The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-07-22
DUr111 COUNTY LETTER,
Promising Crop outlOOk-sOeial Pleasures
Neglected in the BuStle Of Modern Life
3 Rural Free Delivery Wanted.

Gg AA80BD4 IA b4V -
Rural Free Delivery Wanted.
Cor. of The Progressive Farmer.
i will attempt to write you a few
Lines concerning crops and other
things in Duplin County.
b. Our farmers have hadcto struggle
with poverty during this crop season
~toa greater. extent than at any other
.period since 1866 Nearly everything
that people and stock consumed was
to buy, with farmers badly in debt for
supplies and fertilizers for last year.
We commenced our crops with less
hope perhaps than any other people
ever did,but thanks to kind Providence
ne have had the most favorable sea-
sons to work crops hat I have ever
seen. We have not lost a single day
since crops were planted by rain. 1t
has been too dry sometimes to set out
plants, yet what we could get to live
have grown nicely,
Early planted cotton is as promising
as I have ever seen it; the acreage is
smaller than last year. Corn crops
are generally good with a large in
crease in acreage. The. pea crop is
small on account of scarcity of seed.
The tobacco crop is going to be short.
We could not set out plants when we
wished to, on account of dry weather.
There has not been rain enough to
develop the crops and it is ripening
pr~ematurely. We commenced curing
three weeks earlier than usual, hence
we are going to have a lot of short,
trashy tobacco that will hardly pay
expenses of saving. . .a.
Our farmers generally are done
working crops, (Which have been laid
by in the best condition for many
years., and those not engaged in to-
bacco culture can have a short time
in which to rest and attend picnics
and other gatherings. There was a
family gathering or reunion in our
community July 5th, the birthday of
sister Holland Brock, who was ninety
four years old. She is healthy, and
can walk about and do a great many
things that our younger women can
not do. Her husband died some years
ago at the age of n~inety-six. There
were present July 5th, of children,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren
and great-great-gFandchildren, 1877;
and there were absent on that day 90
that we know of in the country around
us while three other sons of this sis
ter have gone to other places and
have not been heard from in several
years. The writer had the pleasure
of meeting with them and enjoying
their hospitality and mingling with
many childhood schoolmates. Such
gatherings used to be frequent but
the rush and struggle in life has made
our people forget a great many things
that would make us happier as people
and that would take our minds off of
the many d~istracting things that car
ry us away from the better things of
life.
I enjoy the many helpful articles
contained in The Progressive Farmer.
I have taken it almost ever since it
has been published and L must say
that it is a better farmers paper now
than at any other period of it's publ
cation.
We hope in the near future to have
rural free delivery as there has been
a route worked up and petitioned for
through our community ever since
last September and we &cannot see
why it has not been attended to be-
fore now, as others that have been
petitioned for since ours have been in
spected and established already.
There is little interest shown In our
country in politics. Our people are
more. interested in meat and bread
than anything else, .s ~,
"A Wefsare now enjoying green. peas
and roasting ears and watermelons.
There is:arfair crop@of peaches, but
very few apples andEthese are small.
and knotty. We cannot hope to have
fruit any more unless we spray our.
orchards. :
Wishing the Progressive Farmer
much success, I will close for this
time, , = W. J&WALKER,
Mt Olive NJ n fZ