The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-03-05
Agriculture.
- FORWARD MARCH OF NORTH CARO-
All- LIMA AGRICULTURE.

r,+srssting Figures That Show That
T,-.b Carolina Farming is on the High
poad of Progress.
c,rrsspondence ofThe Progressive Farmer.
In olden times the people were &C
ors+omed to retrospect in periods of
..van wears to ascertain the degree
- Drogress made. 1t occurred to
me a few days ago that a comparison
of results accomplished on the farms
of North Carolina between 1885 and
1902 and between 1885 and 1899
D,ight interest a number of your
readers.
In bringing out these comparisons,
twill be necessary to make free use
of statistics, which latter are erron-
eorslv regarded by too many people
Sc not only dry but valueless. thrust
to make the facts and figures in this
article somewhat attractive. Why
dol hope to do this? Because 1 know
that every farmer in ''the Old North
State. " and every other good citizen
as we'll. is deeply interested in the
States progress and the State
frture. l hope to accomplish this
5ifficuIt task because the cOmpari-
SONS instituted will give an earnest
of the splendid future that awaits
the patient efforts of the tillers of
the soil in particular and the people
of the State generally.
There is a special purpose in this
article: 1t is, by bringing to the at
Tention of the farmers the aggregate
number of acres planted in corn, for
example, and the crop produced, to
beget in the mind of each Of them
the inquiry: ''DO 1 know accurately
the number of acres l had in corn
last year and the exact number of
bushels produced, as we'll as the
average production per acre?'
That is u very important inquiry
because it Is strictly a business mat
ter. Would it be rash to declare that
ninety Der cent. of farmers do not
trouble themselves with anything of
the kind? They deal in estimates.
Suppose that merchants or manu-
facturers were to conduct their busi
ness On estimates how long would
they be in business?
The foregoing paragraph was not
written in spirit of. criticism, but
in a spirit Of sincere interest in every
thing that makes for the upbuilding
of the seventy-fve per cent. of the
States people who are engaged in
agriculture.
In I~s5 North Carolina gave 2, 545,-
I2G acres to corn and obtained 25,
$4,000 bushels. She sowed 500, ,117
acres in oats that year and harvested
4s~a.0 600 bushels; she sOwed 682, ,SS8
acres IN wheat and garnered 2, 700, 900
bushels: she cut 96, $50 tons of hay
from -oI.1GS acres, and made 4O7,
p. bales Of cotton on ], ,O71, ,f58 acres.
Seven years later, 1892, shows a
record as follows: Corn, 2,485,0
acre~ with an aggregate yield of 25,-
3tC... bushels ; oats, 5,332, 900 bush
els --am 549, III acres wheat, $780,
90. bushels from 716,942 acres. No
record If hay or cotton that year.
In 1899, 2,457, 936 acres yielded 81
s5J, = bushels of corn; 398, ,934 acres
gave s.--,. .2Co bushels Of oats 3, 1885,,
5s> bushels of wheat were harvested
from ..13I acres; 13O, ,526 acres in
grass Yielded 1875, ,769 tons, and $780,
a- @..- If cotton were made on l.
s--..- acres.
I'll. .--tructive facts brought out
'Ta '".arison of years and their
lE.. are as follows:
Between 1853 and 1892, the State
Ee.a... ler acreage in corn by co.
III. ..-, but harvested $4,000
.-- more than in 1885.
-.u 1883 and 1899, the acre
~-. . I'm was reduced by ST.
-.. int t,T5I,1 1863 bushels more
reduced.
.. 1850 and 1892, the acre
OTIS was reduced by 49,4OO
$4,000 bushels more oats
o-t,d than in 1885.
a lo~J and 1899, the acre
a-... ..s was reduced by 200, 183
~... q a04, 2O8 bushels more oats
".-. ...lced.
H.. ..u 1853 and 1892, the acreage
-- ".t was increased by 34,O54