The farmer and mechanic. [volume], January 24, 1878, Page 110, Image 6

About The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885

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no
$I)r farm.
Farming- as a Business.
It takes a ' smart " man to be a
suecessul farmer. I am well aware
that quite a different opinion is en
t'.rtained by many. How often do
we heai the expression, "He is only
a farmer,'' or heai the business
spoken of in a deprecatory manner
by presumably intelligent ami other
wise well informed people ! This
is a great mistake, and only shows
lamentable ignorance. The busi
ness of fanning is a strictly honor
able one, and, if rightly conducted,
one of the most healthy, pleasant
and profitable employments that a
man can engage in.
In order to be a successful farmer,
however, a man must be as intelli
gent, and must understand his bus
iness, as he who is a successful
merchant and professional man.
In order to succeed in anv business
a man must understand it fully in
all it branches, and must also at
tend to it. This is the great secret
of good farming. All our most suc
cessful farmers those who have
made money in the business who
have built up for themselves beau
tiful homes who have broad, fer
tile, well-tilled acres, made so by
the result of their industry who
have improved breeds of cattle, hogs
and sheep these are they who un
derstand the business, and not only
understand it, but attend to it.
The business is a good one, and the
reason why so many farmers make
a failure of it, only eking out a
bare living hardly that some
times and remain in debt year
after year, working hard, yet having
little, is because they don't under
stand their business. They run it
bv brute force instead of" brains.
They pattern too much by others
(generally after a poor example),
and do not look into the why and
wherefore of raising crop?. Thev
are not able to tell how much ft
costs them to raise a crop, or what
their profit may be, if any. They
are generally " too poor" to take
an agricultural paper. They used
the same old and clumsy tools that
their fathers did before them, and
are not in favor of improvements.
Is it to be wondered at that such
farmers are not successful.?
There are many things that may
be mentioned that will be of service
to those who would become hotter
farmers. One of the most impor
tant aids is a reliable agricultural
paper. Many say they '' cannot
afford, to take one." I say they
cannot afford to do without one.
Such a paper has correspondents
among the best farmers in all parts
of the country men of experience,
who know what they are saying
and new and useful ideas on practi
cal subjects are constantly kept be
fore the reader. Improvements in
agriculture of all kinds wherever
made, are immediately brought to
notice, with a thousand and one
useful ideas.
Another way to improve is to
watch those of your neighbors who
are most successful observe their
management, the crops they raise,
manner of tilling and handling.
AVatch closely ; you can learn as
much from their blunders as you
can from their successes. AVhen
they make a mistake, remember it,
and do not do the same. Keep an
account of each crop you raise, ex
pense of seed, culture and market
ing. Find out whether it pays you
or not. Discard those that are un
profitable, and adopt others that
will pay. Keep an account of all
your receipts and expenses. Many
a dollar slips out every year on
foolish expenses that would not if
you made a practice of writing down
all expenses. See to it that the
balance is on the right side of your
ledger at the end of the year.
Spend your leisure hours in making
improvements on the farm, or in
useful reading at home, instead of
sitting around in the grocery at the
"corners." Try to make your
home pleasant, "and the most at
tractive place on earth. These are
all helps towards becoming a srood
armer.
The Burt Oat.
Editor Southern Plantation:
I see in the Plantation that you
request those who have raised this
oat to give the result of their ex
periments. I could not get seed last
spring, but I was in Mr. Burt's farm
in February, while he was gowing.
I was sowing at the same time a
very excellent variety of rust-proof
oat, on much stronger land. His
oats grew much taller and were
ready to harvest fifteen or twenty
days before mine. I think it the
best oat for this country that has
been introduced, and particularly
for thin lands.
A. F. Goldsmith.
Port Deposit, Ala.
Hauling- out Manure.
For hind that is to be manured in
I the spring, the manure may be
hauled out upon it in the winter,
' piled in largo heaps, say a load in
I each, then have them put in good
shape, and compacted on the sides,
j and then cover them up with earth
! lightlv, just enough to prevent the
j manure from drying on the outside,
and the escape of ammonia. When
the land is to be plowed the ma
nure can be spread, and time used
in hauling it, if deferred till spring,
is thus saved. Farmers must use
t heir brains, as well as t heir hands,
in successful farming by planning
their work in advance. In winter
their teams may be idle, or partial
ly so; and their owner.- and hired
help may be taking tilings easy.
