The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-09

cndnlcal pursuits. ana JnuS the DAY
Of redemption for rhe old farm is put
off till some one who is reading and
studying farmer happens to get hold of
it at sacrifice sale and goes To work
To make money where the old owner
came near starving.
l have spoken OF good farming in the
Eastern section, but there is equal If not
better chances for the farmer in the
western part of The State He may
not engage in the early market garden
business to compete with the East but
he can grow grain crops. grass and cat
tie even to better advantage, and he
has the further advantage that his lands
when once brought up are more easily
kept fertile than the sandy lands of
the east. If man can build up profit
able dairy business on the soils Of the
eastern part of the State. what should
the farmers of the Piedmont and noun
tain section accomplish in the same line,
where soil and water are better adapted
TO the business: And Vet today there
is better dairying being done in the
East and hotels have better butter than
III the western part of the State, and SO
far as l have observed Of late, better
beef.
In agricultural Improvement there IS
more activity today on the sandy coast
plain soils than in the fine soils of the
upper Piedmont and the mountain val
leys, While for general grain and grass
farming and stocE-fceding one would
suppose the west had the advantage.
/ Where in Piedmont North Carolina Is
there Il farmer who has bought and fat
tened this year Geo beeyeS? III the
mountain section there are of course
large numbers fed ON the mountain
ranges and driven of for farmers IN 9th
or States 10 feed and fatten ut 4 profit
but stall feeding at home. SO far rs
have observed. is not practiced to the ex-
tent it should be.> 1t is in the winter
feeding at home that the greatest profit
is made from cattle, and the greatest
profit to the farm from the making OF
manure in large quantities.
The feeding Of home grown products
to cattle on the farm lies at the very
foundation OF all agricultural advance
ment, and is the only road to indepcn-
dence Of the fertilizer mixer, while the
very crops of COW peas and clover that
enables us TO make balanced ration
with our corn. furnish at the same time
the means for storing fertility in the
soils. The upland red clay soils of the
: Piedmont section have in them an al
/ lneXhauStlblc store of mineral matters
| and if We get the costly nitrogen through
the agency of leguminous crops and ami
mai manuTes they can be perennally
/ fertile for the production of grain crops
without the purchase Of an ounce of fer
tiliZers. The soils of the East are deli
cient in phosphoric acid and potash and
must be kept supplied with these. but
the upland red clay farmer can find them
in his soil by proper tillage and rotation
of crops. added to the feeding of stock
\ or hill land wash away in the clean
culture of cotton. Leave the cotton to
the east. and let Your hills be covered
with grass. and the flocks and herds will
bring fertility TO your soil and money tC
Your purse with far less labor and cx-
! penSc than the cotton. Grain, grass
i sheep and cattle are to be the salvation
| of the upland country