The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-08-19
HARRY FARMERS TALKS.
LXXXIV.


which had 1872 acres in growing crops,
consisting of corn, cotton, tobacco,
sugar cane, oats, sweet potatoes and
peanuts. There were only five mules
and horses to cultivate the whole
farm. The crops looked fairly well,
considering the dry weather; we think
they are better than if the weather
had been wet. General Green would
have soon ruined this small army of
plows.
EXTENSIVE VS. INTENSIVE FARMING.
Now, this farmer is a hustling
young man that works his men and
teams for all they are worth. We told
him to change his system of farming
by sowing one-third of his land to
oats instead of one twenty-ffth as now
practiced. He said that he would have
to change and that one horse to every
twenty acres was about right. One of
his neighbors uses all of his manure
on oats followed by COW peas and
makes three times as much per acre as
he does, and the crops getting larger
every year. He admitted that he could
make more clear money on a small
place well worked than on a large
place half worked, and thinks now
that he will change.
TELLING ILLUsTR ALTON
Brother farmer, suppose a merchant
should build four or five large store
houses in a small neighborhood and
only fill the shelves about one-fourth
to one-half full and just put clerks
enough to attend to it just average
days, not preparing for the rush on
public days like Saturdays and holi-
days; would you regard him a wise
merchant? Well, there is just as much
business in a farmer planting two or
three times as much as he could cult
vate well as there would be in a mer-
chant following the course just men
toned. But this system is changing
rapidly and before many years North
Carolina farmers will be "up-to-date"
and the most successful in the whole
country.
MAKING MONEY ON TURNIPs
1t is little late, but ''better late
than never" I want 10 call the atten-
tion of farmers to the turnip crop.
Here is what an experienced commits
sion merchant said to me a few days
ago aout rutabagas: II have sold
great many turnips in this (Wil-
mington, N. o.. The native turnips
sell very well till Christmas, then the
Northern turnip takes the lead and it
is almost impossible to sell any other
kinds. The Northern turnips are
good till June. The worst objection to
them is their large size. They cost
about $3.50 per 100 pounds. I have
tried some from the mountains or
some that came from Mount Airy,
and the tops were too long and were
tough. l mean the necks or the part
just above the ground. I cannot tell
what the trouble is about growing the
native turnip but they are inferior to
the Northern turnip."
LET'S RAISE THE TTRNIPs NEEDED BY
OUR OWE ARKETS
Here is a chance for some enter
prising young farmer to make money.
There are hundreds of bags of turnips
sold every year and at one and half
cent per pound (Which is 80 cents a
bushel less the freight) it does look
like an opening to be desired. Go to
work aud experiment little and see
what you can do. For turnips to do
best, the soil should be a deep sandy
loan with the clay two to four feet
below the surface. New land is best
or land full of vegetable matter.
Potash is one of the requirements of
the turnip, and if the soil does not
contain it in large quantities it
should be supplied We mentioned
in a former article our experiment
with kainit which more than doubled
our crop. Turnips should not be plant
ed early, but late in August is about
right for this section. Just as soon
as the second leaves appear thin out
and stir the soil. The crust should be
broken after every rain and little
earth drawn up around the plant. In
order to make them good it is neces-
sary to work them until the roots are
as large as a tea cup. IF you Let them