davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
ITEMS FROM THE FARM.

As you invite people any and every
where to write for your paper, con
slider that am welcome to write few
lines. AS am q farmer, and have al
ways been one, I think it best to write
about that which know the most
about. I raise cotton, tobacco, corn,
oats, peas and potatoes, and believe
raising hogs pays better than any crop
I have tried. like the red rust proof
best. They ''come off" soon enough to
give you good time TO plant your peas.
II you plant these oats early in the fall
they viii ripen between May 25th and
June 10th, and then you can plant your
peas. Iprefer to have my peas planted
in rows and give them one ploWing,
pick them early In the fall, and mix
them half and half with oats. This is
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
THE DAIRY.

Bay City. Texas.

Correspondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
From letter written by Mrs, J. W.
Goss, of Hygiene, Boulder county, Col
orado, we copy the following:
Some people have returned to deep
setting and home sklmming, in the
vicinity of the Hygiene creamery, that
they may save so many trips with
milk and may have sweet eskim) milk
without the addition of water"
An exchange says: 1.-THE farmer who
does his own work gets pay for it in,
stead of having share of what butter
ne sells go to the maker at the factory.
Moreover, his by-products are in the
best possible condition"
The above quotations are indicative
and suggestive. For years the great
amount of capital back of the separator
and the public creamery interests was
able to so thoroughly mold public opin-
ion-doing it in many ways-that cold
deep setting of milk for cream raising
and private dairy making were natur-
ally forced to take. back seats. For q
year or two there has been a reaction,
especially in certain sections of the
country and it is constantly extend
ing. AS it relates to the hand separa-
tor, such reaction has taken place to
the greatest degree in those sections
where that machine was first intro,
duced and sufficient time allowed to
demonstrate its non adaptability to the
average private dairy.~-For q time its
novelty kept it in place, but work. that
could not always reconcile the users TO
the amount of hard work called for
twice q day to run it by hand. Even
if e power was provided the work of
cleaning the separator remained and
was found no small matter-many
users reporting it to be greater than all
the work connected with running and
caring for modern portable creamery,
including the final separation of the
cream from the milk which is accomp.
lished by drawing the latter from un
der the former and which includes no
hard work.
A Iady-a farmers wite-Who had
for sometime been using q portable
creamery, was induced to try q hand
separator under the representation
that it would result in more cream and
save labor. She said to the writer that
a careful test and comparison showed
no gain of cream or butter resulting
from the use of the separator, over the
creamery, while the labor connected
with the former was much greater
than with the latter. And that, be
sides, even if she should use a separa
tor, something would be needed in
which to store the cream, skim milk
and butter, and that she had found
nothing answered that purpose as well
a. portable creamery with refrigera
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

number OF seed pieces per acre were
planted in all cases, the pieces in the
heavier seeding being larger but not
more numerous. This intelligently &C
counts for the heavier yield from the
heavier seeding, for it is well known
that the young plant drawsall its sus-
tenance from the seed piece till its roots
strike far enough out into the soil to
feed the plant from the soil; hence, q
large seed piece gives stronger, more
growth to the young plant than q small
piece could give.
This bulletin states an impressive
lesson in spraying as follows:
The Colorado potato beetle strongly
attacked the potatoes. They were
sprayed four times. The frst time a
shower washed the Paris green of
from the foliage. The second spraying
was done as soon as the weather cleared
and was very efficacious in removing
beetles aud larva. There were un-
Matched eggs, and some beetles which
escaped, The third spraying nearly
cleared up the second lot of larvs, and
a week later a fourth spraying was
given for few scattered lots left, the
tops were in very vigorous, thrifty
condition, and we're in strong contrast
with some garden plats in the neigh
borhood which had not been sprayed
and which were fairly stripped Of
foliage"
The wheat test was to ascertain the
effect of cotton seed meal and other
commercial fertilizers on the germina-
ton of the seed wheat. It was found
that these fertilizers, and especially
cotton seed meal, kill the germ of seed
wheat If in immediate contact with it !;
hence, such fertilizers should be broad
casted and narrowed in, and mixed
with the soil before sowing the seed.
If they are drilled in with the seed, or
sown on the surface after seeding, they
destroy or weaken much of the seed.
J. L. LADR
Bay City, Texas.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
IMPORTANT DAIRY EXPERI.
MENTS.
Clinton, Iowa,

Correspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
Formerly calves were raised On the
farms of Iowa and other agricultural
States by allowing them to follow the
COWS and take all the milk, just as they
are now raised on the Western ranches.
But when a creamery was established
in neighborhood, whole milk became
too valuable for calf food and as the
soured skim milk did not agree with
the calves. many were knocked in the
head at birth.
But by and by the separator came
into use, extracting the cream while
the milk was sweet and wRrn, and
only needing something to replace the
fas extracted for butter mating, TO
render il as good as whole milk for the
calves.
There is wide spread practical In
terest, in the best methods Of supple
menting separator milk SO as to make
it good substitute for the whole milk
in calf feeding. For the purpose of in
vestigating this problem, the Iowa sta
tion has conducted three experiments
during three years, and the results
have been very uniform and contrary
to general opinion and practice.
Oil meal eaaxseed meal) is the feed
usually recommended and almost uni.
versally used for mixing with the sep
arator milk to take the place of the
cream extracted for butter making.
But in each Of these three experiment.
oil meal has given lower and more ex-
pensive gains than either oatmeal or a
mixture Of cornmeal and flaxseed, and
even cornmeal alone gave better re-
suits than oil meal.
When it is remembered that oil meal
is much more expensive than oatmeal
or eOrnmeaI, the importances0f this
test is apparent. But these results are
just what ought to be expected. Cream
is o highly earbonaCeous substance,
and it Is reasonable to suppose that il
would be best replaced by earbona-
cious feed like cornmeal rather than
by q. highly Ritrogenous feed like oil
NEAL
These experiments further demon
strated the well known capacity of the
calf to return good results for the food
consumed. These calves gained 1
pound for every II pounds Of dry mat.
ter in the food they ate, and this shows
clearly that in the early life OF the calf,
under favorable circumstances, it is
possible to get pound of gain for every
pound of dry matter in the food con-
sumed. Wool, in Germany, even did
better than that. In mature cattle Il
requires 10 to IL pounds dry matter in
the feed to produce pound of gain.
Bulletin 12S, of New Jersey Station,
treats of the food value Of milk, and
gives results of experiments TO test she
influence of feed on>the quality Of the
milk, and Of tests which suggest that
milk should be sgraded in price by the
percentage Of cream it contains.
Milk is the best balanced, most per-
feet, most digestibIe and one Of the
cheapest human foods known. It con
Tains in proper proportion all the ele-
ments necessary for the complete nour-
ishment Of the body, and as compared
with meat, is very cheap as food.
Yet the small consumption Of milk per
capita by city people shows that il is
not properly appreciated. or does not
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
FARM CROP TESTS.
J. R. THoRNE.

For the benefit of those of your read.
ers who have not the time TO read the
entire bulletin, will give an epitome
of Bulletin 146 of your North Carolina
Station. This bulletin gives account
of tests Of cow peas, cotton, Irish po-
tatoes and wheat.
In she COW pea tests the black COW
pea was earliest and gave the smallest
yield. Clay was latest to ripen and
gave next smallest yield. Unknown
gave the heaviest yield of the peas,
closely followed by Red Ripper. Clay
Bank gave the heaviest yield of vines.
In the variety tests of cotton, Kings
No. 1, Kings No. g. Shines Early Pro
life and Peterkin gave heaviest yields
OF lint -over 600 pounds per acre. The
general average of all fourteen varie-
ties tested was $50 pounds lint and /, OBS
pounds seed per acre. The lowest yield
was 1873 pounds lint and SIT pounds
seed per acre by an Egyptian variety.
In tests with Irish potatoes deep
planting with level culture yielded 254
bushels per acre, and shallow culture
planting with hill culture gave q yield
of S24 bushels per acre. Early plant
ing yielded Sb4 bushels per acre and
late planting 1454 bushels per acre.
Plats receiving twelve bushels per acre
of seed yielded 294 bushels per acre;
those receiving eighteen bushels of
seed per acre yielded 26S bushels per
acre, and those receiving twenty four
bushels of seed per acre yielded 275
bushels per acre; so we see that while
twelve bushels of seed per acre seems
to be pretty heavy seeding, an addition
of six bushels increased the yield
thirty nine bushels, and an addition of
twelve bushels Of seed increased the
yield fitty-one bushels per acre. It
should here be seated that the same
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

