The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-18
FARMING EXTRAORDINARY,
The State to Work Nearly 500 Convicts and
Farm 10000 Acres of Land This Year.
300 Acres of Rice to Be Planted on
Cape Fear Lands-The State Will Cct
Buy the Castle Haynes Property

o Acres of Rice to Be Planted on |
Cape Fear Lands-The State Will Eot
Buy the Castle Haynes Property |
A representative Of The Messenger |
had an interesting chat yesterday with
Superintendent J. NJ. Mewboorne, of
the state penftentiary. He has been
in Wilmington since Sunday. and came
here Saturday night from the state
farm at Castle Haynes.
Superintendent Mewboorne has been
visiting the various state farms TO or
ganize them for the years work.
SEVEN FARMS.
We learn from him that the state
now has sever farms that embrace
! over 16, 900 acres Of land and on which
will be employed nearly 500 peniteE-
tiary convicts and about 400 horses and
mules.
The farming this year will be done
on a more extensive scale than even
that of last year, as two or three more
farms have been leased and will be
operated with convict labor, which is
said to be unequalled for the business.
Last year the crops on the state farms
then operated were 5000 bales Of cot
ton and Ii, 500 barrels O7, 800 bushels)
of corn.
THE CASTLE HAYNES FARM.
We learn from superintendent New
| boorne that the state Will not and does
not propose to purchase the Castle
Haynes farm and phosphate mines, but
will rent the and and cultivate about
600 acres of land, planting 300 acres in
corn, and 800 in peanuts and vegeta-
bles. There are now thirty-six con-
victs on the farm, but they will soon
| be increased to s~ixty-seven. Twenty
three mules and horses will be used on
| the place. The state will not operate
the phosphate mines, but will work
them for the owners of the property.
In connection with the Castle Haynes
farm, the p~enitentiary authorities have
leased 800 acres of the most valuable
rice lands on the Cape Fear and will
plant rice this year. Three years
leases on the lands have been secured
with the option of six years, of de-
Oh IN SAS AANS AoHNS N"~N "tC
about 276 acres of the Navassa GuanO
Company's lands on the Cape Fear, OPP
posite the factory. Some $50 acres of
these lands are now available for this
years crop. The Lyrias plantation ON
the opposite side of the river has also
been leased and on this place there are
fifty acres of available rice lands with
the other to be brought into cultiva-
ton. In addition to the rice lands al
ready noted, 100 acres of cultivated
rice lands on Eagles Island have also
been leased from Mr.. H. u. Buffers.
Mr.. Buffers place is known as "Bleak
House and the lands are said to be
the finest on the Cape Fear. Convict
camps will be maintained at the Lyrias
place and at Bleak House," and the
~convicts will be alternated between Cas-
tie Haynes and the rice lands, as they
may be needed.
Superintendent Mewboorne counts on
producing this year not less than 1000
bushels of rice, and say he is confident
that the greatest results for the public
will be obtained from this venture
of the state in farming it's convict la
Dor. He says rice is a more profitable
crop than cotton or corn and in raising
it the state will not be so much in COM
petition with the farmers, as only a
few of them are rice planters. Mr..
George H. Cannon, of Brunswick coun-
ty, is to have charge of the Castle
Haynes farm as supervisor" and will
be in special charge of the rice plant
ing.
THE HALIFAX FARM.
Another one of the state farms is
known as the Halifax farm, on Roam
oke river, in Halifax county, three
acres, and this year from 600 to 800
acres will be planted in cotton, 1000
in oats and $50 in wheat. The wheat
is now looking we'll and is quite prom
Using. "A small crop of corn will also
be planted. Here forty-eight convicts
and twenty-five horses and mules will
be worked.
NORTHAMPTON FARM.
Across the river from the above form
in Northampton county, is the farm
by that name. 1t contains $500 acres,
and will be worked by 165 convicts and
eighty-four horses and mules. There
will be cultivated this year 1000 acres
in cotton and 1900 acres in corn. This
farm is three miles from the town of
Halifax.
CALEDONIA FARMS.
On the Roanoke, twelve miles down
the river from the Northampton farm,
is the big Caledonia farm of 1000 acres,
1t is five miles from the town of Til