Now, why not haul out what ma
nure is ready? "Time is money"
we all know; and if any spring work
can be done in winter it is so much
clear gain.
It is customary to do all repair
ing of fences in the spring, but why
not repair them in winter, when
one can spare the time? The winds
of winter may displace a board or
rail here and there, but a few hours'
labor will repair a mile of fences in
the spring when it is put in good
order in the fall. New fences may
be built in the fall as well as in the
spring. In brief, hundreds of dol
lars may be saved on farms by do
ing work in winter that is usually
left till spring, and then but half
done for the want of time. Fann
ers Friend.
Co. n is the Cheapest
Sneak imr of food for
Food,
poultry,
the World savs that corn is the
cheapest that we can use in the
main, and it is very good to fatten
fowls upon young stock especially.
But when we say "feed corn" we
mean that this article should be fed
in
the
riirht
way.
Man cannot
live by bread alone," we read in the
good book. So fowls cannot live
upon whole corn alone, though it
be never so good.
When this common grain is used,
it should always be crushed, or
cracked, il fed dry. If in ground
meal this should usually be scalded
and mixed half and half with
turnips and potatoes, boiled. This
is a satisfying and excellent mess
for daily morning use. But to
throw whole corn to the poultry
twice or three times a day and turn
away with the idea that you have
done your duty toward your stock
is a very grossly mistaken opinion.
Vary the feed. Give one-third
cracked corn or meal, with two
thirds cooked vegetables, and other
sound grains as wheat, barley,
oats, etc. Thus you will feed
economically, judiciously and pro
fitably, in the lonr run.
Too Much Toll.
A Kansas subscriber makes the
following statement and inquiry.
Having recently sent to mill a
grist of clean, choice wheat for
the grinding of which I paid in
cash I received in return for each
bushel sent twenty-four pounds of
Hour, nine pounds" of bran, and five
pounds of shorts, being an aggre
gate return of onlv thirty-eight
pounds per bushel, and showing a
shrinkage of no less than twenty
two pounds. Would you have the
kindness to state what should have
been the amount end proportions
of the products received?
"Choice clean wheat" should
weigh sixty pounds per bushel.
The shrinkage should not exceed
thiee pounds. A well-constructed
mill will make forty-live pounds of
good family Hour out of sixty
pounds of good wheat will make
three pounds of shorts and nine
pounds of bran. A mill less com
plete in its structure shoulu make
the same, or even more, in the ag
gregate. Imperfect grinding or
bolting will reduce the yield of
Hour, but will add to the shorts
and bran. Colonel J. A. Stewart,
of Georgia, one of the best millers
in the United States, a man fifty
years in the business, informs us
that, in his experience with custom
mills grinding for the one -eighth
part the yield of flour per meas
ured bushel was from thirty six to
forty two pounds, depending on
condition and quality of the wheat,
and upon the number and quan
tity of bolting-cloth, fine or course."
He adds that "the aggregate yield
from sixty poiilu.s of choice whe.
should never bele:s than fifty-sevc-n
pounds."
"Winter Management of Breeding
Swine.
AVe give a few general rules for
the direction of the young breeder,
and regret that we nave not space
to assign the reason for each:
FOOD.
1st. Make a kettle of corn mush
every day, and cover it with boards
and blankets to keep it hot.
2d. Put a bushel and a half of
bran or light shorts into a kerosine
barrel, add four pails of hot mush,
THE FAR1IER -A.ISTD lECHAKIC
one pint of salt and fill with well
water. This is a breakfast for
twenty-four large ows. or thirty
six young sows. For young sows
ahvava u.-e the shorts.
3d". After the slop give each an
imal from two to four ears of dry
corn, as it seem to demand.
4th. Kcpeat the prix.-e.-s at 4
o'clock r. m. and, a- .-oon as they
are through put up for the night.
5th. In c-ue of quite young jugs,
cook stronger short.-with the mush
and feed ofteiier.
Oth, If an animal is not inclined
to exercise; feed coarser food and
ks of it. and, pursue the same
course if the animal shows weak
ness in the back. If the weakness
continues, give ft teaspoonful of
Fpsom salts aim ginger with a
little salt petre daily.
7th. The morning meal should
be fed in the building where they
sleep.
Sth. Never feed oh the north
side of the pens, nor in any place
exposed to the wind.
"Jth. Notice how each animal eats
and drinks.
DIVISION.
Do not allow more than six hogs
to sleep in one nest; and, if possi
ble, do not feed more than that
number together.