cheaper food for horses than corn.-
used peas and corn together last year,
but intend to try oats and peas mixed
this year. I believe this plan of farm
ing oats and pears is better and cheaper
than raising corn for horses and cattle.
But little about corn: think it is
not best to have only one variety of
corn. My experience proves it best to
have long, narrow grains of white and
yellow corn with small cob. I favor
wide rows. Let them be 81 to feet
apart, and the stalks about II to 8 feet
distant in the drill. A good handful of
cotton seed to the hill the second time
plowing is the best manure I have yet
seen.
intend TO SOW plant beds this year
without burning them. think tobacco
should be cultivated in drill rows three
feet three inches apart and 80 inches
between the plants. l tried thirty loads
OF dirt, forty bushels of stable manure,
and eight hundred and dfty pounds of
guano TO the acre and liked it very
we'll. think when I finish selling I
will get between sixty and sixty-flve
dollars an acre.
will say . little about cotton. It is
oest TO select your seed every year
rom the middle of the stalk all through
The price is 80 low I don't care very
much about raising it.
As hog raising is more interesting to
me than any Of the field crops, I will
have something to say about them. It
Is a good plan to raise plenty of food
f9r them in the shape of squash and
collards. They can be raised as cheap
ly, they are better cooked than raw.
Potatoes make good food In the fall.
Few things are better than chufas, and
our farmers should raise more of them.
took q close observation of my hogs
lS95 year. I had scrub stock and gave
them bat little attention. will give
sne experience and profit last year,
making the expense as large as possible
AID profit as small as possible. Hogs
on hand January LIST, 1897, 813; bought
hogs, $S4; feed for hogs. $3S; feed raised
"a field, $40; makes the total expense
$9s IS. I killed 1,S3S pounds meat. At
cents per pound it Is worth SS1. 66,
f'ss.7d ols January 1st 1858, lad on hand
SIS worth Of hogs. This leaves a clear
proflt of $3.50. This "a better than I
did on any of my field crops; go you
know am we'll pleased with hog rails
ing.
will close on these subjects and say
little about the Farmers Alliance. /
belong to Baths Chapel Alliance, No.
1913. We organized in December with
six members; we now have eight and
four to come in next meeting. I think
We will soon have large membership.
joined the Alliance about nine years
ago and have been a member nearly
ever since, and ell I wish about it is
that every farmer could see the need of
it as do. l am an Allianceman, and
I hope to see the Alliance principles
stand on top before die.
J. r. THORNE.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

LIKES THE FARMERS LITTER BOX,
1t viii not do to put horse stable ma
nure and guano directly together for a
fertilizer. If you desire to apply both
In the drill, one of them should be
mixed with the earth before applying
the other. One seems TO destroy the
effect of the other.
Ny wife says she would like to know
how to exterminate moles.
Ny advice to farmers is: quit raising
90 much tobacco and cotton, and raise
moro "hog and hominy." Then we
will be more independent. Let us cry
''hRrd times" less, and on election days
vote the way we pray" Peanuts is
the most economical food with which /
have tried 10 fatten hogs. One can
fatten 700 or 600 pounds of pork to the
acre, on very poor land. I plant the
little Spanish pea.
We cay, hurrah for our shoe factory,
for we are getting anxious for somO
shoes. Our Alliance is standing Arm.
/ admire the pluck and energy Of
The PReGR1gsIVE FARMER. ! think
the Farmers Letter Box" will prove
of great benefit to farmers.
J. D. YAEES.
Williams Mills, n. o.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

Solved and Unsolved Problems OF
Dairying."
1. Voted to hole the next annual
meeting in New York at some time in
January.
3. There is general complaint among
breeders of fine cattle that railroad
rates on live stock are too high, and in
many cases prohibitive. On motion OF
J. D. w. French, of North Andover,
Mass, the Executive Committee was
directed to CO operate with committees
OF other associations in trying to secure
lower rates.
q. II. WNsLoW, Sec'y,
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
LEssoNs FRoN ExPERrENoE.

