The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-17

THE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.

vision"
TIE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
The North Caroline Farmers Pro
tcctive Association WIS called - order
in midsummer session at ll.@o clock
by President John &. Cunningham. and
the minutes were kept by MI. T.. l..
conn. secretary pro tom.
The subject of Colonel CuninGhams
address was. '"Thc Tobacco situation, =
which H. discussed technically. and re-
viewed the history Of tobacco culture.
In speaking Of the way to realize the
highest possibilities in tobacco grow
ing. Colonel Cunningham said:
The experience Of my n~elSlp'r&
Il my own, juStitieS me IN stating 70
YOU that no one crop system VIII pay
and hat diversified agriculture is the
only sure and safe road to. success.
Horace Greedy. one Of the &bleSt writ
crs his country has ever produced
said, Go West, young man. and L"
the energy, thrift. perseverance 'tnG
intelligence of the young mel VINO
poured into the West from other states
was the IN1rVellouS success OF the
Western Empire largely due, not onIy
in agriculture and commercial INES,
but in the eminent men she has Iuf-
niShad the Republic.
Scarcity of labor makes it iinpoS-
| SibIc to grow too much obacco. We
need a good class of immigration. our
state and the South can never settle
up and grow and build up in our day
and generation unless we get the tue
OF immigration turned TO the South.
We need Il hundred thousand a year
to come to North Carolina. but VIC
want a good class of immigrants.
There is no one who wants an undo
sirablC. worthless horde to locate ana
live here i'll our State.
INC growing Of wheat, corn, oats,
and the grasses viii make the farmer
independent.
."There are three things for which
every Southern farmer SHOULD strive:
"Labor-saving farm implements and
machinery.
"A more thorough preparation Of tho
soil.
"A more liberal, uniform and uni
verSal use of firm manure and Of high
grade fertilizers.
1T is better and wiser to pillow four
acres deep than four acres wide. 1t
is easier to grow big crops in a few
acres of rich land than to cultivate
50 many acres of poor land. y farm
er in England had 500 acres of land
and he would give each of his four
sons 50 acres Of land as he became oil
age or married, and by better Culti-
walton and fertiIiZing. he would make
as much on the remaining acres he
held as he did on his Whole farm OF
500 acres.
THE Southern farmer should grow
two blades of grass and two grains Of
corn where only one grew before. and
produce his supplies at home and raise
tobacco and cotton as his none crop.
This method Will prove Of much profit
and lasting benefit to the people of
the whole SOUTH
Special Meeting Called.
Nj. 4. j. Ragsdale, of Fuquay
Springs, said that something should
be done Immediately to help the farm
er5 IN dlsposlng Of the present crop
Of tobacco. and declared that nothing
could be accomplished by the associa-
Ion unless the present crop was
saved The time. he said, was OPP
portune for organization. and to put
something tangible before the asso-
luton:
Resolved, that it is the request of
this convention that the President of
ne North Carolina Farmers Protcc-
tive Association call q meeting of the
state Association some time this
month, and put into operation such
measures as Will organize the state at
once
Mr.. Ragsdale declared that the
farmers were determined to organize
themselves and save their tobacco
crop. and said they would obtain an
Equitable price or grow no more to-
bacco. Ten associations, he said, had
1''@NNbS ''tii vi SiIIlEtfI - 'i'A -
Wake county. and thousands Of farm
ers in this and other counties. he said,
Are waiting for the association TO
reach them. In ninety days, ne SAID,
the tobacco Won be on the market,
and should they be organized they
could demand and obtain a minimum
price. If the farmers should prevent
sales thirty lays, he declared, II would
cost the American Tobacco Company
$4,000. for that company IS spend
ing $1,000 per day in buying tobacco
in North Carolina. our organization.
he said in conclusion. would bring
back to the sales floors just what the
american Tobacco Company mas taken
away: competition on the moor II you
had the power to close the sales the
tobacco trust would be ~cpIhfeiIed 10
concede our demands.
The resolution was adopted unani-
mousIv. and President cunningham
set July 26th as the date on Hhlch he
viii call the special me-lIHS y Llle
Protective Association. The meeting
viii he held in Raleigh. and its Oh
iect will he to devise ways ana means
for efferting an immediate organiza-
ton of the tobacco growers Of the
State.
Mr. T. \. Allen. Of Durham, spoke
n+a~oe+inqIv on The Present Condi-
ton of Tobacco Culture, and IN part
said:
- c11,rnre is to have your land well
lprenared and in fine tllth. If it is
NJ Vested land that you plant
- ZION as 2 preparation you SHOULD
boyo eoyyed rye and crimson clover IN
t,Irn under. for YOU must have some
Ithinr rortfng in the land TO help fur
lnish plant food, but especially to re
ain moisture. NItioul lHlS rctting