The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-05-27
TRUCKING.
Mr.. w. S. Cobb's Truck Farm
at Lumber Bridge.

5onian visited Lumber Bridge
Tuesday of last week and told, in
last Thursdays paper, about Mr..
w. S. Cobb's excellent truck
farm at that place. Mr.. J. R.
Newlin, of Alamance county,
writes as follows to The Progress
sive Farmer of a recent visit to
the same farm:
"Messrs. Editors: That which
impressed me most in a recent
trip to Robson county, was the
magnitude of the truck farming.
1t was my privilege, in company
with my host, Mr.. d. B. Humph-
rey, to visit the farm of Mr.. w.
S. Cobb, of Lumber Bridge, |
found the farm to be beautiful
indeed for situation.' The loca-
ton, equipment and everything
connected with it are nearly
ideal. The residence is just in
the right place on a good road,
surrounded by broad acres of
fertile land-the finest building
that the writer remembers to
have seen upon any farm. We
found the force engaged in ma
nuring and preparing the land for
a patch of cantaloupes, and SOW
ing nitrate of soda upon the oats.
Mr.. Cobb kindly showed us
around the farm and courteously
and patiently answered my many
questions. Is asked how much
he would plant of each crop,
amount of fertilizer used, probable
yield, price, etc.; and give your
readers the following summary:
Irish potatoes, 110 acres in rows
5 feet apart, to be planted in
cotton between the rows after
the potatoes have been started.
Fertilizers per acre, 800 pounds
guano 8-5-7; yield and price,
under fair conditions $500 bar
rels at So. SO per barrel.
"Cantaloupes, $50 acres; SOC
pounds guano, s. -5-7;150 crates
per acre at $500 per crate.
"Watermelons, so acres; 600
pounds guano, 81; crop ex.
pectations, 40 car loads, $250.0O
each.
English peas, 80 acres; 6O(
pounds guano, 8-3-4; 2,OO(
baskets, 81 each.
Snap beans, 25 acres; 6O(
pounds guano, 8-5-7; 1900
baskets, $1.5O each.
early corn, 20 acres; 6Ot
pounds guano, 8-3-4; 1,O0'
crates, $500 each.
"Cucumbers, 5 acres; 6O'
pounds guano, $50; LOO
baskets, 81 each.
Cotton, $50 acres; 600 pounds
guano, 8-3-4, besides Is
pounds nitrate of soda per acre
$50 bales.
"Oats, 40 acres; 400 pound
guano, $50, nitrate of soda
100 pounds per acre; 1000 bush
els.
I'm addition to this he hopes t
raise 1000 bushels of corn wit
so tons of corn stover, and ais
100 tons of hay (peavine, | think
on the melon land.
Mr.. Cobb works fifteen regu
lar hands, but in the harvest tim
employs anywhere from so t
$50. To give you an idea of tn
activities of their farm, l Wa
told that in the time Of the melo
harvest, from two to six carload
of cantaloupes and from four
eight carloads of watermelon
were shipped daily.
"We found that the farmer
bedded their land for corn an
planted between the beds, tt
alleged reason for planting s
low being that the corn woul
stand the dry weather better.
"Will not corn planted upon
. level, well-prepared seed be
z stand dry weather as we'll as
planted low down?
'The ground was bedded wit
a one-horse plow for cotton ar
then two furroWs were throw
together over the middle for tt
seed bed.
"If it would not be presum
tuous to make suggestions to Il
banner cotton county, | wou
describe an Alamance metho
We prepare the land by thoroug
ly breaking and pulverizil
with tWo-horse plows and di
harrows. We then run off t
rows, preferably with a sine
shovel, scattering in this furrt
the manure and fertilizer. \
then reverse and set an eigl
disc harrow so as to make
slight ridge. After fasteni
the cotton planter to the cen
of the harrow frame, we ;
ready for business. One m
drives the harrow centrally o.
and along the rdnning-of furre
while another holds the plant
This method saves much lab
and leaves the land in fine C
dition.
'The writer did not meet "
3 a single two-horse cultlva
4 though the land, where
81 stumps are removed, seems
j mirably adapted for their
= One gentleman stoutly insi'
that Robson county grass c.
y only be kept down with
Ss3 sweep. When the two-h
cnltivator is inst@,lled in
county, the sweep makes an
ool1opt c,1hctit11to for q