The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-29
HOW TO KEEP CAPITAL IN THE
STATE.

| AT the recent commencement of the
A. and NJ. College, Mr. VIM. Kerr in
his graduation speech gave some facts
| and figures that will surprise many
North Carolinians and should give
| mighty impulse to the reforms that
| have been begun on our farms. Too
| much money is sent out of North
Carolina for things that should be
raised by our own farmers. Mr.. Kerr
illustrated it by the following state
! ment:
Relieving that even for the people
/ CT North Carolina to supply their own
| home market would give employment
| to a great number of our farmers who
| might be anxious to take UP this line
| of work, | visited the different grocery
men in Raleigh and inquired how
much of the different farm products
| they received out of the State. By this
| means fair estimate was made that
| there was shipped from outside of the
| State into Raleigh each year 200
| pOunds of butter, 1000 pounds of oleo-
margarine, $4,000 pounds of cheese,
l15O,000 pounds of lard, $4,000
pounds of hams and other meats, 6S,-
| 600 cases of canned meats, $4,000
| pounds of flour, ESQ cases of cereals,
$3.50 cases of canned vegetables, 700
| cases of canned fruits, 500 cases of
canned milk, $500 barrels of apples
| and pears, 500 tons of bran, $4,000
| bushels of corn, and LOO tons of
| hay If we make from the figures for
| Raleigh an estimate for the entire
State by multiplying these figures by
So which would be the least amount
possible, when you take into conSid-
Grafton the enormous number of towns
east of here where nothing but cotton
is raised, we will see the enormous
amount of money now being snatched
from the State. In just the articles
mentioned we send to other States
each year the enormous sum of $40,
$50, 400 from our country. OF course
our poor farmers should be trying to
make these products themselves to en-
able this capital to remain in the
State in order to develop our latent
forces which are only waiting for such
, q fine chance.
margarine estimated for the State and
valued at 25 cents per pound, would
give an income of $15S,750, and the
cheese valued at II cents per pound
would give 400, or both taken to-
gether, an income of $331,150. Think
how much would be added yearly to
the wealth of our State if we pro-
GuCeO InlS DulJ6F anu CHeeS6 mere
Think how many young men who are
now leaving the State could find
! profitable employment by producing
these necessary and always salable ar
| tlcleS! Why at present we do not
| even have, so far as ! can learn, a sim
gle truly called creamery in the State.
Some States without One-hfth OF our
advantages are reaping rich harvest
from these industries. Iowa, for eX-
10 10 CIV
on lands valued at from $50 to $3.50
per acre and pays freight on our cot
| tonSeed meal to feed it's COWS at the
same time.
"To supply the demand of the
State it will take 100000 pounds OF
| lard valued at 2 cents per pound and
amounting to 100000, and 100000
pounds of hams and other meats
valued at Is cents pound ana
amounting to $1,060,0OO, making
| total value of $2,06O,000 for the hog
| industry alone. Why do not our
| farmers raise these hogs in place of
| Luying them from Western farmers?
| No other State can more cheaply pro
| duce peanuts, sweet potatoes, Sor-
ghum and other crops best suited to
raising hogs than can North Carolina.
There are each year shipped into
| the State $500 TONS of hay valued at
| $500 per ton, the least ever paid for
| it. giving a total value of 1925, 900.
| Just think of how many wheat fields
after being reaped are allowed to
grow up in weeds when they should
be producing from one to one-half to
two tons per acre of coWpeas and
clover hay And also the marvellous
waste of corn stalks allowed to ac-
cumulate in the corn field in the place
of being gathered shredded and put
on the market to supply this great de-
rland which constantly brings large
shipments from Kentucky and other
Western States.
''There are 125, 900 barrels of apples
shipped into the State yearly. These
apples at a low valuation are worth
produced than those of Western North
Carolina Why does not Western
North Carolina supply this great de-
rnand and save for our people this
half million dollars"
No commencement orator in the
State compressed more sound sense
and Illuminating fact into smaller
compass The young man who talked
this good sense is of the Alamance
family of Kerrs, and worked his way
through the A. and NJ. College. He is
the sort of men who can and will put
an end to all the unnecessary drain
upon the States wealth by raising
most of these things upon North Caro-
lima farms.