The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-23
especial to The News and obserTerJ

period of depression extending
through seven or eight months with a
better record than any other part or
the State, or for that matter, any part
of the South. There isn't the Slight
est doubt of il in the minds or the
business men Of Kinston and the other
commercial centers of the district.
man Of prominence in Piedmont caro-
lima last week was quoted in very
optimistic interview in which he de-
scribed conditions as excellent tnere.
They are superior here. Fifty com
merical travellers. broad-gauge deal
ers having business connections
throughout the South Atlantic group,
bankers and special edition newspaper
men queried, and asked for their
frank opinions. stated during the
past week that they are satisfied no
section was less affected by the de-
preston. which even the happleSt
areamers now Emit has laid heavy
hand upon the cotton country. Ihey
thought you people were about to
starve up North" one angel of com
merce" declared. The buy bale"
movement was a wellmeant piece OF
business. but it certainly gave the
South a black eye In the opinion Of
the people of some other regions.
One banker identified with some Of
the strongest monetary interests OF
this section would not be quoted in
an interview regarding the situation
as it affected the whole South. be-
cause he would not prejudice his in
tegrity even to "booSt" things; but
he seized upon the suggestion that
local conditions were not far below
normal with enthusiasm.
Farmers Practice Economy.
One fertilizer man who deals with
the larger retailers in several States
said a few days ago that sales and
collections had been better in this ter
ritory than anywhere else he had trav-
eled. The farmers have not been
hard up" but the war broke fol
them at time as nearly propitiOus
as calamity could, and they heed
ed the warning that rumbled to their
ears with the first roar of the artil
iery across the water and-avoidei
bright leaf belt Christmas shopping
was off. q little. The planters were
practicing economy. In Kinston. fo
instance, the agricultural communit,
Is larger part Of ''the trade" thar
is the city population. The farmer
have paid their bills with the profi
from a bumper tobacco crop sold a
handsome prices. made new obliation
carefully and are not starving. No
viii they starve, nor be embarraSSe
by little circumstance like q war ia
away. They know that humanity is
queer institution; it Will smoke whe
1t has to fight or beg for bread. TIL
east Carolina tobacco planters ar
wise to the fact that they have
monopoly of the very finest leaf i
the world-that most sought an
which seemingly can be grown only
limited area. But they will n,
overdo the thing; they are too wis
for that The crop will not be il
creased this year, Judging from a
present indications. 1t may be GU
tailed little.
Truck Will Replace Cotton.
Truck is destined to take secoI
place in the belt over cotton. Tt
white king has probably already be,
deposed. Several hundred acres ne
er before sown in those products
the vicinity Of Kinston alone are b
ing put into shape for potatoes, cor
beans, peas, cabbages. berries. et
The railroads, anticipating increas
activity in the production Of peris
ables, are said now to be making a
rangements for handling large shi
ments. Parts of Moseley Hall a
institute townships in Lenoir cour
are destined to become part of [
ne" tTuCh Dell. muCn the la
In those townships is made"
deemed from swamps. The Suite
drained the first of this extraordin;
lily productive soil about 80 years a;
and much of ii is almost virgin y
There are thousands OF acres in
section which this year will not gr
a stalk Of cotton that have ne'
known any other crop.
There is being evinced more int
est in stock raising than ever befo
In Jones county there are great nu
bers OF hogs being fattened on
plantations where before little att
ton has been given to them Ev
farmer in the district practically \
cure two or three times as much m
next fall as he did last.
The tillers OF the soil have ma
tanned the whole community in
belt this season, just as they do
normal times, except that uSu;
their assistance Is not so apar