The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-04
Living Issues.
SOME OF NORTH CAROLTNA's MISTAKES
AND SOME CHANGES SHE
MUST MAKE.

me general progress made by the
people of the Southern States during
the last twenty years has been phe-
nomenal. In the matter of educa-
ton our schools are greatly more
numerous and in every way more
efficient; amount of grain and cot
ton produced now is twice that of
1880, and the amount of this cotton
manufactured at home is today more
than six times as great as in 1880;
number of manufacturing enter
prises more than four times what it
was then, and there has been a still
greater increase in the value of our
manufactured products. Thus in the
manufacture of cotton seed oil, an
industry scarcely thought of. twenty
five years ago, now $40, 600, 900 are
invested. The increase in railroad
mileage, mining and various misceI-
laneous enterprises has been in keep
ing with this general progress. But
there has not been q corresponding
development and Improvement. In
general agriculture indeed in some
phases of general agriculture but
little progress has been made. Our
farmers handle correspondingly
larger sums of money, butin general
less of it remains to their credit than
was formerly the case.
AS we are now about to begin a
new century, we must in a friendly
and yet in a critical, earnest and
serious spirit examine the doings of
the past in order that, if possible,
we may improve the future condi-
ton of the farming classes. There
are two great phases Of this POLLEN:
1. We must increase and diversity
the products of the farm Q. We
must decrease the expenses incur
red.
In doing this we must not only try
to make two blades of grass grow
where only one grew before, but we
must see to it as far as possible that
| ONOAJ oOAO WO ACOAO4 10 NC IA
water, swamp, sand hill, or arabic
land-produces something of value
either something in the way of food,
fishes, water plants, timber, mining
or agricultural or horticultural pro
ducts. By steadily following this
purpose, we may increase both the
quantity and the variety of the pro-
ducts of the soil. And meanwhile
we must keep in mind what has been
one of the secrets of the agricultural
progress in other countries, namely
the steady Improvement in the fer
tility of the soil itself. We continue
to hear about the Gland poor" farm
ers all through the Southern States.
This is not SO much because our
farmers own too much land as it is
that they fail to make this land pro-
ductive.
In u effort to decrease expenses
connected with farming operations,
we must not overlook certain large
and equally unnecessary expenses
which we and our fathers have been
mourning and which are now count
ing heavily against us. 1t is often
said that we are the most wasteful
people in the world, and our history
throughout the century now nearing
it's end proves the accuracy of this
statement.
1. We allow u surface soils with
their added manures and fertilizers
to wash away year after year to an
extent beyond estimate in money
value, aggregatlng many millions
2. We carelessly and needlessly
burn up our forests to the extent of
many millions of dollars every year.
Careful estimates have shown that
the annual loss from forest fires
in North Carolina alone average CON
siderably more than a million dollars
every year.
3. In North Carolina we have ex4
pended of money, labor and timber
in unnecessary fencing during the
past half century considerably more
than a million dollars per anntE1a.
In other Southern States this .un-
necessary expense has doubtless been
equally great.
4, We allow our farm and cotton
crops and fruits to be destroyed n
necessarily by insects ; and our cat
tie and poultry to die of preyentable
diseases to the value of severai mil
lions each year. And our personal
loss on account of sickness and time:
medical fees, etc, from such pre-
-o-4odIo 5;rooeo