When left my farm had about
thirty head Of nice Devon cattle and
about one hundred head of nice Poland
China hogs. was in way to make
farming pay something IL only q small
profit. raised red clover and had
some eight or ten different varieties Of
grasses, the seed of which I bought.
besides our native varieties. My farm,
up TO the time left, was improving;
will make now over double what it
would when bought ID.
Now what We want is TO raise at least
our meat and bread at home, have
plenty of milk and butter, chickens
and eggs, and we are independent.
Labor is such, and the price is such
that we cans make money by hiring
hands to make five cent cotton on
large scale, nor yet tobacco on large
scale.
can run fifteen to twenty plows on
my farm, but eight is sufficient. This
year I am running too many-twelve
in all.
have a good farm of over eight hun
dred Rcres-fve hundred cleared. /
ought not 80 cultivate over one third In
hoed crop, but circumstances are
sueh that shall cultivate more than i
wish. rent upon shares and will not
cost me 50 much, but ana aware my
laad will not improve az 1T has. I
thought ] could stand it one year, but
II / live shall get back to ny cattle,
Out change some to Jerseys) and raise
hogs, grass and clover.
BRs We ha 70 a serious difficulty to
contend with now. The last leg;sla-
ture passed an act that all stock might
be turned out In January and Febru-
Rry. Bad law, that,r
I have tried keeping up stock before
we had the fence law, and know it
will pay any man. know some small
farmers are opposed to it, and honestly,
too, but they are. mistaken. It is the
only way to have fine stock and good
stock, and the manure will pay for the
trouble.
Now let a man have plenty of good
grass and stock to eatit, and the kind
of stock will depend upon the mans
situation.
Be cure to have plenty of meat,
bread, milk, butter, chickens and eggs,
and my word for it we will have a good
living, as any good woman can make
as good meal out of these things az a
king ought TO eat.
forgot to state that I cultivate
part of the land this year simply to get
il in condition to seed down to clover
and grass. No need of pulling fodder,
If you have plenty Of grass TO cut, and
1 include In my hay crop sofa beans
and field peas. consider SOFA beans
best. shall have some lard In sowSd
corn. Some will be planted the last of
March, two acres May 1gt, two acres
June 1St, two acres July 1st, making 0
or 10 acres in all, and when that begins
to tassel, begin to feed, and never
stop until near frost. Before frost, or
when it gets ripe, cut and shock up
for feed.
We do not need TO hire but one or
two good hands TO the hundred acres
of land. Let us make plenty Of clover
hay and hay of all kinds up to the
sowed corn, and if we have stock TO
eat it, we will come out ahead.
MCK,
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
THE FARMERS LETTER BOX.

On January 97Sh I killed several
hogs. One weighed 600 pounds, an
other 4S2. I am one of the Oldest sub
scribeIs you have. 81. Mills, Ewing,
N. q.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

GFThG PrOgreo-
mlwe Farmer 9 a
Tood RPsr---hr
SSoVe the aver
aqe-aad possibly
die best RdvGrtiS-
lag medium In N.
q" Priatera' Ink.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15
'"A COTTON sEED INDUSTRY

eo4to5 ito Extraordinary growth of the
iso - 'te2 industry in the South dur
tbs he .us w past decade constitutes one of
.sisI striking features of our indus
progress since the war.
looL1s years ago the cotton seed was
Itbino u2on with contempt as some
caa .as which could not be utilised ex-
lOF planting or fertilising pur-
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-15

Has the largest
circuAti0R 0f any
family agriealEu-
raj or ROhtieal
paper published
between Rich
mond and Atlanta
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02
THE POOLING SYSTEM.

The Grand Trunk authorities have
adopted what is known as the pooling
system of locomotives and crews, or in
other words, the idea Of having the same
crew retain the same locomotive. whether
on the road or in the round house lying
idle willis the said crew are booked for
rest, has been done away with to large
extent.
1t is said that more work is obtained
from locomotives by their use in COM
mon to do the work of railroad division
and also that steadier employment and
at the same time more regular periods OF
rest result for the men who operate them.
The idea that an engine is kept In
better condition by having it's regular
crew is not so much considered now by
the railroad authorities. They look more
to the maximum earning power OF the To-
connective and prefer that the power should
be used to the utmost limit and the en-
CINE stopped when 1t becomes abolutely
necessary. There is also another feature
to be considered and one which gives a
good deal of satisfaction to the men, and
that is, it necessitates large number OF
men being engaged. 1t apparently gives
satisfaction.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02
SITUATION IN CUBA.
Described BY Mr.. NJ. #. Plant Vice Presi-
dent of the Plant System.

