The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-29
1T IS GROWING.
Stock-R Rising in North Carolina--State
Is Well Adapted for 1t.

Is We'll adapted Tor IL.
It is next to impossible to give an
adequate idea of the possibilities Of
stock raising in North Carolina in a
brief article. One can tell but little of
what has been accomplished, and less
of what is in store for the future.
Stock-raising can be carried on success
fully in almost every county in the
State. But, of course, to better advan-
tage in some sections than in others. A
large portion of that section of the
State west of Raleigh is especially
adapted to stock-raising. But many
Of the finest horses, COWS, hogs and
other animals ever produced in the
State were raised east of Raleigh. For
instance, the Kennedy stock farm, in
Lsnoir county, about eighty miles east
from Raleigh, has produced trotting
horses of great beauty and speed.
If you will look at a map, you will
notice a chain of counties along and
near the Southern Railway, from and
including Wake, to the Tennessee line,
all Of which are adapted to grain and
grass growing. I will name some Of
the counties, as follows: Durham,
Orange, Alamance, Randolph, Gull
ford, Davidson, Forsy the, Davie, Ro-
wan, Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg,
Lincoln, Catawba, Burke and others.
In these counties much of the land pro
duces wheat, oats, corn, clover,
timothy and other grasses abundantly,
and Of the very best quality. A great
deal Of the soil is red limestone, the
very best for clover. The climate is
admirable, timber is plentiful, water
excellent q very important matter in
stock raising of any kind). The above
counties won many premiums for farm
products at the Columbian Exposition,
especially for specimens of grains.
Our ancestors we're induced to be
lieve that North Carolina only raised
cotton, rice and turpentine. They
CLEANED this information from old
Biographies Sixty or seventy years
ago, those products gave the State
what little prestige it had in sgricuI
tural affairs. But to day North Caro-
lima is a great agricultural as we'll as a
manufacturing State, and s~tock-raisiDg
is an important feature on many farms.
North Carolia, up to a recent date, was
the home Of the ''re z0r back" hog and
other scrub animals. Thirty or forty
years ago a sixty pound porker was a
rarity. By and by, a few farmers be-
gan to raise hogs that would weigh 1870
or 200 pounds. The natives were as
tonished.
To day, hogs weighing four, five and
six hundred are almost as common ia
this State as they axe in Illinois and
Iowa. Scrub COWS are giving way to
Jerseys and other fine strains. Sheep
that produced two or three pounds of
wool per ennum are giving away to
improved breeds that produce several
times as much wool and mutton. Su
perb trotters are going by the four and
five minute ''joggers." Within the
past ten years, dozens Of horses have
been bred in the State and have en-
tered the 2 80 class before they were
three years old, while a number OF
others have made their mile in less
than 3 90. "PsmlIco," now dead, was
raised in Raleigh. His best record was
2:1Ob only a fraction of a second behind
the fastest stallion in the world. He
was less than eight years old when he
died, and was rapidly clipping off sec
onds from previous records.
When we consider that North Caro-
linians raise and spin more thar 300, 600
bales of cotton annually, raise and
manufacture many million pounds of
tobacco, and in addition, raise 80 many
other things, filling every blank in the
census reports, the stranger naturally
wonders how much has been done in
stock. raising. The business is vet III
it's infancy. Improved breeds and
methods have been started here and
there, and are sweeping over the State
ike an epidemic. Probably twelve
years ago, Mr.. W. 8. Upchurch. of
Raleigh, bought the first Jersey COW
ever in the State. Now there are hun.
dreds of fine herds of Jerseys, Short
horns and other noted breeds scattered
over the State. I wish I could name q
number Of those who are entitled to
credit for BRINGING hIOC6e6 stook into
the State and demonstrating the pos
siblities in that line. lean only recall
a few: J. w. Kennedy, Lenoir Co.;
Capt. B. P. Williamson, Wake Co.;
Col. ]. s. Carr, Durham Co. Col. Ben
nehan Cameron, Orange Co the Hollis