The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
AUTUMN FARM LIFE.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.

.
At this season on the farm there
is such diversity of life and labor
that one can hardly become tired, as
change produces rest, and work is
constantly changing. AS we shout
Harvest Home, " and drive the last
| load of corn to the barn we rejoice,
and feel, if a full crop is garnered,
that our bread is sure and if a short
crop, plan to use it to the very best
advantage and where it will do the
most good.
With hay all harvested, ground
peas shocked and curing, cotton
gathered in and most of it marketed,
we turn our attention to the fatten-
ing hog and the milk COW, and some
of us think our COWS worthy Of at
least as good fare as we accord to the
fattening hogs, and turn them on the
peas, ETC., as soon as we turn the hogs
in.
The sweet potato crop is perhaps
the cheapest crop the farmer can
raise for hogs in Eastern North Caro-
lima. AS potato digging is in progress,
plan new to many may be success
fully tried. Cut off the vines and
with a good sized two-horse plow
throw the potatoes outat one furrow
and thus avoid cutting and bruising
the tubers This plan is quicker and
easier as we'll as safer.
It has been so dry that in some Sec
tions sweet potatoes are scarce, but
where we cultivate flat and have land
we'll fertilized in spring the crop has
done we'll, and the potato harvest is
good.
We lack one thing here in Eastern
North Carolina, and that is a crop
of late apples for winter use, our
orchards having failed almost en-
tirely this year. But our mountain
friends have dried many and we will
enjoy them and be thankful.
The crops generally harvested, fall
oats sOwn, plats prepared for early
cabbage, COWS, hogs and chickens all
happy, we pause and look around us,
retrospect and prospect. The long
evenings have come, and we feel so
glad that ''God setteth the solitary
in families" psalm $3.50 and we
gather us around the open fire place,
and feed the part of our nature that
is above the elements raised on the
farm though not entirely independ
ent of them. These long evenings
enable us to cultivate the mind, and
the more we have in our homes of
the best periodicals of the day, the
better will our children be up on the
general topics of the day, and the
more will they be benefited by the
text books in school.
What a pleasure it affords us to
help the children with their difficult
exercises, or point them to some
book that will enable them to find
out what they wish to know. I feel
sorry for that child whose parents
or elder brothers and sisters pretend
to be too busy to answer the chi1d's
questions and to help it to an under
standing of the things that to the
child seem so dark and difficult.
Then with lessons learned-and we
all have some To learn every 6av-we
can enjoy the merry happy song
which cheers the household. How
pleasant to gather around the organ,
guitar, violin or any other musical
instrument and spend an hour in
song that cheers the heart, revives
the body, and fills the soul with rap
ture One gets u better nights rest
after an hour SO spent, the children
retire with more cheerfulness and
their dreams, if they have them, are
more pleasant.
If we expect a harp and crown in
our home above, it is a duty devolv-
ing upon us in our temporal homes
to learn to use the harp and to wear
the crown with that dignity that
comes by patiently and faithfully
bearing the crosses of life.
Success to The Progressive Farmer.
D. LANE.
Craven Co., n. G.