davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

and stem by the washing effect OF rain.
The deposition of silica upon the ex
ternal tissues of wheat, barley, and
other graminaceous plants is familiar
example of the exception OF a non es
sential ash constituent Silica is also
abundant in the leaves, and in the
outer bark of many trees, and is com
monty found as an incrusting constitu
eDt of old tissues. Insoluble calcium
salts, frequently the oxalate, are also
deposited as incrusting matters in old
tissues. These incrustations are indi
rectly OF service to the plant, as they
tend to harden the tissues and thus
protect them from injury.
Soluble non essential ash constinu
ents, as chloride of sodium. are found
abundantly in the succulent parts of
plants when such ash constituents
have been present in the-soil, They
generally diminish in quantity as the
plant natures, and are never stored up
in the seed.
The amount and composition Of the
ash of succulent plants, as meadow
grass, clover, and mangel, is greatly
influenced by the character of the soil,
and the manure applied. The ash Of
a seed, on the other hand, is very con-
slant in composition, resulting from
the selective powers of the plant.
Or the particular action of ash con-
stituents within the plant little is
known. Phosphoric acid and potash
are undoubtedly the most important
of the ash constituents; they are al
ways found concentrated in those
parts Of the plant where cell growth
is most active, as, for instance, in the
layer (cambium) between the wood and
bark Of tree, and are abundantly
stored NY in the seed.
Silica was long supposed to be an
essential constituent Of wheat, barley,
and other similar plants, and to be the
ingredient on which the stiffness of
their straw chic fly depended It has
been shown, however, that maize may
be successfully grown without any
supply OF silica, and with no percept
ibIe difference as to the stiffness Of the
stem. The grass growing on peat bogs
contains scarcely any silica, though
silica is abundant in ordiL ary hay.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

and you only know that they don't
improve, and you think it is because
OF the natural difficulties to country
schools; and you think you must go to
town to educate your children. Now
let us point out to you the mistake.
You say you love your children and
that you are living for them. But you
are neglecting them. You give them
none of your time and you should
give them one third of your time, even
II you only care to use them for your
own selfish purposes of saving and
making money out of their services.
Remember that every hour OF your
time given to your children will bring
you greater return to your own profit
and to their benefit than any other
labor you can find.
1t is no trouble to get a good teacher
in eny neighborhood, and get q place
for them to teach. if nowhere else have
it st your own place. But if at an,
others place, near or far, always go to
school with your children and go after
tham. Garry them there, if too far to
walk, and in that way eee the teacher
every day and you will know how she
is doing, and who the children have as
associates. You can Ia that way pro
tect your children from all the difficult
ties and danger and disadvantages
common to country schools and they
will progress, learn and profit by it as
well as they could in any school. II
you are capable you should assist them
in their studies; il you have no educa
tion. and you love your children you
will so coaduct yourself as to influence
them to learn those things for their
good. Do your part as far as you can
to help and correct them. Let each
neighborhood practice this plan and
the school question will not be difficult
We repeat that for the time you give
to your children for their improve
ment you will be rewarded ten fold
more than any other thing you have
you have to do. This neglect Of chill
dren is common fault, not intentional
but owing to thoughtlessness and Gus
tom, and one that is seldom estimated.
Southern Fruit Grower.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

OF nitrogen per acre to the depth of one
foot now contain from 600 to 5000
pounds.
4. By the loss of humus our soils
have become less retentive of moisture
and give it up by evaporation sooner
than when they were well supplied
humue.
5. Bare summer following and burn.
ing of the wheat stubble destroys large
quantities of organic matter and hu-
mates.
s, To keep the supply of humus in
the soil we must initiate nature, and
grow for the present at least one year
In five grass crop on our land.
z By keeping up the supply of hu-
mus IN the soil, the crops will feel the
effects Of drouths less than in soils
poor in humus
9. Glover would be an ideal crop to
maintain the humus in the soil and to
aid in collecting nitrogen from the air,
bus any grass will serve the purpose OF
supplying humus, and Bromus inermia
has done well in this State, and may
be used.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

