The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-08-02
robson COUNTY PROG
RESS.
A Remarkable Corn Field-As-
tonishing Advancement in
Farming lnterest-Rapid De-
velopment of Resources The
New Railroad Crops.
A. Parham in The Fayetteville Index, 18th.

New Railroad-Fine Crops.
J. A. Parham in The Fayetteville Index. 2sth.
Decidedly the finest field of
growing corn | remember ever to
have seen is on the farm of Mr..
E. L. Odum, two miles east Of
Pembroke, on the road to Lum-
berton. When | saw it, Satur-
day afternoon, July 18th, it was
as green as corn ever gets to be,
the stalks were stout and strong
and tall, and each had two, and |
most of them three and some
four, ears developing on it. 1t
was soWed like cotton with a
corn planter, stood from eight to
twelve inches in the drill, and |
the rows were about 81 feet
apart. If the seasons hold out it
will make very nearly or quite
100 bushels of grain to the acre,
besides tons of forage. l learned
that Mr.. Odum uses all the mod
ern improved farm machinery in
cultivating and gathering his
crops, that for corn he uses 700
to 800 pounds of high. grade COM
mercial fertilizers to the acre. I
am told he breaks his corn land
deep with two horse pillow, beds
it up high and soWs his corn in
deep troughs between the beds.
By the time he lays BY" the
corn is on ridges, but they are
not high. In this particular corn
patch there is, l suppose,
about 80 acres, and like all of his
large farm the land is level as
a floor" and the soil is dark and
stiff and low. Like all good
Robson county farmers. he has
his rows as straight as a bullets
flight. There is not a stump in
the field, they having been pulled
out by machinery. 1t is clean,
and corn grows right up to the
bitches that drain the land. He
has many acres of cotton, and
will grow a bale to the acre. |
remember when most of his farm
was wild woods and water stood
over much of the land in winter.
E. l.. Odum is making money on
the farm. But he is not the only
farmer in that section doing that
sort of thing.
1t has been three years since |
had passed through this section
from Pembroke toLumberton ex-
cept by rail, and | was really as
tonished at the remarkable i'm
provement made in farming there
during the interval. The farms
along the roadside show the mark
of more modern methods, more
thorough cultivation and more
careful attention. Unsightly
> ditch banks''and hedge rows are
no more to be seen. The fields
are widened out, outlines straight
ened and corners squared" The
crops generally are finer than
3 ever saw there. Evidences O.
=. thrift and progress are seen or
: every hand.
I Another thing that impressed
I me is the Improvement in educa
v tional conditions made in recen
:; years. In place of the small, one
IL room. rough board, unpainte'
: school houses in the woods a few
u years ago, with thickets all aroun
le them, you find now handsom
large school buildings, construct
ID ed on modern plans and surround
1, ed by attractive grounds. Lnstea
J. of one teacher you find from tw
to three teachers, all betterequil
is ped and better paid, with schot
N terms from seven to nine month
E. instead of three as in forme
a. days.
r, Still another remarkable thin
h. is the rapidity with which tt
is woodland has been converted il
s. to profitable farms in recel
ne years.
he | believe it is conservative
st say that one half the land in Ra
Swamp and Burnt Swamp tow
tn ships now under cultivation h
ut been cleared within the past
as years if not within Is years.
re- Returning Monday, | took n
ire first trip over the new Virgin
& Carolina Southern railro
~, from Lumberton to Hope Mil
ng This road opens up a rich SEQ
rs. of territory and will be a gre
die benefit to that section, much
isit which is yet largely undevelop
at for lack of transportation fac
ties. The road has a splent
md grade and track had bra
lis, new" clean and comforta
lty cars.
1t is a great thing for Lumb
he ton. Already its freight ira
en- is heavy.
eat On this trip | travelled ab'
ads 80 miles in the Estate Of Ro
on, son." and with few excepti
the the farms are in good condit
'wn and, speaking generally,
crops are fine, especially colt
Count De Lambert has o.
;noc poned his attempt to fly acl
tant theEnglishChannel, his aeropl
I L