Mr.. M. E. Plant, 1vice- presidents OF tne
Plant system of railroads, STEAMBOATS,
and hotels. was in the city yesterday on
his way to Halifax. to look after his com
pany's interest there. About six weeks
ago Mr.. Plant was in Havana, and ne
gave the PRESS some particulars OF
the situation there. In ordinary times
Mr. Plant said, beggars were numerous
in that city. but now a person who was
not beggar was the exception. Ihe
condition of the people is deplorable.
Food is very scarce Eand high. the poorest
kind of fresh beef being a dollar a
pound. The people go ragged, and women
are frequently seen in the streets almost
naked because they cannot get clothing.
Mr.. Plant thinks the Spaniards are
suffering worse than the Cubans. What
is most needed is clothing andsHour.
The island has been stripped and all help
must come from the outside. All pro-
visions and clothing consigned to Consul
General Lee will be properly distributed
and 20 where they are needed. Mr..
Plant thinks the war will soon end in the
Independence of Cuba.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02
LITTLE SICKNESS IN CITY.

"The city is enjoying comparative i'm
munity from disease just now,' said
Health Officer Carney. 'sWhere we had
some 100 cases of contagious diseases in
December, there are only about 30 for
January. The city is in an excellent
sanitary condition at present and the
coming of the snow had tendency to
check as we'll as prevent disease. The
snow holds the germs to earth.
"The city has been free from any great
run of typhoid fever for some great time,
and but few isolated cases now appear.
I understand also that the so-called grip
has not ravaged to any extent in this city,
although I encountered few cases last
week. 1t has not, however. approached
anything like an epidemic. The city, l
think, is fortunate SO far as sickness if
concerned this winter"
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02
EXAMINATION FOR SPECIAL
AGENT, TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

EXAMINATION FOR SPECIAL
AGENT, TREASURY DEPARTMENT..
The o. S. civil service commission an
nounces that on February % and "a, an
examination will be held at Washing
ton, D. c., and at other places through
out the United States for the position OF
special agent, Treasury Department.
The examination will consist OF the
first grade basis, the scope of which may
be found in Section PIG of the pamphlet
of instructions to applicants, together
with practical questions which will re-
oui-e thorough familiarity with the
custom business, including knowledge
of documents. records. accounts and
methods of procedure, and also an adapta-
bility for the performance of the varied
duties of special agent in connection
with the correction of Irregularities in
the transaction of the Custom business,
and she prevention and detection OF
frauds on the customs revenue. "a
Two days of five hours each will be
allowed for this examination.
Persons desiring to enter the examina-
ton should at once write to the o. S.
civil service commission ut Washington
for application blanks, form SO4), which
should be properly executed and prompt
ly forwarded to the commission at Wash
ington.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02
MONGOLIAN REACHES PORT.

Tho steamship Monaghan of the Allan
line, arrived here last night at about G
O'Clock. She left Halifax, where she
landed all but about dozen of her pas-
sengers, at O'Clock on Sunday evening.
1t was perfect night and the sea was
as calm as lake, SO one of the Monao.
lian's officers told PRESS reporter last
night. About O'Clock on Monday the
wind, which was blowing from the east,
began to creept around towards the north
and the snow began to fall very fast. At
O'Clock the Monaghan was in the midst
of blizzard with a living gale kicking
up terrible sea. From that time on un-
til yesterday afternoon it was about as
bad night at sea as any Of the Mongo.
lian's officers have ever seen. The shin
lay to about all the time and made very
good weather of it. About 3 O'Clock
on Monday afternoon the Monaghan
sighted white dory floating out to sea.
AT that time she was seen about eight
miles off Seguin light. The dory was half
full Of water. At O'Clock yesterday af-
ternoon the Monaghan picked up pilot
and ran into Portland She was badly
iced up and showed the effects of the ter
rible gale through which she had passed
without any injuries.