The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-08-28
1Ht TONGUE THAT NEVER TIRES

best People as well ~ the best farm
ELS they knew exactIy - d day When
10 SOW turnip seed.
The great August Association" Coz
troiled the turnip business ia 'hosa
sections. moon or 10 aoon-ltKa
nights or dark nlghte-Wheu the dae
came tjust before ~ after I iaat r.
member which. the bIg August ASS
ciation) everybody sowed MS t9Tl.
patch.
some people don't pay any a~,.~ntis.
10 sun moon nor stars. but sD" 1a
when they get ready O4l Br9t.le
Wills JOINER says IL hr were farlnl6e
H. the moon n reckons h would cor
suit the moon. phases tut .aasmuel
as he has TO SOW his @t"i IH til. eaTt4
IT, sgeuds the time uhi0h some uca-
pie spend IN studying the moon 5
phases III trying 10 get his ground .a
E good cOHditioH-aEl he makes pretty
fair turnipS and plenty IF salad.
These wet Au"uSI DAYS BRING back
memories. / can almost hear m
& father voice SAYING. We must fearc
in another COW lot, boys Turnlps
must D. soWn, and now j a good time
to break up the old COW ben and SOW
II. In a day the old pen had become
4 turnip patch and the new pen. with
its sllp-gap, had been fenced In; 50.
when the cows came up that night
they did not know what 10 DO 81
where 10 go. The Ola s!ip-sap. through
which they had gone III and out SO
many times. was q solid panel. They
didn't lik = to leave the old zen, bu,
when driven into the new pen. ami
they found the salt-licks. thew were
satisfied guess. At any rate they
knew where / 60 the next night.
Since I've become a man and an
observer, / notice that men and wo-
men, as we'll as cattle, are fond Of
sait-liC&5 that III fact, salt-licks are
about the only things that Influence
the conduct If mortals. | remembeI
that larger cattle used To hook, on butt,
OF kick the yearlingS away, and lick
up all the salt, leaving nothing but
trough for the Wcakcr oncs to lick.
That's about the way the licking gor>
on nowadays. The butts aud the
oxen and the we'll grown ycarlings, Gin
the commercial, financial and political
pens, and / might add, the spiritual
pen) don't care who oes WITHOUT salt
so they can get it. The weaker ones
the common people-haye to be sativ-
tied with the privilege of licking tn"
troughs after the salt has all been
licked, and be thankful they are al
lowed to lick it all. ! few men get
all the salt. But. lest | weary the pa
thence of my audience / Will change
this subject.
Speaking Of cows, cow-pens and
turnip patches, | am reminded Of the
fact that q few years ago, there We're
quite an excitement among the peO-
pie about the stock laW-doing away
with field fences and fencing in pas
lures. Some good people We're IN
favor of, and some. as good people,
were opposed to the Change. Excite
ment ran high in some neighborhoods.
and a preacher a to be mighty care
ful how he talked, because in every
congregation there was q division of
sentiment. The women, as q Whoir,
We're quite as much wrought up -
We're the men, and s. the preacher
had to be very non-committal in the
homes as Well as in the church yard.
In q certain n~eighborhood lived u
widow who had saved a quantity or
turnip seed from a variety Of tu:nlp7.
A gentleman living in a section where
the stock law was popular. and who
supposed that everybody was. OF
should be in favor Of it. went to see
the aforementioned widow to buy some
seed.
Yes said she I've got a plenty or
EN- and you can have a quart if you
need that many"
She had risen from her seat to get
the seed. when turning to the gentle
mar she asked:
How do You stand on the stock
law?"
without n moment s hesitation the
gentleman said: Il am in favor Of it."
THAT settles it; you shouldn't have
one of my seed if L had a million Of
bushels.'
But he did get some. AS he was
going home he met another man 60
ing to the widows after seed. He
TOLD him the story Of his failure, and
prompted him what to say, in case
the widow hould question him. III
consideration for which he was to di-
vide the seed he might get. When
asked by the widow how he stood on
the stock law question he had his an
SWer ready.
why, madam, yen the COWS on my
plantation are opposed to it,
The answer was satisfactory, and
she, in token of her high esteem for
him. wrapped up nearly a quart Of
seed. which, of course. he divided with
his friend.
/ soWed a few seeds & couple Ct
weeks ago, and III soon have "Sallit."
but I'm going TO SOW some more. Thee
are dark nights and the seasons are
just right. The terrapin bugs have
played havoc with my collards; 50, L
think I'll put a few collard seeds with
the turnips, and let them come along
together. We must grow some sort Of
salad
AS I'm a person as never says much,
I'll chop off right here. hoping that
everybody will ave a good turnip
patch, SO hat neXt spring. when We
want greens and ''pot-licker." we
may be able to bile the pot every
day.