The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-22
AgricuS ire.
MING WORLD.
NEWS OF THE


Sections Of the c Try.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
The government now stands ready
to examine, test exhaustively and
report on the
ADAPTABILITY FOR ROAD MAKING PUR-
POSES
of any material that may be sent it
by any farmer. More, 1t will test all
samples of available materials that
he may send, and report which will
render the best service and will last
the longest. As a macadam road
costs from So, 600 TO $40, 900 per mile,
and a difference in the choice Of ma
terials may make it last anywhere
from two 80 thirty years, the enor-
nous value to the tax payers of
selecting the best material-whioh
often costs as little as the poorest
is obvious.
The work of testing is carried on
In the ''road materials" laboratory,
presided over by L. w. Page, q Har-
ward graduate, who last December
gave up a seven years connection
with the Massachusetts, State Road
Management to take charge of it
Mr.. Page had TO absolutely create
the laboratory; nothing of the kind
had ever been done before by the
government and there were no ma
chimes, no processes, no methods nor
tests-nothing, in fact, but the bare
rooms. Since then, Mr.. Page has
designed machines TO test the sbra-
sion co-effioients, the oementing
valuation and the toughness of the
rocks sent him, and is now having
constructed machine to test their
hardness, which is the factor of least
Importance for accurate determine
ton in road building.
Limited appropriation and a linn
tied force still restrict the work of
the laboratory, which at present is
able TO complete about two tests per
day, each requiring two TO three
days TO carry out. It is therefore
oonfning it's attention TO requests
sent in from country road builders
and letting the immense paving ma.
terials' interests go for the present.
Later on, it will take up this work.
Just now it is not anxious for adver-
tisement, as a very little more work
than now reaches it would swamp it
altogether. Still, any person or COM
munity intending to build road
ought 80 send to it samples of all ma
terial that are available in sufficient
quantities, with request TO be in
formed which is the best for the
purpose. By so doing, they may
save thousands of dollars in repairs.
The Census Office has sent out a
bulletin giving
THE COTTON CROP OF 1900,
complied from statistics furnished
by the ginners. This is the second
bulletin on this subject issued by the
Census Bureau; the materials for
the first were gathered by the emu
merators; those for the present one
we're gathered through the mails
Every one of the $4,000 ginning
establishments in the United States
has been heard from, either directly
or indirectly. The Census Office
now possesses a complete list of
5hese, with the capacity of each as
shown by the quantities of cotton
handled; and it is able to keep this
list in perfect condition by the elini-
nation of abandoned esta blishments
and the addition of new ginneries.
The success of the inquiry is due
mainly TO the direct appeal made TO
the ginners by the Census Office, for
individual 90 operation in this work.
They have been made to see their
own interests will be promoted by
annual official reports of the cotton
crop, upon the accuracy OF whlch
they can depend. From hundreds
of them the Census Office has re-
Ceived fiattering letters in regard 60
It's first report, and the great advan-
tages which must accrue from a
regular continuance of the collection
OF these statistics in this manner.
The crop of 1900 is found to be TO-
I23, ,O27 bales of the average weight
of 500 pounds, or to 5,O61, ,512'2s4
pounds, an increase of $40, ia COM
mercial bales over the crop of 1899
The death of President Mckinley