The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-09
bOCER A. DERBY RAISES THE
SICNOF THE TRACTION PI OW
flor a Stormy Venture In the Antilles, Preceded Bv
Thrilling Experiences Elsewhere He Develops a Big
plantation In North Carolina

MS SSIIled 10 meet the ranttra |
mentS just as we'll.
Derby has a mighty we'll planned
farm, with well arranged buildings
ana a lot of Onveniences that not
many dream Of. But they ali
nave a urpOS His house is strictly
In p with the place, not so big
as the barns, but roomy and original
and built to fit the place and the idea
IL is ruled by a descendant Of African
royalty m once was associated with
the domestic force in the home Of the
Page family. A few weeks ago Marv
grew uneasy as to the likelihood of
Ambassador Walter Pages table
meeting with short r~ations, and she
prepared and sent to him a home
made North Carolina ham. To show
that she is not narrow in her friend
ships she at the same time picked out
another one and sent it along with
Mistah Walters, marking the second
che to queen Mary, and they were
10th turned over to the express com
pany for delivery at London. If that
ham ever reaches the royal table, the
Queen of England for once will get a
square meal, or the markings Of it at
least.
Getting Down to the Mutton.
however. let us get to the mutton.
Roger Derby is a man of serious pur-
pose, and of ability. He is shooting
Ho III liIC III ala uOcS not
know exactly where they will land.
not because he is a visionary, or be-
cause he is a man of no aim, but be-
cause he is a philosopher. He is a
creator. A creator never knows what
he will create. Did it ever occur to
you that the man who knows is a man
who is following what has already
been tried. The nan who is entering
new fields does not know.
l have no guess on Derby. He is
planting 24O acres Of cotton his year,
and it is a good crop so far. But he
is not sure yet that he is a farmer,
or is going to be a farmer. SO far he
is a creator. He is creating a farm,
and when he gets through it will be a
modern farm, built on intelligent and
logical lines, or it will be positive
5 proof that some things lead to failure
/ Already many leads have been follow
ed to where they have been abandon
. ed. AS far as he has gone Derby has
1 organized a highly promising agricul-
: tural plant, involving the successful
application Of many modern ideas
some of which have proven worthless
t for this section, and some of them
proving thoroughly applicable. The
e unsatisfactory things ave been rated
S as such and discarded.
t The farm at the present is a cOttor
farm. n crop at present growing
r gives promise Of a satisfactory yield
r The method of making a cotton crOI
is not exactly the customary method
o of the cotton belt. 1t may be a bette
t method, it may not. But it looks Xix
t a departure from preceden
4 in many important respects. The frs
e step in making this farm was c~learin,
the ground. That was done with trac
g ton engines and gang plOWs. Derb,
is an inventive genius. and he devise
several huge implements to be draw
by the powerful traction engine. Som
It were absolutely useless in the test
q Some quite successful. Yet after al
is has been said it is not definitely deter
mined whether the traction engine i
n a better instrument on the farm tina
IS the mule and the grub hoe. So man
It local conditions enter into this Ques
st ton that the experience of one ma
d does not decide it for another mcr
1t is however, nevertheless, that tn
S men who have been buying tractlo
engines for farm uses have been goin
back to mule power. Yet they a
say that it is a debatable proposition
the mule or the engine. ever thong
IL they return to the mule.
A. implements Of Execution.
,e Derby has some pillow gangs thu
~ look big enough to require a railroa
s. locomotive to pull. They c%ertainl
Of tore up ground when they were 9
n work. They have done wonderful
Nv effective service. He has disk pillow
Of that go through the ground like a
tn earthquake. He has harrows mac
of Of railroad iron teeth. He has lmplt
Id ments that exert tremendous pOWe
py and do tremendous execution
And he has One-hOrSe plOWS an
On small implements.
yo These powerful implements are ft
n making a farm. l hardly imagine the
OF will be used for operating a farr
re Derby has SOC acres Of his farm mao
". That is he has 500 acres cleared an
If nlowed. Extending the clearing Wi
10. hardly go ahead now at the same ra
that it has been progressing, for
second step has been reached.
OF goes h saying that this big far
as. is not going to satisfy its owner u
lei less it becomes a real 1arfn' d pr
he ductive, profitable business venture.
RI Roger Derby is a student. ana
:1 L. l. rnixod IN In all