The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-05-27
correspondence
DIR NEW YORK T T


Correspondents up III INC" 4O4A
c+o+e tell the writer that the frost on
4bo 10th caused a million dollars worth
If damage to fruit, and that some
c~snneries may find it hard to get stock
snough to keep them running or even
70 Justify them in starting at all. A
correspondent In the Vermont maple
region says the same frost damaged
maple trees more than the caterpillars
did last season. So it goes. From
New Jersey I hear that the peach crop
PROMISES to be most abundant. With
a good crop of this fruit, we can stand
a shortage in some other things.
EFFECT OF THE oLEo LAW.
What effect will the new oleomarga-
rine law have9 VIII butter advance
ten cents a pound and place the better
grades beyond the reach of the poor,
or will it remain reasonably low and
be all butter2 It is an interesting
question, and there are warm adher-
ents to each side. Best butter, Elgin
creamery, is worth here on the ex-
change 2212 cents at this writing
d9th) and the stuff known as "reno-
waited" butter brings only a cent or
two less.
PROVISIONS INCREASE IN PRICE.
Provisions have shown rapid ad-
vance. In fact, prices have gone up
so rapidly that new lists have to be
made every day. Over on the east
side the ignorant masses of foreigners
seem to attribute all the trouble to
their local butchers, and to seven up"
matters mobs composed of thousands
of men, women and children, proceed
ed to demolish things and persons. It
was a crowd that soon drew other
thousands and eventually several hun
bred policemen were called out. They
did some lively batting, and matters
have now apparently quieted down.
But there is a volcano here, that will
explode if circumstances e permit,
and if it does there will be a great
deal of trouble.
A DEsPICABLE FARMER
IF I may be allowed, in the course
of this correspondence to "move
away" from the city I'll do so now.
want to tell the readers of The Pro,
gressive Farmer about an unprogres.
sive farmer on the Western Reserve OF
Northern Ohio. All of it is true, but
it is not a hundredth part of all that
could be said. He is now about so
years of age. He inherited a good
farm from his father (who, I believe,
owned more land-good land-than
any other man in the township. Then
he bought other farms until he owns
pretty nearly everything in sight,
There is so much that he makes some
money and perhaps he is satisfied. He
is not married; he lives from hand to
mouth; he knows no Sunday, no holt
day; no God, man or devil. The house
where he was born is, and has been for
years, filled with wheat that he held
for higher prices till it is ruined, and
houses on other farms have been turn
ed into wheat bins. His barns are
wrecks; his naturally very rich lands
are largely grown to weeds, the seed
from which covers adjoining land; his
stables have been so filthy that the au-
thorities have had to interfere, and
the whole community wishes that he
would buy the whole town or-die.
AN ERROR IN TAXATION.
Now | maintain that when a man
is land poor, and will sell none of his
farms but neglects the whole, his
farms should be taxed higher and
higher until the land should be CON
fscated or sold or improved. But it is
just the other way. The more the land
is improved the higher are the taxes,
and thus an incentive is given to lazi-
ness and -cussedness. The injury done
by such farming is incalculable. Not
only is it wrong economically, it is
downright wicked, and the transgress-
OF ought to be made to feel the weight
Of the law.
HORsELFss VEHICLES.
The increase in the number of We
hicles that are "horseless" is n of
the marvels of the day. Stand on
Broadway and you will see the queer,
est c~ontrivances imaginable from the
bicycle to an enormous truck laden