The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-18
No. 80

Orient, this competition, that has
kept down the prices of farm prod
ucts east of the Allegheny Noun
tains, ever since railroads entered
the Mississippi Valley, will be grad
ually lessened. 1888
So that we find two influences aB
work TO help the farmers of the
Southern States. One is a better
home market, and the other sless
competition from the great West.
The Southern farmer viii get all the.
assistance we can possibly give him
in ascertaining what grasses and
legumes are best suited to grazing
purposes and hay making purposes.
nEPARTMENT WORK.
The Division of Vegetable Physi-
ology and Pathology is conducting
Investigations in several of the
Southern States, looking to the secdI-
ing of better oranges, pineapples,
and other fruits through hybridiza-
ton. The diseases Of cultivated
grapes peculiar to the South are be-
ing. carefully studied Systematic
Investigations are being conductor
regarding the tobaccos of the coun-
try. The cause of the aromas which
give to certain foreign. tobaccos their
peculiar value, has been discovered,
and efforts are being made to put
this discovery to practical use in tho
production of domestic tobaccoB.
Systematic Investigations are being
conducted along the line reproducing
our teas in theiSo1thern States. Elk
perimental tea gardens have been
/ planted in cooperation with the ex-
periment stations of the Gulf States.
The money paid toforeign countries
now running from eleven million to
fourteen million dollars annually,
can be earned in the South, and a
class of labor shat is now non4pRa-
ductive, set OF work. Very promis-
ing results are being had in South
Carolinao and the Federal Govern
4
ment has appropriated money to as
sist in these, Investigations. -
q. HEMP GRoWWGz
The United States imports from
Italy and southern Russia neaFlyaP
million dollars worth of hemp per
annum. This is high grade hemp,
for which our. people pay about seven
cents q pound, and. it is used chiefly
in the manufacture Of carpet warps.
The Department of Agriculture is
| trying to find out why American
hemp growers continue to. produce
three-cent hemp, when by a little
more care and expense they could
produce this seven-cent hemp, for
which there is already market in
the United States. We, are asking
the question also, why does the
American hemp grower content him
self with a hemp which grows seven
feet high, when eastern Asia grows
a strain Of hemp which is twice as
tall and produces nearly twice as
much fiber per acre. And again we
are asking, why is it that the South
ern States, instead of Buying iute
butts from India with which to make
cotton bagging and rice sacks do not
try the experiment. Of making these
articles OUT of homegrown fiber.
There is a fair probability that with
these giant Asiabic varieties Of hemp
planted In the rich alIuVial bottom
lands of the South Atlantic seaboard,
with deep p1oughing qandaa liberal
| application Of cotton seed hulls, such
heavy crops of hump can be epros
duced that it canrbe sold TO the bag
ging manufacturers at a price that
will compete with jute. And if hemp
cannot produced atquite the price
to compete with jute5 itla1most ceH-
tainIy can be produced proftaBly for
use in the smanufacture of cotton
sacks. a aGfo@ ff3.aa o. .f
In preparing land for wheat, if the
land is not naturally underdrained,
it should be done with tiles. Then
it should be plowed as soon after
harvest as possible The plowl should
| be followed by the harrow, after
which nothing more should be done ne
until about two weeks before sow
ing. Then harrow until the soil is
| tl1oronohIv fine and 'eoron7a9fg.fa57 ~
| the depth of three or four inches.
AS there is a longer period between
sowihg and harvesting wheat than
almost. any crop, itois evident that
.Lfhis Wopk--1Fh1ola ia. al the sfsn1fi va