The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-24
FARMING IN SAMPSON.
MI. John A. Oates Writes of a Recent
Trip Through the County of Samp-

Trip Through the County of Samp-
son.
(John A. Oates in Fayetteville Obser-
ver.)
Last week I made a trip through
Sampson county, was delighted to
see the fine crops Of corn and cotton.
The first night spent with my long
time friend, L. M. Cooper, of Autry-
vile. merchant and farmer. He is
proving what can be done on sandy
land. Last year he made nine bales
of cotton on eight acres of land. [
was telling Clerk of the Court Ses-
SONS, of Sampson, about this. He
said: Why, 1 have known that land
for all my life, and we didn't con
slider it worth much Of anything foe
farming purposes Mr.. Cooper Is
something Of a hog raiser, too. He
has IS head now, and this year he
has already sold $500 worth Of fine
Berkshire pigs.
In hit section timber and turpen-
tine have been the chief sources of in
come for the people. These things
are rapidly passing away, and the peo-
pie are finding taht the once despised
sandy loan soil will make fine crops
when properly handled. Autryville is
a great deWDerry shipping point. I
was tOlu that II was a DuSy place IN
June when the crop was at it's height.
The passing Of the long-leaf pine for
ests means that timber and t~urpentine
must go, but this Joss can be compen-
stated for by progressive farming.
Forty Years Experience.
| took dinner with Mr.. J.. E. Boy
cite, near Six Runs, in the Piney
Grove section. He has been living at
the same place AID farming the same
fields for forty years. He said he
had bought q grain or corn or
pound of meat for his own use. What
a record! There is an old saying about
"satying at home and living at the
same place. Mr.. BUyette has certain
ly done this. If all our farmers were
of this class there would be no train
loads IF hay and grain and ship-stuff
coming into our State, and North Car
DINA would not be MIXED for the BEN
eft of the far West
Some Corn.
Mr.. Jim burlington and Mr.. Frank
Howard (son of Evander), of the Sa-
lemburg section, have the finest corn
l have seen anywhere. Mr.. burlington
plants his with a wide middle and q
narrow one, and with two rows OF
peas in the wide middle. The corn is
very close in the drill, and [ under
stood that it is ESTIMATED that it
will make more than 100 bushels to
the acre. l saw it from the road, anG
it was "a sight Mr.. burlington is a
fine farmer. He has water-works and
in his house, the water be-
ing supplied by a windmill.
I went through Mr.. Towards corn.
He has three acres of the Biggs Pro-
life variety. His rows are two acres
GAO yards) long, and he counted 845
ears to the row It takes % Of the
to make an acre, and If the row
counted is an average he will get more
than 1900 ears Of corn to the acre.
Counting 15G ears to the buShel,-he
will get more, than 100 bushels to the
acre.
On these three acres he put "a wa
Of barnyard manure and $50
worth of commercial fertilizers. He
said that the fodder and hay would
about pay for the cultivation. This is
some farming.
There are thousands of acres of just
such land in that section still I'M
cleared. It will some day be a verit-
able paradise Of farms.