The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-08
THE WORK OF THE RAINS AND "GKN
ERAL GREEN" IN sAMPsON-CORN,
POTATOES, TOBACCO, ETC.

we are now having the heaviest
rainfall of the season, and I am won
dering how many of our farmers
have pressed down the caps on hay
and fodder stacks. If this has been
neglected, much of the fodder is
damaged.
am also wondering how many
farmers in the rainy districts can
say with Whittier:
''No use to always grumble and com
plain,
Just as cheap and easy to rejoice,
When God sorts out the weather and
makes it rain.
Why, rains my choice. Or, how
many in the drought-stricken dis
triot can paraphrase it thus:
No use to always grumble and cry,
just as cheap and easy to rejoice;
When God sorts out the weather and
makes it dry,
Why, dry's my choice!
But thank God, if no other good
comes from such excesses, they give
us something to do for both mind
and body.
"Bill Arp" Georgia's great philos-
opher, says: EThe Lord never put
'possum in this world but what he
put 'simmon' tree close by"
This indicates that God provides
for his creatures. Yet this writer
knows of no instance wherein God
gathered the persimmons and took
them to the 'possum's den! But
He gave the 'possum a mouth to
eat, appetite for his food, tongue to
taste, nose to smell, feet to climb,
and a tail to hold on, and God ex-
poets him to use these appendages
to get his living
And 80 with man. He has the
earth TO cultivate, seeds to plant,
Judgment to discern, and Gn some
cases) tenacity to hold on; and if he
uses these diligently he is not likely
to perish. True the 'possum has
many difficulties to encounter, such
as muddy and swollen streams to
cross, failures in the ''simmon"
crops, 60, but he has learned to
adapt himself to circumstances and
looks up other kinds of food. And
man, though superior in many re-
speots, can learn lesson from this.
Many crops are short of the aver
1 vic hi
clothes, less bread and poorer stock,
unless the wits are put to work to
find way out.
General Green, most formidable
foe up to now, now comes to our
rescue, and can furnish large quan-
titles of the best of hay.
In many cases it may be necessary
to remove tho corn stalks by cutting
close to the ground and then use a
scythe or a mower. Turnips, oats
and rye may be sown and used to
advantage to help out the corn crop.
| Sweet potato vines are abundant and
may be out now without injury to
the potatoes if not cut too close, and
fed to hogs, or COWS may be turned
on gradually and much valuable feed
saved. Or, better still, fence off a
portion of the patch and turn hogs
on, giving little new corn once a
day. The writer has done this and
his hogs are mending nicely. Keep
plenty of ashes in a trough under
shelter, but do not put salt or any
thing else with them. They need,
and will eat ashes and the charcoal
in them when they do not need salt,
sulphur, oopperas, 60, and if these
are there they may refuse the whole.
Keep these in separate trough.
Notice the beds and do not allow
them to sleep in same bed long or
lice, feas and other vermin will in
jure them and cause many to die.
This applies especially to stock
hogs that run at large. Hogs when
first turned on to the fields eat greed
lily and the food sours on the stomach
and bowels and causes many to die.
Ashes neutralize the acids thus
formed, the charcoal, sponge-ike,
absorbs them and carries them out
through the bowels where they can
do no harm. Hence the necessity of
giving this immediate attention.
Bear in mind that charcoal must
be kept dry, and enter the hogs
stomach dry, or they will do no good.
Take few Goals from the fireplace
and weigh them dry; then Let them
remain in water a few hours and
weigh again, and you can form some |