The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-22

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manure.
The history of some Individual fields
was given; for the speaker said he always
kept a regular account, not only of his
farms in general, but of his separate fields
and crops as well.
For some years he said he had been
mixing his own fertilizer, buying the raw
material. and mixing the highest grade
fertilizer.
Whatever was worth doing at all was
worth doing well, he said. 1t took good
work to cultivate clay soil Never over
work your hands, but keep them well up
with their work. For our cotton fields
negro labor was the best and it paid best
to keep them happy with good quarters
and good cheer.
He was a farmer from choice. His
struggles had been hard, but he was proud
of his work, and that he was an American
farmer.
Hearty applause greeted Mr.. BrawIey as
he concluded his remarks.
GOOD ROADS CONVENTION.
Finally President Winston announced
that the Good Roads Association would
held a short session, as there were no peo-
pie so much interested in this work as the
farmers of the State.
Mr.. j. H. Hanes, president of the State
Association, was present and he was called
upon to preside. Prof. r. H. Sykes, Of
Chapel Hill, acted as secretary
Prof. w. G. Riddick stated that the OBJ
ject of this meeting was to get together
the people who were going to actually do
the work of road building, so as to see
how the work is going to be done.
The intention had been to organize
society of the road makers of this State;
but there wa so little time left that it
was only possible to appoint a meeting
today
Mr.. Hanes stated that work had com
menced in Forsyth county three years ago.
Very little money had been contributed,
yet they had made twelve miles of good
macadamized roads. He did not believe
the people of Forsyth were ready yet to
vote for road bonds, because they did not
understand the situation.
Guilford he considered had taken the
right step. The tax would be paid with
out trouble 1t was like the fence law.
He remembered the CONSERVATION caused
when it was first stated that the farmers
would have to put up their cattle, for the
people were going to quit fencing their
crops.
Their roads in Forsyth had cost any
where from 1880 to $4,000 a mile.
Mr.. Hanes spoke very earnestly on the
necessity of the people of North Carolina
taking advantage of thesopportunities the
government was Offering in the way of
rural carriers, etc.. whose existence de-
Re nded on good roads.
Mr.. w. l.. Spoon had been employed by
the government to look after the work in
several Southern States, His headquar
tiers were at Chapel Hill,
Today he will address the convention
on the subject of good roads.
Mr.. d. G.. Wilson, OF Weeksville, Pas
quotank county, spoke very briefly of the
great interest the people of Pasquotank
were taking in good roads
meeting of the Good Roads Conyen-
ton was announced for eleven o'clock to-
day in the main building.
Last night at $3.50 another big crowd of
farmers and ladies and gentlemen from
the city gathered DIT Eullen Memorial
Building to hear Mr.. W.sF. tToninson and
Mr.. r. H. Sykes lecture ON Good Roads
in Europe and the United States" The
lecture was illustrated with large mum
Der of stereopticon views, showing pie
lures of good roads and bad roads, and
roads in process of conversion from bad
to good. There were roads in nearly all
States of the Union, and roads in Europe,
specimens of the fine Italian and Swiss
highways.
Then there We're pictures of various
kinds of road-making machinery, the great
rollers rock spreaders. ETC., showing how
the best macadam road Is made.
BREEDING or PLANTS.
Then Prof D. H. Hill briefly introduced
Mr. H. /. Weber, who spoke on The
Breeding of Plants" He said that few peo-
pie stopped to think that at first in Amer
lea all our plants were imported. But
these plants did not always suit the peo-
pie For instance at first the pears were
rot satisfactory. And so premiums were
offered for better seedlings, and so we
got better Variety of pears.
He spoke of the splendid work done by
Prof Hayes. of the University of Mime
sofa, in the breeding of wheat He had
succeeded in growing four to five bushels
more to the acre than had been grown
formerly. But UuiS WHEAT, IL ndu pCCh
found would not do any better than any
other wheat when removed to another
State. This shows that each farmer must
be his own breeder. No rules could be
laid down. All depended upon local con-
ditions
Speaking of cotton, he said everyone
knew that in the regions around the Mis-
sissippi Delta two-bale cotton was grown,
two bales to the acre But the average
of course, was very much lower than that.
The trouble with so many cotton raisers
was that they were not careful enough in
the selection of their seeds. Look at
Egypt, where they grow 700 pounds of
cotton to the acre, of fine staple grade
The ordinary method among farmers
who are more careful is to select seed from
good plants. But there IS G.nother factor
The seed should be selected from the
plants that reproduce themselves. Go
to the individual and see to it that your
seed come from the plants whose projeny
is also good.