davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
FERTILIZERS AND MANUREs.

Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
1. If one has not a sufficient guam
tity stable manure to go under cab
bage plants to be put out in Novem-
Der, would you advise using 80 acid
with the manure? If so, would you
mix it with the manure or put it in
drill under manure?
2. Is top dressing with nitrate of
soda exhausting to the soil as some
claim?
3. To what plants, if any, is hog
manure injurious if used with that
of the horse or COW? F. A. w.
Craven Co., N. G.
answered by Corresponding Editor Energy
1. That would depend somewhat
on the condition OF the land on which
the cabbage is to be grown and also
on the manner to be used. We would
make the anu go as far as it
would and supplement it with a COM
plete chemical manure, say 80 nitro
gen, 5 or go potash and 6 Or8%
phosphoric acid. Use this as freely
as you deem desirable to aid the soil
and manure to produce a profitable
crop. We should rather spread and
work the manure into the soil and
if chemicals are used freely, use in
the same way, narrowing into the
soil before drilling for the plants.
2. Yes. An application of nitrogen
of soda pushes growth rapidly and
enables plants to gather ash elements
they could not otherwise take from
the soil in a given time.
8. To the weeds, which may be
smothered by pushing the cultivated
grasses into vigorous growth by such
a mixture and then applying it gen
erously to the soil as on a field, pas
ture or lawn. We know of no farm
crops which would be injured by
the hog manure in any reasonable
quantities.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
THE SECRET OF AGRICULTURAL PROS
PERITY.

Recently one of our Southern agr1-
cultural exchanges remarked:
Sin view of the fact that the per
capita production of the farmers of
the South is only $177, while in the
North it is 1917, and in the West
1919, we venture the suggestion that
there must be something in u sys-
tenn which needs Improvement.
Might not some changes in our farm
ing methods bring about the raising
of more grain and grasses, more
vegetables and fruit, nor and better
beef cattle, more milk, butter and
cheese, more pigs and sheep, more
ready money in the pockets of our
farmers, more property to the agri-
cultural classes hence more plenty,
contentment and happiness among
all classes of our popu1atiOn?"
Our contemporary solved the prob
lem correctly. One can see enough
from the car windows in a trip
through New York and Pennsylva-
MIA to give ample proof of this.
''MOre grain and grasses, more vege-
table and fruit, more and better beef
cattle, more dairy products, more
pigs and sheep''-these we need. We
wish every North Carolina farmer
could go through these prosperous
agricultural States to which our con
temporary refers and see for him
self that these things are the foun-
dation of their prosperity.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
FACTORY CHILD LABOR AGAIN.

The Raleigh Post acknowledges
the correctness of our contention
that the combining labor of the fac
tory is far more hurtful to the child
than farm work. But the Post is
very much afraid that a law making
it illegal to employ children of ten
der age in the factories would work
a hardship on some poor parent. AS
an illustration, it gives the case of
1.-The man whom the good Lord has
blessed with ten children" 1t doesn't
seem to have occurred to the Post
that the man with such a large fam
lily would certainly have some chill
dren beyond the age limit.
Furthermore the Post should not
exhaust its sympathy on the poor
widow and the father of 10 children"
before reaching the tired little ones
tied down to the factory machines,
deprived of school advantages, with
''bucks bent by loads for which only
the adult is fitted" 1t is easier to
find a score of such children than to
find n parent upon whom Il general
law prohibiting child labor would
work u evere hardship.
But is it not possible to meet the
Posts objection? Suppose a law
were passed prohibiting the employ
ment of children under acertain age,
or between certain ages unless at
tending school three or four months
each year, and excluding from it's
operations the children of widows or
OF parents pronounced by physicians
unable to work. Would the Post
oo1ect to this? We shall not say
Ohat e r % some parents who
would with good intentions oppose
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
WHAT THEY SAY.

