The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-05


land that is to be here. In the mid
die Of the county lies the far-famed
lake Mattamuskeet, a body of pure
fresh water fifteen miles long and
seven wide, varying in depth from one
to five feet. All around this lake
runs ridge Of comparatively high
land, and on this ridge great and
small farm houses lie in a circle al
most like a village street, their farms
lying back Of them and cultivated as
far back as the land has been rescued
from the swamps. The soil is SO
richly composed Of vegetable matter
that fire often gets out and burns
great holes in it. In the old days
of slavery immense farms lay along
the lake and their owners were richer
than European princes. Their sons
and daughters were sent away to the
finest schools and universities, and to
this is due largely the fine character
and high Intelligence OF the people
today. Now the land is broken up In
small holdings and is not for sale at
any price The people are anxioUsly
awaiting drainage projects now on
foot, and when they are realized
thousands of acres that never had a
plow in them Will be converted into
vegetable gardens Of untold richness
The bottom Of the lake is owned
by the State and engineers are now
engaged il carrying out a plan OF
drainage provided for by the
legislature. The lake will be
pumped out and it is esti-
mated that when the bottom is
pat into cultivation the price of one
cient to pay for the expense Of drain
age. AT this single stroke eighty
thousand acres Of land capable Of pro-
ducing from fifty TO one hundred
bushels Of corn Per acre without fer
tilizer will be put under the plow.
This seems almost incredible, but u
You don't believe it listen to this con-
versation that the writer had with
one of the big FARMERS on the lake
shore last week. Col. Henry Clay Car
ter, as we stood on bis 6ye acre lot
that surrounds his dwelling, a house
as large as any IN Monroe
"Get up on this bench" he said,
and YOU can see over the field. You
are now looking over thousand
acres OF corn. You see, it Is now
shoulder high That land has been
cultivated q hundred years without
any fertilizer OF any kind. Though
we sometimes make more, we consider
fifty bushels per acre good yield
The beans on it, which the stock IS
turned on, we consider worth about
as much as the cora Behind TINS
field lies the balance of my farm, a
thousand acres more which I have not
corn ready, and if the water gets Off
in time it will be put IL; If not, we
will try to get it In peas All We need
in this country is drainage
The corn is shipped out by boat,
and Mr T. H. 3. Gibbs, another large
farmer. told me that all the corn ex-
ported from his township goes 70
Germany, where 1t is used for seed
corn because 1t makes such large
stalk and the German farmers use 1t
for ensiiage The stalks are simply
huge and the fodder is not pulled. but
stalk and fodder are gathered aud
burned to get it out of the way, the
land not needing it. But the crop
is not limited 70 corn. Cotton, oats,
wheat. vegetables and fruits grow 10
peri lection: and now the Whole
country is being planted in pecan
trees, which are now coming to fruit
age. producing as fine a nut es Is
grown in the world. The highways
are lined with droves of cattle, sheep,
hogs and fowls, and every farm house
has one to three colts friskng about
the lawns. They even make money
as good as the famous sourwood va
rletv of the mountains. 1t is Verl-
table land of Goshen, and when the
railroad which the State is now grad
ing through the county is completed
and the drainage projects fealiZed'
the population can be increased
hundred fold And the section being
close to the great centres of popula-
ton of the Atlantic slope, 1T Will De
a market garden. I saw one man
who this season sold fourteen thoo-
sand dollars worth of Irish potatoes
Last year the people mace soou
crops, but for three preceding yea
tho1- were entirely drowned. Drain
! 900 will insure one of three crops
wear. An up country man SIMPLY has
no idea of the water problem. ~
such an one this true story VII 80 81
incredible, but it is true just the sahle'
At Swanauarter, the couAiy
Ma+hodist congregation desired 10
bnild a new house of worship on