The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

corn crop to harvest and some wheat
land TO turn over in October. but
not enough TO even make him think
he Is working. Aside from a little
hauling and some ditching the late
fall and early spring months do not
disturb his rest. If he makes wheat.
that crop IS harvested and In the
sacks in July. His cattle grazes in
the field without his care and in the
fall he drives it off to the railroad.
He has more time to pitch horse
shoes, play checkers and Whittle
White-pine timber than any person
in the world. There is no person
envy as l do the Ashe county farm
er who owns 200 acres of ftirly
good land for he is the most inde-
pendent citizen in the State. He
lives in the hope of some day seeing
that country traversed by a railroad
line. This is his continual dream.
Not one but what believes impli-
city that If railroad would come
| 1t would be the greatest country un-
der the sun. And why would it not
be a glorious country The lack OF
humidity in the air makes the sun.
moon and stars shine brighter than
anywhere else. There is never
time when there is nothing green for
the eye to look upon. No parching
summers dry up vege citation. Even the
Ike the green from the spruces or
the laurel. The soil has enough
granite in it to prevent red-mud
| roads. The atmosphere is at all
times inviGoTating and healthful. The
water in the wells is often found TO
register 40 degrees. Apples grow
IN abundance. The Virginia Beauty,
the Winesap and the Limbertwig can
be found almost everywhere. Lovers
CT milk and butter find here the
very best. once at a farm house in
Ashe county / was asked in to dinner.
Twelve We're seated at the table.
each with a goblet at his place and
each goblet was filled with sweet
milk A girl would go around the
table every moment or so with a
cedar bucket full of fresh sweet milk
and a gourd and keep the glasses
filled. With the large number of cat
tie on the farm, it is common
thing for a family to milk a dozen
cows.
The possibilities Of these counties
agriculturally would be great If
good railroad line only trayersed
them to take the product to market.
There is no place under the sun
where vegetables grow more luxuri-
antly. Celery especially can be rails
ed to perfection here. The vigorous
mountain air makes it brittle and de-
licious. I once sat down to the table
at a friends house IN Ashe with
some gentlemen from Michigan The
good landlady had a reputation for
her celery. She put some of it on
the table and the Michigan men ad-
mitted that it was far superior 10
any they had ever seen from kala-
mazoo. Irish potatoes and cabbage
grow to a perfection in that section
not to be found except in northern
New York. .or New England. These
three crops alone, celery, Irish po-
tatoes and cabbage, would make that
section rich without its cattle and
its minerals if it only had railroad
line leading to the principal markets.
I cannot quit writing until l have
told how grand a country this is to
live in. / spent five years over there
and I lived from my hair clear down
to my toes. OF all delightful coun-
tries from April 1st to December
18th, none can compare with II.
Even in the fearfully cold months OF
January, February and March one
does not seriously object TO the ell
mate. The objection is to the lack
of transportation facilities. Tis
true it gets fearfully cold al times.
but the dryness Of the atmosphere.
the freeness from all miasma- and
the beauty Of the snow capped noun
tains NOR than recompcnse one.
The transformation Of this beau
tiful country into a veritaDle park is
not beyond our possibilities or our
efforts. The automobile would be a
great factor in it. II good mountain
roads that would support automobile
travelling should be built by these
three counties and tn, adjoining
OF Wilkes. Caldwell and Sur
ry. this beautiful country would be
a perfect beehive with summer guests
and the numb Der of summer residences
built by the rich of the State in
these counties would fast transform
il into park of beautiful homes.
GEORGE p PELI.