The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-21

IL it would laugh. but he was not
speaking about the upland soil in this
par of the country. which has TO be
deeply plowed and then well fertilized.
These thingS don it laughs indeed. as
the smiling crops, bending IN the steady
breeze showed One OF the tests is as
to the best width of rows. so far as
cotton and corn are concerned. this
including the distance OF the plants
! apart.
Mr. Skinner was asked what wa7
the best forage crop for this sort OF
soil and replied that he found the le-
gume. known as the hairy vetch the
best forage plant for dry lands. One
has always to allow a big margin for
thoughts in this part of North Carolina
every year and drought presents n
OF the problems which the farmer has
to face. Mr.. Skinner says the hairy
yetch is certainly better than any other
of the legunres. Alfalfa was looked
at which had failed and a place where
there was in a moist season excellent
annual clover this rear made a very
poor showing as to the latter. The
yetch is certainly better tina the Glow
ers and Mr.. Skinner has tried them all
he says.
The students OF the college have don,
2 good deal OF work in the construction
OF what is known as the farm road.
which is about two and one half miles
N length and winds about in just such
a way as to give an excellent view OF
the farm; a rood which will become
very attractive to Raleigh people n
also to visitors here. The farm VIII
be a source of pleasure and information
as we'll to the delegates to the farm
ers convention which will meet here.
| at the college during the first week In
July, and indeed the sights are we'll
calculated TO please intelligent people
whether farmers or not. The lands
cape is a very attractive one, certainly
one of the most beautiful in midland
North Carolina. Indeed the environs
OF Raleigh present very beautiful views
of what may be called a gentle rolling
country, and good farming certainly
pays here. 1t will be several years be-
fore the newer part Of the college farm
gets IN exactly the right shape. Then
hundreds OF cattle will be pastured upon
It and it will very largely be made a
grazing farm. Cattle pay best and Mr..
James Moore, of Raleigh, whose grass
farm, dairy and stock farm is one OF
the attractions here, says he finds that
nothing pays like milk and butter, for
which the demand is so great that IL
rally canno be met.
Turning out Of the college farm, Mr..
Skinner drove me through the negro
village Of Method and so into the great
highway leading from Raleigh west
ward, known as the Hillsboro road.
Perhaps the richest colored man in
North Carolina lives at Method. His
name is Berry O'Kelly, and he is a
model for his race. He is a modest fell
low and smiles and rather lodged the
question when I asked him he
was worth. He said finally that ne had
something like a thousand acres of
land. His wheat fields look pretty well,
but he said he had the same trouble
about some weakening influence upon
that crop, which had made itself felt
for several seasons past and added
that he could not raise fine wheat any
more and that nobody seemed to be
able to do it. His lands are well Guilt
waited ind he has farms in three CT
our townships in the county. He has
for many years been the station mas
ter and freight agent at Method, where
the population is exclusively colcred
and very thrifty; he operates a plum
bago Or black led mine q couple OF
miles to the northward; has a good
home; owns many other buildings In
the place; has aided largely in building
a good school house and t5e church;
has a fat bank account with the best
Of credit and althogether it vii! be
pretty safe to say that his total assets
are pretty close upon $4,000. He has e
SIOTe, WHICH, 10 quite Il pIdCc VI Suppi1
for his village and its suburbs. Alto
gether he is a sort Of Lord OF the
so far az Method villege is
concerned. He has the respect and
the regard Of whites and blacks and
as said before is an example worth
telling about, Of thrift. honesty, |
plenty of good common sense and mind |
ing ones business will do, for a man
and his surroundings.
Driving on back toward Raleigh on
the HillsbOro road there were beauti- |
full views of the college farm and OF
the college itself. From year to yea
this view will get finer and finer. Next
veal the noble agricultural building ,
will be raising it's stately proportions
one Of the highest hills and it VIII !
make a fine addition to the scene. The
college and the farm are more thar |
worth a visit. |
FIRED A. OIDS. |