The progressive farmer., 1903-02-03
THIS WEEKS PAPER-sOME RANDOM COM
MENT.

farmer cannot afford to jump at conclusions
about the matter Harry Farmers friend may
have found potash just the thing needed by his
land, but we must not forget that potash is only
one of the three essential elements commonly
lacking in the soil. Friend Harry wisely advises
careful experiments to ascertain just what ele-
ments should be applied. Fertilizers are too cost
Iy to use in the haphazard, thoughtless fashion
now so prevalent. Poverty is the inevitable re-
suit of such a course. And then to the velvet
bean: it seems to have suited Columbus County
very well, but we doubt whether it could be made
profitable in the cooler sections of the State Col
umbus is near the sea and on the South Carolina
border, and probably county has a milder eli
mate. But anyhow we wish to ask Mrs. Mary
Jane to let Friend Harry make his COW feed test
this year, in order that he may tell Progressive
Farmer readers about it.
The composing season is now at hand and to
all that are interested we commend DR.. Kilgore's
article on page 2 and the note from our Wash
ington correspondent which we are printing on
page 1. Dr. KiIgore's article is especially valua-
ble
Gen. Cox's experience with sheep is well worth
reading. Gone hundred per cent per annum" on
stock that "run out and receive little care" is
very good showing, and ought to set some other
farmers to thinking about the matters so often
emphasized by our correspondent, Mr.. Archer.
We are giving page another North Car
olina papers opinion of Prof. Burkett's new
book: Feeding Farm Animals" If you have not
yet taken advantage of the special offer that
made last week, do not delay longer. Order while
the winter nights afford such an excellent oppor-
tunity for reading and study. If you don't want
the book for yourself, order it and some other
good farm books for that bright boy of yours, and
urge him to put into actual practice in this years
farm work the knowledge that he gains. Of
course you ought to have sent him to the A. q M.
College short course-as you will realize after
reading the article in column 3, page but it is
now too late for that and the next best thing to
an agricultural course is good agricultural Ii
brary. By the way, our North Carolina short
course is not nearly so expensive the Western
one mentioned by the Scandinavian farmer. DR..
Burett says $50 will cover the necessary expenses
in his ten weeks course.
The negro mortality figures given in our Gen
eral News columns teach much-needed lesson. It
cannot be doubted that the higher death-rate
among the blacks is largely due to their unsani-
tary ways of iving-lack of cleanliness, etc.
Apropos of our first prose article page 6,
something ought to be said to the uniformly ex-
celent work which it's author, Mr.. Avery, is doing
for the Charlotte Observer. Somebody said few
days ago that there is no better special column in
any daily than his ''Variety of Idle Comment"
which appears regularly each Monday and we be-
ieve that the praise is not too high. Mr.. Avery
sees, as few other men see, the romance or deeper
meaning of common things and common events.
Into news items that would appear as dry bones in
other dailies he seldom fails breath the breath
of life and action.
An article deserving more than passing notice
is that on page Is, "Grinners and Growers" We
don't know but that this division of the human
family into grinners and GROWERS is quite as
good DR.. McIver's division into "those who lift
and those who lean" We still think, however
that one else has succeeded so we'll as Dr. Oil