The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-08-13
FARMERS INSTITUTE.

Held at Lumber Bridge Thurs
day-Experts Discuss Improve
ment of Land and Various
Crops-A Pleasant and Prof
liable Day for all Present!
Correspondence of The Robesonian.
The Farmers institute held at
Lumber Bridge Thursday was
attended by a fairly good crowd,
though nothing like so large as
it should have been, considering
the fact that there are so many
good farmers in that section of
the county. No farmer should
have let slip this opportunity of
getting much valuable informa-
ton on farming, at no cost except
to listen. The day was an ideal
one for an occasion of the kind,
the heavy rain in the afternoon
being too late tointerfere with the
exercises of the day.
Col. E. F. McRae, chairman
of the county board of agricul-
ture, was present and in the
graded school building, about
II o'clock, after few we'll
put opening remarks, he intro
duced the first speaker, Mr.. T.
B. Parker, of Wayne county.
Mr.. Parker's subject was soil
improvements question that
vitality concerns every farmer.
He says that Robson county is
losing thousands Of dollars
every year because its people do
not plant clover as a land i'm
proven. 1t may not grow at
first on account of the lack of
bacteria in the soil peculiar to
clover; but if such be the case
all you have to do is to inoculate
the soil with it, which is very
easily done. and the land will
soon be producing lots of clover.
Mr.. Parker says that the bay
Dixie"plow has been the curse OF
our country, simply because il
does not reach down deer
enough in the soil. 1t only
breaks the soil about three
inches and he contends that i
should be broken at least eigh
or ten inches, using from two t.
four horse ploWs. AS perhaps
some of the farmers have ex
perienced, Mr.. Parker says tha-
the farmer will not have gooC
!, results Immediately after deel
ploughing because the soil is to-
fresh for the first year or 50
He gives as the main thing
in soil improvement deep plough
| ing and rotation of crop
and he says that it is YER
1 important that we have a winte
cover crop Of some kind to pre-
tect the soil. -
After Mr.. Parker's speec
Col. McRae introduced Mr.. T. E
Browne, of Hertford county
who made a good speech on tn
domestic use of the peanut. H
J said that he did not know muc
about the soil of Robson county
- but that it looked very muc
like it would make fine peanuts
Mr.. Browne says that peanut
are one of the greatest por
. fatteners known and that the
can beraised at much less eXpens
than any other crop grown fo
II hogs. He says that the peanU
n will make oily pork, but to pre-
# vent that all you have to do is t
" shut the hog up for a week {
ten days and feed him on cor
just before killing him. An
just as with other crops, pei
III nuts should be changed and nc
II planted in the same place all tn
re time. He also says that peanu
IN vines make better hay than an
~ forage one can raise and if le:
IN on the ground they make a ver
fine fertilizer.
Mr.. Browne having finishe'
Col. McRae informed the crow
that the ladies would next a.
!. pear on the scene of action ar
that they wanted to see ever,
body around the table that hs
been erected out in the grow
where bountiful dinner We
served.
At two o'clock the crowd r
L assembled in the graded scho
building to hear two mo
sbeeches by Messrs. Parker al
Browne. Mr.. Browne spoil
first and his subject was the Vi
of fertilizers. He says TIL
there are about thirteen elemen
in the soil that are neccessal
s. for plant food, but that pho
r phoric acid, ammonia and r
trOgen are the most assent
for the crops commonly grow
He says that our farmers gene
ally do not plant enough legur
inous crops, which suppy Il
soil with nitrogen, a muc1
needed element in the product,
o of cotton and corn; and that
! the reason it pays to rotate Il
crops: the element that one or
will take out of the land anoth
will supply. Mr.. Browne
of opinion that farmers shou
/, mix or make more of their oy
fertilizers than they do.
says by experience farmer C
generally tell in what eleme
or elements his soil is lackin
and in mixing his fertilizers
es. STATE OF OHIO, CITY OF TOLEDO, |
L, IUCAS COUNTY