuate
their slavery and fasten afresh the
binding gives. 1t is strange In the
least that with an unwlse course the
farmers were all plastered with mort
cages and their independence gone!
There was never before worse policy
one more certain to keep the farm
ers down, slaves TO contracts and out
at the heel.
Well, in regard to one thing a
change in part has been made. Inc
farmers, or the wlsest OF them, have
been for three years raising more and
more n0gs each year. Last year was
the best year since the war ended.
The more intelligent, wide awake
farmers have their own bacon now,
and can have in full supply hog and
hominv and bacon and greens and
jowl and turnips. Their stomaChs
are no longar starved, and they are
paying off an old debt they owed.
The hog crop of 1896 was indeed a
great advance, and we doubt not
that there is to-day more Of the home
made hog product in this goodly State
than any man born after 1860 ever
saw. Let the good work continue.
Let 1896 at least see as large an ad
vance upon the hog crop OF 1895, as
the crop of that year was an advance
upon all recent years.
One thing is to be specially re-
marked upon. There we're by far
more large hogs grown in 1895 than
ever before. If the entire published
reports of hogs ranging from 800 to
$50 pounds were tabula,ed, the re-
suits would be surprising. We do
not doubt they would equal fully the
reports of South Carolina and that
too without the stimulation OF prizes
offered. The other day hog five
months old was killed that weighed
some 500 and odd pounds.
But, we may repeat, the toothSome
hogs are not of this sort. 1t Is well
understood by old intelligent farmers
in North Carolina and Virginia that
the best bacon ever eaten is that pro-
duced from native hogs. The old
"razor back" follow, put in the pen
and properly fattened according to
capacity, has been for a century the
delight OF epicures and of the finest
flavor. There is really no comparison
between the best cured North Caro-
lima hams of .sthe old school," made
from old native stock, and any other
(the Virginia ham, of the same kind
are equally good and any now from
the round, tat hogs OF the West or the
South. For table purposes the small
hogs of the old breed are incompara-
BILE.
1t is probably cheaper and better
to the raiser to give his attention 10 max
ing hogs to weigh from Us to 225
pounds than TO raise the pet breads o
pet sizes-4oo to 600 Or more pounds
We never ate piece OF an elephant
but we opine piece from one would bl
more relishable than slice from a
600 or 500 pound poker.
While the farmers of North Caro-
| lima have given more attention to hogs
and hominy, they have not abandoned
their old folly of neglecting to pre-
pare all OF their manures at home and
to have their own wheat and hay fields
at home. They can improve just here
If they would. Then they do not ye,
raise their own horses and mules. An
other big draw upon their returns FL
low priced cotton. Then they are
preparing TO increase the cotton acre
age and thus live a positive guaran-
tee that SO far from cotton enhancing
in price next fall it shall crop again
to the rulnous or 6 cents return.
| The farmers are buying much more
fertilizers. That means more cotton.
A greater crop means an over-supply.
Toe much cotton means lower prices,
means less money, fewer comforts,
more Indebtedness, poverty again.
"The mills of the gods grind slowly
but they grind awful fine No man
can abuse opportunities without paying
for 1t. No farmer can defy the plain
law of political economy-supply and
demand-without sore experience OF
disappointment. Wilmington hes
senger.
Your Present Need
Is pure, rich blood, and strong and
healthy body, because with the approach
of spring and the beginning Of warmer