good yield Of hay, and can be cut,
cured and stored away TO use during
the winter. Good clover hay is espe-
cially valuable for the dairy COWS and
all young. growing stock, and there is
little risk in securing too much.
While not always the case, yet in
many seasons it pays TO allow the sec
ond growth Of clover to mature seed,
and then cut and thresh. Sometimes
prices get so low that there is little if
any profit in growing the seed, as Il is
an expensive crop Co harvest and
thresh. The yield IS small, running
from four to seven bushels to the acre,
aid rarely getting more than this; /;
then the cost OF threshing is consider
able, SO that fairly good price must
be realized if Cthe crop is a profitable
one.
The mulch or straw OF clover after
the threshing is done makes splendid
bedding, and is equal to wheat or oat
straw as feed. One OF the best ways
Of using the second growth of clover is
to turn>it under as fertilizer for the
wheat crop, as it supplies nitrogen, one
OF the essentials to good wheat crop
TO the sOII,-N. J. Shepherd.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
WHEAT, OATS, BARLEY AND
LIMB.

In the variety of tests with wheat at
Maryland Experiment Station for a
period of six years, Fultz leads, with
an average of 81 bushels, followed by
Currell's Prolific, yielding SO 2, Wis
consin Triumphs "a bushels and Val
ley 80 2 bushels.
Promising varieties of later intro
duction are Beal, Rocky Mountain,
Ruby and Terry.
With two crops, corn and wheat,
the increased yield produced by differ
ent amounts Of lime, placed the limit
of profit with an application Of 40
bushels per acre.
Line In connection with peas in
creased the yield Of wheat slightly and
produced q marked improvement in
the set of grass.
Twenty bushels of stone lime per
acre applied for corn in 1898 produced
an increase Of ITO per cent. in the hay
crop of 1896, and second application
of lime Ctwenty, five bushels of oyster
shell lime). for corn produced an in
crease Of 66 per cent. of grain in 1897.
The best variety of winter cats tested
was Virginia Cray, yielding 4s BUSH
els per acre.
The most favorable time for seeding
winter oats in this latitude seemed to
be about September 1.
The hot water treatment Of barley
seed was effective in preventing smut,
increasing the yield is per cent.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
RURAL SCHOOLS

Here is where every wiss parent who
lives in the country will give his most
serious thoughts and attention and we
can with the greatest assurance de
clare that this is not as difficult ques-
tion to provide for with reasonable
satisfaction if close attention is given
to several important facts concerned.
Parents please sit down and we will
reason together. You have children
who are the very center of your love,
all your plans of life are directed to
their future welfare. You know that
education is good for them, will be of
service and credit to them, and is q
necessity these days and they must
have it. These thoughts conflict with
other plans. You see in your farm
life many things in the most favorable
way of your ambition; you can have
comforts and health and promise of ac
cumulating for the future and perhaps
plenty of good company, but the ques-
tion of school stands before you as q
vexatious one, preventing permanent
plans for the future and keeps you un
settled, questioning how long should
you wait, and how to do. Perhaps
you have the ordinary country school
taught by a neighborhood girl in lit
tie frame building on the Cross roads
near by or miles away. Yes, and per-
haps you send your child or children
over there like all the peighbors and
they go day by day and you console
yourselves by merely knowing they
are going TO school You get them
ready each morning and hurry them
off with their books and dinner in
hand and they usually go ckesrfully
aud hopefully, walking along 'ining
other children alike on their way to
school and perhaps J on watch for them
anxiously at the time for their return.
OF course there are little vexatious
things occurring from time to time,
day by day, az they come and 60. they
get tired Of the walk, they get to school
late, they straggle along and play, the
neighbors' children quarrel with them,
they cannot study because they hur
ried to school, they get careless, and
are subj Co numerous and trying
conditions that their parents don't
think Of because they are thoughtless
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
WASHING OF THE LAND.