"What's the use of my staying on
a farm and working myself to death?
1 don't get anything but my clothes
and board" And the farmer looked
dissatisfied and reluctantly went on
with his work.
whats the use of my staying in
this business, wearing out my life
and at the end of the year, between
paying clerks, bOOkkeeprs, rent and
suffering losses, having about enough
left to pay board and buy clothes?'
And the merchant with a dissatiied
look went into his office.
whats the use Of my staying in
this business?" said the manufaCt-
urer. 81 have thousands of dollars
invested, am perpetually scheming
to dispose of my product, continually
watching my competitors, externally
hustling after what is due me, per
sistently searching for cheaper raw
material, working all day and far
into the night, and for what? To
give employment to a lot Of people
and to make my board and clothes =
And the dissatisfied man turned to
his work.
"What's the use of my working;'
said the labOrer. From Monday
morning until Saturday night. To
work like a slave-and what do l get
for it? About enough to buy a
little grub and something to wear.
And he spat on his hands and discon-
tentedly went to work.
And thus it is throughout the
world. The spirit Of discomfort per
vades every walk in life.-Farmers
Exchange.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

We always need leadership. The
great questions of governmental
ethics and policy are deep and his.
toric, and they can be answered onlv
by intelligent thought and research
There are a few men in every com
munity that are capable of this great
work. For love of country thew
should do it. Honestly and patrioti-
cally they should endeavor to solve
the great political problems, and
make the solution so luminous that
the plain man car understand if
Let such men be not the slave of
party, of base self seekers, who
simply find out what position will
catch votes and take it. Let them
not put the a to the ground to
hear what the people will say, but
turn it toward heaven to hear what
God says. If we can real such a
class of men in our country, the DeO-
pie will respect them and we shall
then have the grave questions Of
finance, of tariff, of our foreign
policy, of peace and war, settled,
not by bosses and cross-road poIiti-
clans, by party newspapers and noisy
demagogues, but by the counseIs of
the wise and patriotic men, whose
trained intelligence searches out the
path of truth and duty, and whose
firm steps lead their followers in
pursuing the path.-American Cul-
tivatOr.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
e .THE.INDUsTR1AL AND EDUCATION

"'THE.INDUSTRIAL N EDUCATION
Al INTERESTS OF u PEOPLE PARA
MOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
OF STATE POLICY, is the motto of The
Progressive Farmer, and upon this
platform it shall rise or fall. Serving
no master, ruled by no faction, cir
oumscribed by no selfish or narrow
policy, its aim will be to foster and
promote the best interests of the
whole people of the State. 1t will be
true to the instincts, traditions and
history of the Anglo-SaxOn race. On
al matters relating specially to the
great interests it represents, it will
speak with no uncertain voice, but
will fearlessly the right defend and
lmpartia1ly the wrong condemn. -
From Col. Folks Salutatory, Feb.
10, 1886
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
How's YOUR NE1GHBoRHooD9

We are asking readers to send
US the names of three or more of
their neighbOrs who a probably be
induced to subscribe for The Pro-
gressive Farmer. If you have re-
ceived such a request, let us have a
few words with you to make plain
one or two matters that were per
haps not sufficiently emphasized in
our letter.
In the first place, we want the ad-
dresses only of those who may pos
sibIy subscribe for the paper. We
don't want names of men who don't
believe in newspapers, of men who
had rather pay out a dollar to see a
circus or to get on a drunk than to
have The Progressive Farmer a regu-
lar visitor to their homes for 50 long
weeks, or of those who prefer a paper
that will humbug them to their
hearts content with some guessing
contest or wonderful prize to sub
scribers. It costs lots of money to
send out these sample copies and we
don't care to waste our hard-earned
shekels on such cattle. But we do
want the address of every intelligent
wide-awake man or woman in your
vicinity that you think would, if
they knew the merits of the paper,
subscribe for it. And for three or
four weeks after you send us these
names we will send a copy of The
Progressive Farmer each week to the
addresses sent US. But the most i'm
pOrtant point to which we wish to
call your attention is your promise
that after WE have sent the papers
for three or four weeks you will call
on the persons named and try to get
their subscriptions. The most i'm
pOrtant point, we say, because unless
you fulfil this part of your promise
the entire matter may be a dead loss
to us. See each person and. work
earnestly to secure his subscription.
If possible get him to subscribe for
a whole year. If, after trying suff-
GENTLY, you find you can't get him
to subscribe for a year, try for six
months subscription. And when
you can't get this, accept three
months subscriptions at 25 cents
each. But we much prefer yearly or
half yearly subscriptions.
We are offering liberal premiums
to those who succeed in securing
subscriptions. For each dollar in
new subscriptions sent US you are
entitled to your choice of a copy of
GleasOn's Horse Book, Killebrew's
Grasses and Forage Crops, Samantha
at Saratoga, BOk's ''Successward,"
or a years subscription to the Ameri-
can Queen or the Gentlewoman, or
have the date on your label moved
up two months. For So in new sub
scriptions we move up the date on
your label six months, or for SIS in
new subscriptions, you get a years
subscription free.
We want to double our subscrip-
ton list at your pOstomce before we
begin our new volume next Febru-
and we want you to help US in our
effort.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

