The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-01-01
IMPROVED FARM IMPLEMENTS VS.. OLD
STYLE IMPLEMENTS AND HAND
LABOR.

A thorough discussion of this sub
ject is rather difficult, as it is some
times hard to draw the line of dis
tinction between ordinary nipple
ments and what we call improved
implements. However, I think any
implement that is a great labor-save1
might properly be called an improved
implement. In North Carolina, al
least, the time has passed by when
the farmer who depends on hand
labor, and scratching "mOther earth
with d bull tongue and a single
pillow, car compete with his neighbor
who uses improved implements, or
with people in other States on rich
lands and highly improved ma
chinery.
If we expect to make a living at
farming we must be progressive and
keep up with the line of march.
People in all other professions are
continually trying to get infOrma-
ton, and to use better machinery,
tools, ETC., and the farmer, too,
must be ready to adopt new meth
DDS and new ideas when beneficial.
OF course, he will slip up sometimes,
and engage in something new and
fail at it, or he may be induced to
buy implements that are not just
the thing for his farm but he could
cultivate his Judgment and learn to
buy more ~discreetly.
When our lands were new, and
our wants were not so numerous as
they are now, farming could be
made to pay, even with rude meth
DDS. But now if we stick to the old
ideas we soon find ourselves either
in debt or without a farm. With the
low prices of several years ago it
was a noticeable fact that North
Carolina was mot in it" SO far as the
wheat industry was concerned. Not
North Carolina, as it did in years
past, but because the man out in
Illinois, using the steam pillow, cut
ting with a reaper and binder, and
using all the improved machinery
possible, could raise the wheat and
end it to North Carolina and then
sell it cheaper than our farmers
could raise it. Imagine a man in
North Carolina raising fifteen bush
els per acre, breaking the land with
d One-horse pillow, sowing by hand,
putting out the fertilizer by hand,
and then covering the seed with
another going over, reaping the crop
with Il grain cradle, and perhaps
beating out the wheat with d fail
imagine this man competing with
the Western fellow with his ma
chinery! O.
The two horse turning pillow of
any of the improved makes Can be
properly called an improved i'm
plement, as it turns so
much more earth than the old
fashioned pillow did, and does it so
much better.
The cutaway and disc harrow is a
highly improved implement, as it
does the work Of several plOws with
the use of one man and two horses.
Of course it does nOtcut deep, but if
set properly it will go as deep as the
single horse pillow. This implement
is quite useful in putting in grain in
the fall, and in freshening up land
that has been broken with a two
horse turning pillow sometime pre-
viOus. In fact, it should precede the
sowing of all grains, grasses, etc.
1t is also of great service in put
ting in peas in the summer.
The adjustable smoothing harrow
has gotten to be just about perfect
for it's work, as it can be set at any
angle, and then it covers so much
ground. It is useful not only in
putting in seed that should not be
covered deep, but is quite useful in
cuLtivating for the first time or two
other crops, such as corn, cotton, etc ,
when planted in the drill. II the
harrow is run right acros the row
very little damage will be done
to either corn or cotton, and the
weeds and grass will be killed when
small, and the crust broken up and
the ground kept moist.
The grain drill is now perfection
itself. It opens the land, sows the
seed, puts in the fertilizer and COW
IL L1:-