You cannot too strongly insist upon
the value Of humus in the soil to pre-
vent washing, is the true statement
made by Mr.. w. r. Massey in the
July Southern Planter. The great
trouble all over the South has been
that the constant clean culture Of the
soil and the constant use of chemical
fertilizers to equeezs little more sale
crop, has brought about the conditions
that require. terracing to prevent the
bodily carrying away of the soil on the
hillsides Then, too, all over the coun-
try land has been cleared of forests
which should never have been cleared.
In the mountain region Of Western
North Carolina this process is going on,
and lands are in cultivation on the
steep mountain sides which should
have been kept in forest. This clear
ing of the mountain sides is the lead
ing agent in the destructive foods that
sweep down the valleys, and il the
practice is continued, the day is, not
far off when the fine Iowlands Of the
rivers will be uncuItivatable. And not
only in the mountains, but all over our
Piedmont country there are hillsides
which should have been left in forest,
and which must eventually be re-
forested if the best results are to be ex
pected. There is no one thing that
claims more attention from our people
than forestry, and the preservation Of
tree growth on our uplands. Then,
too, a tree belt along the rushing
streams that come down from the
mountains is as important as forest
growth on the mountains. Men clear
the rich bottoms right TO the banks Of
the streams and every freshet carries
the rich alluvium down to fill the
rivers and harbors of the coast. A
dense belt of willows or other water
loving bushes along every stream on
the bottom lands is one of the most
important things in the checking of
disastrous washing. Tree growth on
hiIlsides too steep for proper cultiva-
tion, and the cultivation Of the soil 60
as to fill it with vegetable matter are
the means by which we will most
effectually check the washing SO COM
mon now. Terrscing is at best but q
temporary measure. I had far rather
have soil full Of vegetable matter
like piece of new land, without any
terraces, than TO have the same situated
land terraced but destitute Of the
humus.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
CLOVER.

After the first crop of clover is cut
the management will depend largely
upon the purpose for which the second
crop is desired.
The second growth Of clover makes
good pasturage, and often comes in at
a time when il will be needed. Tt is
often the case that as hot, dry weather
comes on the grass in the pastures fail,
and if the stock has been kept out Of
the clover fields until the plants have
made good start to grow consider
able amount of good feed may be re-
ceived at time when it can be used to
good advantage. Glover makes quick
growth, and sun shades the soil, and
will often continue to make vigorous,
thrifty growth even after hot, dry
weather sets i'm.
II not needed for pasturage, the sec
ond growth Of clover will make 6 fairly
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
WORK FOR JULY.

Millet and COW peas may yet be
seeded and make excsllent hay crops.
German millet is the best variety Of
millet to SOW, as it makes heavier
yield OF better quality hay than the
others. The land should be plowed
and narrowed down to a fine seed bed,
and the seed be then sown at the rate
Of one bushel to the acre. In this issue
Will be found q report of the result Of
seeding millet and German clover to-
gether, which was most satisfactory,
two excellent crops being secured from
the land. Millet should not be seeded
on poor land. To make q good crop,
the land should be in good heart. II
the crop is cut when in bloom, which
liz the time at which it makes the best
hay, it is not exhaustive Of fertility.
Where land is poor, COW peas or COW
peas and German clover should be
sown, and should be helped with 800
pounds of acid phosphate and 300
pounds OF kainit, or 80 pounds Of mUri
ate Of potash TO the acre. This will
ensure crop which will add materi-
ally to the fertility Of the land. and il
German clover is sown with the COW
peas, will secure covering crop for
the ground during winter, and one to
turn under as preparation for corn.
Southern Planter.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
! FUNCTIONS OF ROOTS.

