The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-28

dS Closely d- DDSSlDIc. LEU the moved
plants dry for a day or two. Then on a
dry breezy day loosen up the straw mulch
and set fire to the field along its wind
ward side. 1t viii burn up quickly over
leaving the field as clean a. a floor. Not
a vestige of trash or plant will be left.
Diseases, pests and weed seed must then
be at least largely destroyed.
Burning cannot Of course eradicate the
aphis or root louise. Proper and timely
care can destroy them by digging up and
burning the infested plants (Which are
apt to be only a few at first) and by a
long rotation OF that field in other crops.
DR.. b. w. Kilgore, the State Chemist,
was to have followed with a talk on soils
and Fertilizers" but he was kept in the
court room by jury duty.
HON. E. L. DAUGHTRIDGE.
So Hon. Z. L. Daughtridge, OF Rocky
Mount, followed Mr.. Blacknall, with a
paper on Extensive Farming" He SAID
in part:
In my opinion, one OF the greatest
needs of the State today Is agricultural
education, or the education OF the farmers
and the boys and girls Of the farmers.
This has been sadly neglected IN North
Carolina, and those boys who have been
educated, have not had the advantage OF
an agricultural education, because there
has been no opportunity offered IN the
State for them to get it and for this rea-
son the agricultural interests OF the State
has suffered, and the brightest boys have
left the farms to those boys who have not
been educated, either because they did not
have the opportunity, or were too lndol-
ent to accept it. A very large per cent OF
the professional men, and business men.
and men who fill positions of trust
the State were farmer boys
and spent their boyhood days upon the
farm.
1--WE can no longer adhere to the one
! crop system and plant all of our lands IN
cotton and go to the West for our meat,
grain. and hay, but should diversity our
crops and make everything on u farm
as near as possible that we may need at
home such as horses, mules, beef-cattle,
meat, hay and grain, etc. 1t has been my
experience that our lands in Edgecombe
| county, and I am sure in a great many
| counties in the State, especially in the
mountain counties of Western North Caro-
lima, are we'll adapted to raising grain and
hay crops, and raising stock and dairying,
dlId III IS 40 PIOiitooiS 49,
cost and labor as raising cotton or tobac-
co, and it requires very much less labor.
We must use labor saving machinery, and
cultivate those crops that can be cult
waited and harvested with machinery, and
do not require SO much cultivation and
labor.
Negro farm labor IS not careful enough,
nor is it competent to operate farm ma
- l:l 49,. ~ bnx-c Ghn,, la
be encouraged to do mis- work. l am sure
if we viii adopt this method OF farming
the boys will stop leaving the farms an
going to the towns seeking employment
as they have been doing. They will find
that this kind of farming Will pay them
as we'll as any other kind of employment
they can get.
IN 1894 my father died. He left me
about $50 acres of land on Tar River IL
Edgecombe county, and just about enough
money to stock this farm and to make
one crop. l went to work on this farm.
adopting the plan outlined above. Since
that time | have bought and paid for
with profits from the farm, about 2,5Ot
acres of land adjoining it. l have built
modern farm buildings, and stocked my
farms with the best breeds of dairy anc
beef cattle. I am raising horses and mules
instead of buying them. | have over 100
head of cattle, forty head of mules anC
horses and about an hundred each o.
sheep and swine.
L receive each year from the sale o.
milk, butter, beef cattle, lambs, pigs
vegetables, fruits, wood and such Other
things as l can pick up around the farm
that is not needed, nearly enough money
thereby leaving my cotton crop of $50 o.
800 bales clear for my years work.
raise my cotton mostly with tenants.
furnish the team, the farming implements
all OF the manures, except One-half O
the commercial fertilizers, and the land
they furnish the labor, and we go halve:
in the crop. l have made on my farm:
for the last eight years from five to ter
thousand dollars a year clear, and have
sold two or three crops of cotton for only
four and five cents per pound. The secret
of my success is in looking closely aftel
the small things on the farm.
farm.
THE farmers of this State compos,
} something over eighty per cent OF its en-
tire population, and their influence i
hardly felt in making and executing tn,
laws by winch we are governed. The grea-
fundamental principle upon which tn,
very foundation of this government wa
laid, and which has made us the grea
nation we are today, IS the principle o
government for the people and by tn,
| people.
Il had the honor to be a member o
t the last General Assembly, and | regre
to have to say that nearly every measur
proposed by the farmer members of tina
body was looked on with suspicion. dc
! tlared to be unconstitutional, and "a sa,
fate awaited them in the judiciary or All
e preparation committees. Two years ag
an appropriation was asked for to bull
: a Textile building at the A. and M. Co
lege. The appropriation was made.
G was also a member of the Legislature a
that time and voted for It.
Il This year a bill was introduced by on
. of the best farmers and one of the bes
Q men IN the State, carrying an a~ppropria
. ton to build and equip an agriculture
n building at the A. and NJ. College i
y which To p6ucate and train forrpor how