The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-04-09
AS AN ALAMANCE FARMER SEES IT.

correspondence OF In6 Progressive FarLner.
The evils complained of in my last
communication are very great and
it will be difficult to correct them,
because the 1andholGers will not
unite on any given plan to benefit
their condition or advance their in
terests. I am thoroughly convinced
both by experience and observation
that in most cases the landlord
should furnish the stock and farm
ing utensils to work the land, then
enter into written agreement with
bond to secure the performance of
the agreement. The agreement
should particularly define the method
by which the land for any given
crop should be prepared and how the
crop should be worked. An agree
ment without bond to enforce it's
performance is worthless. This
agreement should be renewed every
year, for when a tenant finds that he
is established for d number of years,
he soon begins to claim the premises
and act as though he we're lord of all
he surveys. The landlord on his
part should furnish his tenants with
comfortable houses to dwell in, give
them vegeta BILE gardens, and see that
they cultivate them.
Thousands of acres in all this up
country have been exhausted by the
six-furrOw cultivation in corn and
the shallow One-horse plowings
made in the preparation and cultiva-
tiOn of the corn crop. Nothing but
the top soil is stirred. The rain
teaches it and the sun dries it out.
No land should be cultivated in
corn that will not in a fairly good
season produce from 20 to 25 bushels
per acre. Yet in North Carolina, ac-
cording to crop reports, about one
half this quantity is raised. A good
plOw boy or young man with good
mule or horse should be able to cul-
tivate in all CrOps-cOrn, oats, wheat,
potatoes, truck-twenty- five acres in
the red lands or thirty acres in the
light sandy lands. By using the
gang plOws in breaking land and
Then cultivating with the harrow and
cultivatOr, a great many more acres
could be cultivated. Tenants should,
where there are mum Der of them
on the same farm work, together un
der either the supervision of the
landlord or of one of the most reli-
able tenants.
Where the land will not produce
fifteen bushels corn per acre it should
not be planted. Better commence
in time. Leave off one-half the
number of acres to be planted. Run
out the burrows to be planted, fill
them with scrapings from around the
lots, fence corners, cleanings from
under barns and negro quarters ;
ridge upon this. At planting use a
sack of suita BILE fertilizer. Plant an
early variety of corn and also with
it plant peas. The pea vines will be
worth as much for hay as the fodder.
Enough peas can be gathered to pay
for the fertilizer and to buy another
sack for the wheat, which should be
sOwn after the corn is gathered.
Glover should be sown the next
spring, and be allowed to occupy the
land for year.
The farmers in all this section
should raise more clover, grass, and
peas, save more provender, keep
more COWS, raise more pork, make
more manure, cultivate what land
we work better, and let what land
we cannot work grow up in old field
! pines and cedar.
How many people have heard that
cedar posts are being shipped from
Alamance to Indiana? Within the
next twenty-five years every post
grown will find ready sale for fence
posts and telephones?
The farmers in the red lands of
Alamance and Orange are forging
ahead of those in the sandy lands.
Why? In the sandy land tobacco
has not been a paying crop for sew
eral years. Wheat and corn have
been bringing fair prices for several
years more attention is being given
to stock raising. B.F. WHITE.
Alamance Co., N. G.