1st. It avoids "piling up" in the
nest.
2d. It enables the herdsman to
give his individual attention to
each animal.
3d. It secures an even condition
of the whole herd.
PEXS.
1st. The pens should be high, so
as to be ventilated without admit
ting strong currents of air.
2d. They should bo large enough
to provide a place for feeding and
sleeping.
3d. The nest must be kept clean
and dry by cleaning and changing
the straw every alternate day and
by keeping out the storm.
4th. It is better to floor the nest
but the wind must be kept from
under.
oth. Keep the swine out of their
nests during the day, unless the
weather is intensely cold.
EXEJiCISE.
1st. Turn the swine out for ex
ercise at 10 o'clock a. 3i.; and un
less very cold or stormy, keep them
out tiif4 p. 31.
2d. The place for exercise should
be well protected on the north and
the west.
3d. Do not let any hog remain
at the pens without taking any ex
ercise. 31 ALES.
1st. Breeding males should be
fed the same as sows; except in
place of dry corn give all the oats
they will eat.
2. Give a small yard for exercise;
and ff he will not notice a sow, give
him more exercise.
3d. Xever allow the male to run
with sows, nor worry with a sow.
4th. In case of a very choice an
imal keep some cheaper male for a
trial animal.
5th. One service is sufficient.
Gth. After coupling, shut the
male in his pen, and see that he
has a good nest.
7th. A sow, in heat, should be
separated from .her mates before
and after coupling.
8th. Allow twenty-one days for
retain; and from eight to ten days
less than four months, for the pe
riod of gestation.
Oth. Make a careful memoran
dum of all important transactions.
Driving Rats Away Without
Poison.
AVe know of three methods: First,
the old French plan: this is follow
ed chiefly in Paris by men who
make it a special business. They
take a deep tub, with water on the
bottom and a little elevation in the
middle like an island, on which is
only place for just one rat to sit on.
The trap is covered and has a large
balance-valve, opening downward.
On the middle of this valve a piece
of fried pork or cheese is placed,
and when the rat walks on to it to
get the cheese the valve goes down,
drops the rat in the water and goes
back in position. A road is made
from the rat-hole to the top of the
tub by means of pieces of board
rubbed with cheese, so as to make
the walk attractive to the rats. In
the course of a night, some ten,
twenty, or even more rats may zo
down, and if the island was "not
there, they would be found most
all alive in the morning quietly
swimming around; but the provis
ion of the little island saves
the trouble of killing them,
because their egotistic instinct for
preservation causes them to fight
for the exclusive possession of the
island, on which, in the morning,
the strongest rat is found in solita
ry possession, all the others bein
killed and drowned around hiim
Second, the Xew York plan, in
vented by one of the friends. The
floor near the rat-hole is covered
with a thin layer of a most caustic
pota-a. When the rats walk on
this il makes their feet sore; these
thev lick with their tongues, which
makfs their mouth sore, and the
result is that they shun this locali
ty, not alone, but aiqear to tell all
the rats m the neighborhood about
it. and eventually the house is en
tirely abandoned by them, notwith
siand the houses around are full of
rats. Third, the Dutch method.
This is said to be used successfully
in Holland. We have, however,
never tried it. A number of rats
are left to themselves in a very large
trap or cage, with no food whatev
er: their craving hunger will cause
them to light, and the weakest will
be beaten by the strongest. After
a short time the fight is renewed
and the next weakest is the victim,
and so it goes on till one strong rat
is left. When this has eaten the
last remaining of any of the others,
it is set loose; the animal has now
acquired such a taste for rat flesh
that he is the terror of all ratdom,
going about seeking what rat he
may devour. In an incredibly short
time the premises will be abandoned
by all other rats, which will not
come back before the cannibal rat
has left or died. Manufacturer.
Shrinkage.
Farmers are in doubt whether to
take twenty cents for their corn this
fall, says the Juva l!tjisf?r, direct
from the field, or rely upon getting
thirty cents net spring. After corn
is dry enough foi cribbing it will
shrink about one fifth by the next
May. Unless well protected from
the" vermin they will destroy from
five to ten per cent. The interest
of the money from the sales this fall
would be five per cent. These three
items make thirty-live per cent, in
shrinkage, depredations and inter
est. The shrinkage on wheat is
about seven per cent., and depreda
tions of vermin, three per cent. ;
interest live, making altogether
fifteen per cent., so that eighty-five
cents this fall is better than one
dollar next June. The shrinkage
on potatoes is light, but the loss by
frost and rot are heavy, and it is
better to take thirty three per cent,
less in the lull than the spring.
