The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-02-28
No 8

severe weather. The great cotton
gro wing industry Of the South is not
up to date and has not done much for
the people along this particular line.
There is by product, the cotton seed
which is exceedingly valuable as
nutrient and much good work is being
done at the present time by scientists
at the experiment stations in the South
ern States to show farmers how valu-
able cotton seed is for feeding and ma
nurial purposes. The nitrogen content
is greater than that of any Of the
grains; it is richer in nitrogenous mat
ter than beans or peas, richer than
gluten, meal or oil cake. The North
ern feeder and the European feeder
have been using this by product of the
cotton fields with great advantage to
them, while the loss Of it's fertilizing
properties to the South has been pro-
portionately great. Several very ia
teresting papers, notably one by Prof.
| Hecker' of the Minnesota Experiment
| Station, showed clearly the compare
! tive value of the cotton seed. At the
Vicksburg convention Prot. HutChin-
SOD, of the Mississippi Experiment Sta
tion, had paper showing the value Of
cotton seed compared with corn meal
in beef making. SO that we are en-
couraged to notice that the scientists
of the South appreciate the necessity
of work being done along these lines to
give Information to Southern producers
regarding the value of this concen'
trated by y-product of the cotton fields.
NATURAL. ADVANTAGES OF THE SOUTH.
1.-THE South has more marked Rd.
vantages over the North with regard
to production. It has more heat and
moisture, the two great factors of pro
duction, and if the cotton grower is to
diversy his crops, he must use those
natural advantages. The dairy COW
would succeed admirably in the South;
so would the mutton sheep, but before
either is generally introduced, some
thing for them to eat must be provided.
The winters in. the South are mild;
grasses, grains and Iegumes can be
soWn in the fall and grow abundRntly
through the winter; upon them the
dairy COW and the mutton sheep may
thrive and produce"
"Various forage crops can then be
grown successfully through the South
generally, Mr.. Sscretary9' Mr.. Wilson
was asked.
This was one Of the first PROPOSE
tions to which gave attention, and
concerning which made inquiry Of
Southern people Alfalfa, Italian rye
grass, rape, the clovers, vetches, etc.,
hava all been experimental with at the
Mississippi 8 5ation, demonstrating that
these things will grow, grow vigorous
" and furnish abundance of forage for
domestic animals. At the present time,
!, under the reign Of cotton, one rides
= hour by hour throughout the South
and sees nothing OF this kind growing.
They will grow, however, and when
: they are grown the farmer is ready for
the brood animal, the mare, the COW,
3, the eve and the SOW. discussed the
question publicly and privately with
leading Southern people Of the advisa-
= bility of turning much OF the labor OF
- the South in this direction 80 as to
!: diversity labor and take advantage Of
=, the natural opportunities offered by
- Southern conditions. There ia a divided
sentiment regarding the liberalization
of this labor; a good many contended
40 that the labor of the South; the colOred
man. in short, will not and cannot sue
cessfully be turned in this direction
- Others admitted that this can be sue
" cessfully done. It can only be done II
my opinion, by the intelligent, educated
men of the South, taking hold OF then
- labor and teaching how to do it. AOne
- agricultural lines, very few people aEt
quite as intelligent as they should be-
A man may be successful in pHOEes
sion and yet know very little abOu
furnishing feed for the dairy COW, o.
taking care Of her milk, when thai
" ~ stage has been reached. The creates
hope we have is that the experiment
stations are educating q class OF young
- men who can take the colOred man Dy
~ the hand and show him how and when
- to plant these forage crops Then q
y, teach him how to care for them, Che
- brood mare. the dairy COW and the
" mutton sheep. The colored man Walta
upon successfully at our tables, ne IN
0U derstands cotton growing and taking
care of his mule. I see no reason why
~ ~ he should not be taught, or cannot be
~ a' taught to milk the dairy COW. The