~barefooted children have plenty
friends. Something worthy must 10
done by the incoming General Az
sembly for the weak and HELPLESS -
our good commonwealth. Bows 90
ten years and under must learn -
read or be content to take no part in
the government of the State. W.
must be just to these and to tho
little girls as we'll, who are soon f.
be buried in cotton mills. We homo
our colleges will live long and pros
per, but we are not concerned abon+
them. The State must do it's best
for it's weakest children.-Cbsritr
and Children.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
A BLOW TO STATE PRIDE.

We call the attention of our State
loving North Carolina readers to the
following article from the New YORK
Sun, and especially to the portions
we have italicized:
I'm the New England States, to-
gether with New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania, the percentage OF
iliteracy in 1890 was only 2.3O per
cent. among native white males of
ten years of age and over. In the
Central Western States it was only
1872 per cent. and in the further
Western division it was only 1853
per cent. But these the per
centages of native white illiteracy in
the eleven States of the old secession
Confederacy:
Alabama, 1909; Arkansas, 1874;
Florida, 1O.11 Georgia, 1913 Louis
lana, 10. II; Mississippi, 11.45 ; North
Carolina, 2O.58; South Carolina,
IVA; Tennessee, 1890; Virginia,
1880 10XdS, go.
I'm these States there are about as
many illiterate native white males as
in all the rest of the Union. In
Louisiana, with a population not
much exceeding a million in 1890
there were more than three thou
sand more of these illiterates than
in New York, with a population of
about six millions. In North Caro-
lima, Vith q population of only q lit
tie more than Sirteen hundred thou
sand there Were 44,O55 more of these
HLiterateS than IN NeW York."
No true North CarOlinian can read
the Suns article unfeelingly. We
wish the facts were such as to enable
US to brand it as a foul SANDER
and an infamous falsehOOd," but
truth is against US. The Suns charges
can be proven. What it tells the
world of US and our negligence is
alas ! too true. The only question is
if we, the people of North Carolina,
are going to sit with folded hands
while such a condition of affairs ex-
lists, damaging the fair name of our
State and booming the rising genera
ton to limited opportunities and
limited power.
The Sun recently made a foul at
tack upon the memory of Robert E.
Lee, but we e nc cause for worry
in that. A numbscull has simply
run up against a stone wall and the
post norton examination is all that
interests us. But we do see cause
for worry in the fact our ~illiteracy
and inexCusable negligence in edu-
cational matters is being heralded
abroad to our diSCredit. A thousand
falsehoods could not harm us half so
badly as these stubborn, undeniable
facts. Facts they are: we can't get
around, over, or through them, and
to shut our eyes to them is folly.
What + we going to do about it?
What mockery in us to sing Judge
Gaston's stirring sons, Carolina"
with its pledges to cherish, protect,
and defend her." and the denuncia-
ton of the writings who defame
her." while we, the sovereign peo-
pie, do nothing to wipe out this stain
upon her good name!
Let the next Legislature do it's
duty. It will, if the people show the
interest in education that they
should.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06
Editorial.
EDITORIAL NOTES.