Hog Ciioleua. I have lost nine
ty Fssgx hog of different ages, since
September first, with what is term
ed hog cholera. If it is contagious,
I wish to ask your numerous cor
respondents whether my hogs could
have taken the disease from hogs
passing over the railroad from the
great hog producing States of In
diana and Illinois, where the disease
prevails to an alarming extent. My
farm is located one mile from one
of the main thoroughfares to the
east from these States. My hogs,
for the previous five months, had
only clover and bluegrass pastures
to live on. I know of no local
cause for the disease, unless they
contracted it by wallowing in strong
sulpher water and muck, which
they did to a great extent during
July, August and September. The
disease to my knowledge, has never
been in the neighborhood or vicini
ty before, and my hogs are the on
ly cases up to date in this country.
II. L. H.
Toledo, 0.
For the Farmeii and Mechanic.
PROP. FAIRCHILD S OPINION.
You ask how I like living in.
North Carolina ? I answer very
much indeed. After a five years
residence hery, I am fully con
firmed in my previous good opinion
of the State. And I do not hesi
tate to urge others to settle here,
provided they seek a delightful cli
mate. And wish to assist in de
veloping a State for which Xature
has done as much, as for anv State
in the Union. What kind of peo
ple do you want? I answer. Far
mers, mechanics and teachers. Me
chanics with capital to build facto
tories, and work up the great vari
ety of products, that we can pro
duce from our soil and mines. We
want some capital, and a great deal
of energy and industry.
These qualities combined and
applied, will produce results five
times as apparent, and remunera
tive as at the North. I can speak
more particularly of Farming, or
rather of Gardening, as this has
been mv business since eomincr here,
from Binghamton, X. Y. five years
ago. I am running a truck farm,
near Raleigh, and grow fruit, flow
ers and vegetables for the Raleigh
market. We grow nearly every
variety of fruit and vegetable that
is named in our seed'catalogues,
and most varieties of flowers, at
tain their highest perfection here,
so that their cultivation is a perfect
deli -lit.
You ask if I have been success
ful. I ans.ver; Yes, and no. Not
in savin n nionev for I have made a
heavy outlay. But in improving the
soiland by"exierimcnt, finding out
how much it is capable of produc
ing and by building up a delight
ful home "and a pleasant business,
I have lecn amply successful. Look
at the result. I bought twenty acres
of land, a part of it red clay a part
sand and sandv loam, as poor a
piece of an old worn out cotton
farm as could be found in the State.
The vear I bought it, the owner
raised" and sold, only four small
bales of cotton, from "the 20 acres.
Last year the value of my sales
amounted to over eighty-four bales,
and not all the land was under cul
tivation. And I exK-ct to improve
on this in the next live years. Of
course, ordinary farming will not
do this. I am speaking of trucking.
Still I am satisfied that all of the
ordinary crops can be grown
here, as successfully, as at the
North. And that the land can be
brought up to a very high state of
productiveness. It takes time, one
vear will not do it, nor two, but
live or ten, and then it will com
pare with the bed of land anywhere.
But why come South? "Chiefly to
escape the rigor of your winters,
and to find employment if you are
struggling against the tide of the
overcrowded industries of the
North. As io climates our State
can give you nearly every variety,
from the high temperature at the
Fast, the almost perfect weather of
the centre to the cooler atmosphere
of the elevated regions of the West.
And as for delightful scenery, our
mountains are unsurpassed. The
healthfulness of this climate, is
worthy of remark.
It is very rare that settlers com
ing here experience any sickness,
from a change of climate, while
many who come as invalids are
entirely restored to health. The
summer heat is not oppressive, and
we can work in the field, with more
comfort than we can on a hot sum
mer day at the North. The win
ters vary, but the cold is never ve
ry severe. Last year in December
we had quite a heavy snow, so far
this year there has been no snow,
we have had several cold days this
month, the . mercury falling one
morning to 10Q above zero seldom
falls below 1G we never have more
than three or four cold days in suc
cession, never a week at a time that
the ground cannot be plowed. And
very much of the time the weather
is warm and delightful.
