The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-05
Notes for the Farm.


who are always looking for some new crop
to take the place of the one they have al
ways been growing as a sole crop, to tell
them all about the cultivation of broom
corn. have always written to them and
advised them in print to let the broom
corn crop alone, for by the time they had
a crop ready the price would be such that
they would wish they had five cent cotton
to SELL That my advice was correct is
shown by letter we have Just read III
the Chic Farmer from a large broom corn
grower in the greatest broom corn grow
ing section in the world in Illinois. He
says that while in 1899 and 1900 many
farmers made big money in broom corn,
the conditions were soon reversed and the
crop of 1900 sold the present year, and
much of the crop would not bring enough
to pay expenses even in the rich lands OF
Illinois. Many Of our correspondents
seemed to think that the growing of the
crop was the main thing, but the fact is
that the growing of the crop is small
part of the expense in the making OF
broom corn crop. The writer referred TO
says that for a twenty acre crop the
grower must have a shed for the curing
40 feet long and twenty-four feet wide,
with tiers of Slated shelving, and the
machinery for cleaning the seed and bal
ing the crop are very expensive. He winds
I'D by saying that ITO make broom corn
pay a person must get well fixed for 1T
and then raise some every year. accord
ing to his market demands and his abili-
ty to make 1t pay. He should also be in
region where broom corn is grown and
where the machinery can be hired and
where buyers come and compete for the
product" We are therefore satisfied that
our advice in regard to North Carolina
farmers growing broom corn was right.
One of the best farmers in western North
Carolina told me that l had given the
proper advice as he had tried it and knew
that failure awaited any one here who en-
deavored to make the crop. l hope then
that this will answer all the letters on
this subject.
The men who are always wanting to
take on some new crop with which they
are entirely unfamiliar are not our best
farmers. They are as a rule the men
who have never made farming pay, be-
cause they have never farmed. Those
who are trying to farm we'll are as rule
satisfied with the crops and are trying to
learn how to grow them better and more
economically. Out in the mountain coun-
ties the farmers have found that they can
grow the late cabbages proftably for
shipment to the Southern Coast cities in
the late summer and fall. At Henderson
vile we found that this Grip has develop
ed greatly in the past ten years and has
now become the leading money crop. Now
what these cabbage growers need to learn
is how 10 make this crop and similar
crops better and more economically. The
climate conditions on the high plateau
region of Henderson ard Pennsylvania
are such that they can grow the later
vegetable crops we'll that are difficult to
grow in the warmer parts of the State,
and they can make the late trucking
business fully as successful if not more
so than the Eastern North Carolina
growers make the early truck. But they
will have to learn that specially is not
best promoted by single cropping, and
that while they can grow cabbages we'll,
they can also grow other things as we'll.
The late crop of Irish potatoes and the
winter crop OF celery should be as profit
able I'D there as the cabbage crop, and
the culture of fruits like the finer cher
ries, which cannot be grown in the warni
parts OF the State and the growing of ap-
pies and pears should form a leading in
terest IN the mountain country. But the
man whose interest lies in truck and fruit
should give them his undivided attention,
and should make his farming such as will
develop the capacity of his lands. for
rotation of crops is as essential to sue
cessful market gardening as it is in any
kind of farming. 1T seemed to ME this
summer that the cabbage growing of Hen
derson county is a matter of patch work
rather than systematic gardening. Our
people are inclined to try to go over too
much land with any crop they undertake
rather than to try TO work a small piece
of land to it's utmost point of production.
If / was engaged in growing cabba ges for
instance in Henderson county | would en-
deavor to get the land from which the
August cabbages are cut, at once in Grim
son clover. This clover l would grow for
the purpose of getting the land into the
best condition to make crop of Irish po-
tatoes the following season. would cure
the hay and feed it so as to have some
home made manure for the cabbage crop,
70 rthe cabbages, of all other vegetables,
Go better with some home made manure
rather than with all commercial fcrtili-
zers. The best growers of early cab5ages
in the East have long since found this
out, and endeavored to have some stable
manure to help out the cabbage crop.
Then follow the potato crop with either
the crimson clover or the NARY vatch in
the fall and put on that all the home
made manure and turn all under for the
cabbage crop the following spring or
lengthen the rotation by manuring the
potato land heavily with commercial fer
filters and plant crop Of celery which
will be out OF the way in time to manure
the land with the home made manure il
in this way, and always endeavoring to
the spring and plant in cabbages. Worked
have as much clover as practicable on the
land. one could get a piece of land up TO
the highest state of production in these
vegetable crops, all of which are the
crops in special demand in the cities
which are the natural market of the
mountain country. With soil naturally
fertile and easily gotten up to a very high
state Of cultivation / think that the late
crops of vegetables and fruits should make
the mountain country a garden SPOT The