We regret hat so few October
County Alliance meetings were re-
ported for The Progressive Farmer.
ar. P. A. May tells US that the Nash
meeting was the best in three years.
Two or three hundred people at
tended, and plans were laid for a
general reorganization in that
county.
Here's one IF the planks in The
Progressive Farmers platform We
believe there should be a good school
and a good church in every neigh
borhood, a live Sub-Alliance at every
school house, goodrOads everywhere,
and a good newspaper in every home.
Will you and your neighbors sup
port this plank?
This distressing" campaign, as
the Hon. Grover Cleveland, who has
been kept busy lodging newspaper
reporters for several months terms
it, ends with the date of this issue.
Now a long pull, a strong pull, and a
pull altogether for the upbuilding of
the Alliance. There must be I'M
ceasing work from now till the next
State meeting.
ITO keep posted, read The Pro
gressive Farmer; no intelligent
farmer can do without it," All the
ror17lo- Crrio-1+,ro ovrC ND 1;+o-
airy features and a complete and I'M
prejudiced report of the legislative
and Congressional proceedings as
we'll are on the programme for the
next few months. Now is the time
to subscribe and to get your neigh
Dor to subscribe.
The exhaustive work by Col. J. B
Killebrew, of Nashville, on the
grasses of the South, which has had
Il wide circulation in this country.
has been awarded a medal at the
Paris Exposition by a unanimous
vote of the first jury of awards. A
copy of this meritOriJus work will be
sent free as a premium for one new
subscriber to The Progressive Far
Iner, or with The Progressive Farmer
one year for $1.15. This is a new and
revised edition of Col. Killebrew's
former work on grasses, thousands
of copies of which were sold at So
each.
That grand old word, "philan-
thropy," is being sadly misused in
these latter days. When some con-
science-smitten ~plutocrat gives d
part of the millions he has obtained
through mOnOpolistic oppression to
some church or college there is no
lack of fawning f~atterers to ..crook
the pregnant hinges of the knee and
hail him as a "philanthropist' of the
first order. To be just is more than
to be generous and it is more Christ
like to deal honestly with the work,
ingman and the producer than Law
lshly with the college president or
UNCONVENTIONAL leader. Honesty is
incomparably better than present
day ''philanthrophy."
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

Man was built after all other
things had been made and pro
nounced good. If not, he would
have insisted on giving his orders as
to the rest of the jOb.-Josh Billings
It is the duty of the voter to vote
his convictions, not to carry the eIec-
ton. It is not his duty to win, but
to record his honest convictlonS'
Any other theory of politics IS tha'
Of partisanship, not of free voters
To say that the voter must choose
between two candidates or parties 10
both false and mischievOus. IL -
built upon the assumption that tA0
political parties r the bosses OF In0
voters. My party is my servant
not my master. It is my duty "
vote my will at the polls, even Il
do not choose either of the dOmlnan'
parties. I protest against either 'n0
Republican or Democratic party Ven
ing me what I shall vote upon ~
consent to that is to wear a parry
chain and to come when 1 am wills
tied for. It is repugnant to any m
who does his own thinking or say
his prayers. The true worth Oh w
independent voter to his COUNT
can never be over-estimated. no
the only hope of civil Salvation
Rev. Charles A. Crane, Boston
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES subscrlb-
srs will continue to receive this journal until
the publishers are notified by letter to discon-
rinue, when all arrearages must be paid. If you
30 not wish the journal continued for another
year after your subscription has expired, you
should then notify us to discontinue 1t.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

When sending money please say whether 1t
Is for renewal or a new subscription.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-06

Address all business correspondence to and
make money orders payable tO"THE PROGRESS
sIVE FARMER, RALEIGH, n. c." and not to any
Individual connected with the paper.
When sending your renewal, be sure to give
exactly the name on label and pOStOfice to
which the copy OF paper you receive is sent.
RENEWALS-The date opposite your name
On YOUR paper, or wrapper, shows to what time
your subscription is paid. Thus l Jan. 100,
shows that payment has been received up to
ian. l, 1900; l Jan. 'Ol, to Jan. l, 1901, and so on.
Two weeks are required after money is re-
oeived before date, which answers tor a receipt,
san be changed. If not properly changed within
two weeks after money is sent notify us.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-02-16
Lnck of Ready Money.