The roots Of q plant are the organs
by which it absorbs water from the
soil, and with this water variety Of
food elements are introduced, observes
a writer on Farm Chemistry.
The roots take up apparently all the
diffusibIe substances Chose capable of
passing through q membrane) which
are present in the water which they
draw from the soil. The plant may
thus receive a number of substances
not actually required for its nutrition
The feeding power Of roots is not,
however, cori led to the taking up of
ready formed solutions, they are also
capable of attacking some of the solid
ingredients OF the soil, which they rem
der soluble and then appropriate, This
important action of roots exists in diff
ferent degrees in different plants. The
action only takes place at the points of
contact between the rootlets and the
particles of the soil, and is brought
about by the acid sap which the roots
contain. This action Of roots probably
plays an important part in the supply
of phosphoric acid and potash to the
plant, as these substances, especially
the former of them, exist in the soil in
difficulty soluble forms, and are rarely
found in solution in the water present
in soils. Besides furnishing the plant
with its ash constituents, the root has
the important function of supplying
nitrogen; this is nearly always taken
up in the form of nitrates, A plant is
capable of making use of nitrogen in
the form of nitric acid or ammonia;
it also, according to several expert
menters, is able to assimilate nitrogen,
when in the form Of urea, uric or hip
puric acids, and several other amide
bodies. The facility, however, with
which ammonia and other heterogeneous
substances, are converted into nitric
acid in the soil is so great that nitrates
become by far the most important
source of nitrogen at a plants disposal
mOSb kD1haGo hE0 uuhDlo W eAooAAAA0Oo
the nitrogenous humus contained IN
soil. The very weak solutions taken
up by the roots are concentrated in
the upper parts Of the plant, the water
being rapidly evaporated by the leaves,
as already mentioned. The essential
ash constituents are employed iu the
formation of new tissues. The non
essential ash constituents which have
been taken up by the roots are partly
disposed of in a solid form, as per
manent incrustation OF the older tis-
sues. The soluble salts which are not
thus disposed Of, at first accumulate in
the sap. and are probably more or less
removed from the surface Of the leaves
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

One of the things which should re-
ceive more attention that it does upon
many farms is that of making the
labor that is performed ae efficient as
possible. Upon most farms there is
work enough done. During the busy
season the average farmer works even
harder than he should. But he does
not always work to the best possible
advantage. Much that he does really
counts but little. This is often due to
the fact that he does the work at an
untavorable time. Sometimes, too,
there is a great loss in efficiency be-
cause of the manner i'm which the work
is done. Both of these errors should
be guarded against. For labor is al.
ways expensive and no one can afford
to use it carelessly. The way to make
it effective is to study how it can best
be employed, the men who make the
most money farming are not abler
men than many Of their less successful
competitors. Neither do they work
harder than do the others. The secret
of their exceptional prosperity lies in
the fact that they plan their work so
carefully that everything that is done
helps to swell the total Of efficient, and
therefore of profitable, labor.-Prac
tical Farmer.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

There would be more full pocket
books il the the small leaks on the
farm were stopped.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

Ths PrOgreo-
sm Farmer e q
800 paper---hr
SoTe the aver
SSgys%.-and possibly
80 best adverti9-
11S medium in N'
G" Printsi
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

LcoNTINUED on PAaE 9 ]
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-13

Another able scholarly North Caro-
linian abroad is Rev. Robert P. Pell,
president Of the Presbyterian College
for Women at Columbia, S. G. He is a
son of our ole friend and brother jour-
nalist, the late Rev. William E. Pell, of
the North Carolina Methodist E. con-
ference, and for some years editor of
the Raleigh Sentinel, which he founded,
and of the North Carolina Christian
Advocate. In the last North Carolina
Presbyterian there is an admirable pic
ture of the college building. 1t was the
old historic Hampton House, owned by
General Wade Hampton's grandfather,
of revolutionary fame. It is the most
massive and superb private residence
of which we have seen a picture in all
southland. Of Mr.. PelIs qualifications
the Presbyterian says that he is ga man
of piety, scholarship and fine executive
ability" The president has a brother
living in Richmond, Va, who is a Meth
odist and a man of decided intellectual
parts, Rev. DR.. Edward L. Pell, editor
of "Bible Reader" an excellent month
ly now in it's eighth year. 1t vas first
issued at Franklinton, n. c., n
thence removed to Richmond, in search
of a wider field. 1t has a large circula-
ton, price 80 cents a year.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-13
How the Capital City was Bought
md Named.

