The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-08-28

G0G0sI4AS hepOIG O4 6OuAG1y hdAs4AS III
Belgium.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
The farmers of the country have
a number of able men always here
looking after their interests. The
Department of Agriculture is doing
a great work, and we have probably
never had a more efficient Secretary
than the present incumbent, Hon.
James Wilson. He is a successful
farmer himself, and unlike many
men that accept positions in agricul-
tural colleges and departments, his
heart is in his work, it is labor of
love, not labor for money only.
| The National Grange also keeps it's
headquarters here. The Grange is
growing steadily in the West and
also has a good foothold in South
Carolina. It exerts considerable in
f1uence in Congressional matters in
nOn-partisan way; and in such
matters as the better regulation of
railways, trusts, oleo frauds, good
roads and free rural delivery, it
always makes itself heard.
A lot of very interesting facts re-
garding agriculture will be brought
out by the census of this year and
the announcement of results is
awaited with impatience by many.
That was good advice given in a
recent issue of The Progressive
Farmer advising farmers. to pay
more attention to horse breeding
Horses have rarely been in better
demand than now. In Chicago good
drivers sell at 1925 to $500, accord
ing to breed and style. Carriage
teams are in very good demand, and
bring $500 to 5000 per pair. A
great many omnibus horses have
been shipped from London to South
Africa and American horses have
taken their places, which has stim-
ulated the foreign demand very
much. The markets are full of
/ foreign buyers. In nine months of
the last fiscal year there were ex-
ported 4,721 horses, worth 1866, ,321.
This year, to March 81, 30,269 were
shipped, valued at $2,O98, ,283. Ex-
portation has since been active,
swelling the number very materially.
Several weeks ago I sent your
paper an interesting report of an
American Consul in China, giving
the methods of farming in vogue in
the Celestial Kingdom. AS most
Progressive Farmers also raise
chickens, the following report of
Poultry Raising in Belgium by
Consul Lincoln, just received at the
State Department here may prove
of sufficient interest to warrant it's
publication. Mr.. Lincoln says
BELGIAN POULTRY RAISING.
It has been suggested that a report
on the method of raising fowls for
the market in this country would be
of service, not only to those directly
interested in the like business in our
country, but boon to the public at
large. The succulence of the ''pOulet
de Bruxelles' has a very widespread
reputation, not only among gOur-
NETS, but among all who have had
the good fortune to travel upon the
Continent and meet the same on the
table.
The difference in quality between
the fowl above mentioned and one OF
the same age and size of the ordi-
nary variety is shown by the fact
that the first is sold in nearly all the
markets in this country at double
the price. For example, young
poulet de Bruxelles which we should
consider about the size sufficient for
a meal of two persons is sold today
for francs (96.5 cents), whereas one
of the ordinary variety can be pur-
chased for between 2 and francs
1856 and $40 cents).
The excellence of the fowl seems
to depend, as far as can be ascer-
tanned, on the careful manner in
which the sitting hen is treated, the
cleanliness observed about her, as
we'll as the careful feeding Of the
young chicken until sufficiently
developed for eating purposes
Whether or not the methods pur-
sued here differ from those followed
by careful breeders in our country,
it is impossible for me to say. TRAY
a7ers almost invariably express their