Proof of the great lack Of read,
money in Tennessee at the close OF the
eighteenth century. or else of the un.
reliability Of much of the evidence on
which the history of that time is
based, is shown by two statements Of
Parton. One was that in 1T9s he had
become the owner of 10000 acres of
land of an average value Of five dollars
an acre. The other statement is that
which shows him seriously en-
barrassed at this time by the loss OF
So,6'O. the amount of notes which he
had discounted and which had been
protested, compelling him to part with
the improved part of his estate and
many thousand ceres of hnd.-Chi-
Tribune.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-02-16

fast as ever they could; and TO ru,
away was the best thing they could do
for when Old Rather struck one oflhen
with his fangs all was over With him
So there were many in the CANYON
beasts ard birds and snakes, too, who
hated Old Rather, but Only a few dared
face him. And one of these was Gilt.
tershield, whom men call the King o.
Snakes, and in a minute | shall tel
you why.
And when Old Rather was doing al
that | have said, the King Snake lay
low or Il bed of pine needles. behind
a bunch of fern, and watched with
keen, sharp eye. The angry buzz OF
Rattler's tail, which scared the chip,
hunks and the bullfrogs and all the
rest of the beast folk. was music for
Glittershie,d. He was a snake. too. and
snakes understand some things bet,
ter than any OF the rest OF Us.
Glittershield was slim and why in
his body, as long as Old Rather himself.
but not so large around. His coat wa,
smooth and glossy, not rough and
wrinkly like Old RattIer's, and his ND.
raised head was small and prettv-for
a snake. He was the best dressed OF
all his kind, and he looked his finest as
he faced Old Rather. His head was
shiny black. his ,broat and neck as
white as milk. while all down his holy
to the end of his tail he was painted
with rings. first white. then black. then
crimson, and every ring was bright
as if il had inst been freshly nolished
that very dav.
So the KING Snake nassed tbe shell.
terinp fern and came RIGHT IN to Ola
Rather. Rather opened his sharp ewes.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-02-16

spring and took the frost out of the air
and the rocks, then he crawled out to
lie until he got warm. The stream was
clear and swift in the canyon, the
waterfalls sang in the side eulch Of
Roaring river, The wind rustled in the
long needles of the yellow pines. and
the birds called to their mates in the
branches. But Old Rather did not care
for such things. He was just a snake,
you know. and his neighbors did not
think him a good snake at that, for he
was surly and silent, and his big three
cornered, "cotiin-shaped" head, set on a
slim, fat neck, was very ugly to see.
But when he opened his mouth he was
uglier still. for in his upper jaw he had
two long fangs. and each one was filled
with deadly poison. His vicious old
head was covered with gray ard wrin-
kled scales. and his black, bcadlike eyes
snapped when he opened his mouth to
find out whether his fangs were both in
working order.
Old Rather was pretty stiff when he
first came from his hole on the morn
ing of this story. He had lain all night
coiled up like IA rope among the rocks,
and his tail felt very cold. But the
glad sun warmed the cookies of his
heart, and in an hour or two he be-
came timber, and this made him happy |
in his shaky fashion. But. being
warm, he began to be hungry, fer it
I,J ham "a ,,bn1, ,,,,.l .;,,, H., 1,n.l |
eaten anything. When the first new
moon of August came. his skin loosered
everywhere and slipped down over his
eyes like a veil, so that he could see
nothing about him. and could not hunt
for frogs by the river nor for chip
hunks among the trees. But with the
new moon of September all this was
over. The rusty brown old coat was
changed for a new suit Of gray and
black. and the diamond-shaped check
ers all over it Were clean and shiny as
a set OF new clothes ought to be.
There was a little striped chipmunk
cunning up and down the sugar-pine
tree over his head, pursuing his little
msuth and throwing himself into pref
ty attitudes, as though he were the
center of III admiring audience, and
Old Rather kept a steady eye on him.
But he was In no hurry about it all. He
must first get the kinks out OF his neck,
and the cold cramps Srom his tail.
There WIS an old curse on his family,
so the other beasts had heard, that kept
him always cold. and his tail was the
part of all. So he shook it a lit
tie, just to show that it was growing
and the bone clappers on the
end rustled with a sharp, angry noise.
~rattles he had in all-15 and a
to have so many showed
hat he was no common member OF his I
hated family. Then he shook his tail
again. and more sharply. This was to '
show all the world that he, Old Rather, I
wide awake, and whoever stepped
IN him would better look out. Then
the big beasts and little beasts who f.
heard the noise fed away just as d