Nine men were appointed to select a
place for h capital city, and to buy
1000 acres OF land for the state. The
state did not intend to keep all this
land, but after the streets had been laid
out for h city and a place chosen to
build the capitol on, the state intended
to sell building lots to men that might
wish to live at the capital, and in this
way the state would get money to
build a state-hOuse.
The state was then divided into eight
judicial districts, n one man was
selected from each district to act as a
commissioner to select the place, and
buy the land. The commissioners were:
For the Morgan district, Joseph Nc
Martini; for the Hillsborough district,
Martini; for the Hillsborought district,
Thomas Person; for the Halifax dis
trict, Thomas Blount; for the Edenton
district, William Johnston Dawson:
for the New Berne district, Frederick
Hargett; for the Fayetteville district,
William Henry Harrington; for the
Wilmington district, James Blood
worth. Besides these there was a ninth
commissioner, Willie Jones, of Halifax
county.
It was thought that these men would
buy some land on the Neuse river. Six
of them met in March, 1892, at the
house Of Isaac Hunter. Person, Har-
rington and Bloodworth were not pres
emit. Seventeen tracts of land were Of
fered for sale, eight OF them being on
Neuse river. The commissioners spent
a week in riding around looking at the
different places. In the meantime they
had left Isaac Hunters, M were stop
ping at the house of Joel Lane, who
lived at Wake Court house. Mr.. Lane
had some land that he wanted to sell
them. On the 18th of March the COM
missiOners DOL a vote to see which
place should be selected. Three of
them voted for John Hinton's land on
the north side Of the Neuse e a Mil
burnie, two of them voted for Joel
Lanes land, and n for Nathaniel
JONES' near Cary. So there was no
choice, and they waited until the next
day to decide. Willie Jones was an
intimate friend Of Joel Lane. and he
was a man of great influence. Lane
himself was a man of Importance, who
had been In the legislature ten years
in succession. The mex day they took
another vote, and five commissioners
voted to buy Joel Lanes, and one vote
for John Observation-Disclosures and
| adopted from THE Early History of
| Raleigh, a Centennial Address," by
| Kemp P. Battle, LID.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-13
BREVlTIES.
change.

1t Is very pleasant to know that hos
tile France is nightly disappointed in
the tremendous defeat and annihila-
ton of it's dear Spanish friends. OF
fifty-three newspapers in Paris but
three have shown any favor for or the
least sympathy with the Americans.
The Philippine Islands are pronoun-
ced, say the Observation-Disclosures, &C
cent on the Phil"
People are often very unjust, and Of
ten unfeeling and even brutal. At the
camp at Hampstead Plains, Long Is
land, $50 men refused to volunteer, be-
longing to the Thirteenth Brooklyn.
and they were hooted out OF camp and
almost mobbed. Colonel Fred. Grant,
of the Fourteenth, saved a collision by
stopping in front of his men and ap-
pealing to their soldierly pride.
There has been mutiny among the
Chicago naval militia, 200 engaging in
it. The commands are disrupted be-
cause of the action of officers.
Pensioners of Uncle Sam may enlist
If they can pass examination.
In the rebellion at %Shangay, West
Coast Of Africa, the names of the
murdered American missionaries are
Mr.. and Mrs. Cain n the Misses
Archer, Hatfield and Schenck. The
other missionaries-Mr. and Mrs. Burt
ner, Mr.. and Mrs. Minshall, and the
Misses Mullen and Ward-are safe at
Freetown.
General Wesley Merritt, commanding
the department of the east, h~eadquar-
tiers at Governors Island, N. Y, has
received two threatening letters.
Lord Salisbury advises Spain to make
the best Of a very bad job and make
peace as soon as possible with the Uni
ted States. Good and timely.