As to political prejudice I know
nothing of it. I have been treated
as kindly by our people, as any one
could wish. As an evidence of
good feeling, I had a partner with
me in business four years ago, who
had been an officer in the Confed
erate army. And at the time was
the political editor, on the leading
Democratic paper of the State;
while I was a republican. And had
been a soldier in the Federal army.
Any gentleman or lady can find as
good society, and receive as kind
treatment, as he is worthy to re
ceive, in his own home circle at the
North. Of course there are many
things that are different, and manvi
advantages are wanted that we arel
accustomed to at the North. Our
school interests are improving.
Our State University at Chapel
Hill is well organized, with a line
corps of teachers. All the large
towns, especially Raleigh, have pri
vate schools and seminaries of a
high order. And we now have
here at Raleigh a good system of
graded schools, with several North
ern teachers of experience.
Our church privileges are very
pleasant. And I believe a person
coming here will be sure to like it,
as well as most any place to which
they could go as strangers. But if
you would be homesick, to move
five miles from where you now live,
then do not come South. If you
live near a city there, be sure and
settle near a city or village here.
Do not make too violent a charge
in your condition and surround-
lllLr'
There is great pleasure in farm
ing here, and the season being so
long, All crops come to maturity.
The winters are so mild that much
farm work can be done, such as
plowing, hauling manure, repairing
and building fences etc. etc. More
time in which to do the work, hence
requir.ng a less number of hands.
You will find that there is room
enough for all, our State is three
thousand square miles larger than
New York. And while we have
only a million people, New York
has nearly four and a haif millions.
The whole State is well watered,
there are thousands of springs and
small streams in every section, of
free stone or lime water according
to locality.
As to labor here, good farm
hands can be hired for eight dollars
per month, and rations, which will
cost three or four dollars more.
The colored people are good help,
provided you are with them and
watch and direct them all the time
Thev are very docile and obedient.
And more agreeable to handle than
most white help.
Jaxuahy CI,
I will conclude bv savin
nou! iire.ii i;tnu in mo Jutnr
the Old North State. I ha-.e ,
my lot with her for hf. ,i
And I again urge those
new homes, to come with u,
share in the bounties th:; ,,r.,
store for those who are.ndu-rr
and willing to work.
C. l'. Fa iu n:i:
Raleigh, N. C, Jan. 14th
A physiologist estimates :. ,
there are V4ih disorders t w);
the human frame is liab.-. . :
there are plenty of people v. h
lieve they hae every one of :,
A Western New-York farnu: .
credited with the riotewortir,
mark that he once carefully
servt d the effect of the aplii. .
of stable manure which iia i 1.
saved under shelter till need- j f -use,
and he eonehuh d that :.. ; ,
of it was worth about & miui, ...
two loads of tlu.t exposed in
usual wasteful way ; which
sea reel y t a t i n g t h e cas e t oo s t r i ; '. ,
Analysis of leaves and wo..d ,;
that of earthly matter or ashes ::
mature foliage of the elm nnii.i.:
11 per cent. ; the solid wood ; .
than 2; the leaves of the w;'.: .,
more than 8 per cent., it r, ";
only 0.4 ; those of the beeeh
per cent., the wood only (.;, ; :h
of the Kuropranoak 4. Oil per ee:
the wood only O.oo ; those of :.
pitch pine BJ per cent., the w. -only
O.o?.
Kx-President Hoiisly, of the K.i:.
sas Horticultural Society, sav !..
has for several years protected fr,. :
trees against teeth of rabbits hv im
plying with a brush to the la:r..
say two-and-one-half feet up fr.:;
the ground, a mixture of one-ti.:: 1
lime and two-thirds soft soap, v;;
water enough added to thin,
whole boiled, and while boilin- u
little Hour stirred in to make i;.
wash adhesive like paste.
A deputy sherilT recently -
out to arrest two brothers, w ho i,.t ;
farms a few miles from Waco. '1 . -as.
He found them at work in th- :
fields picking cotton. He told th.
what his errand was. Thev star. ;
at him, winked at each other, gt
ly but firmly disarmed him, ani
ordered him to go to work in t:;
field; and there he remained, pick
ing cotton for dear life, until t!i.
ollicials in his own frontier coiiii
heard of the incident and rescue
him.
Several children were feeding
a pet bear with corn at Austin.
Texas. An ear was dropped out !
the reach of the bear, and a lini
girl handed it to him. The h
sportively pulled her to him. wh
a house dog, believing the child In
danger sprang upon the bear. Bi u,:.
then carried the child to the fur
ther part of the hogshead in whi'-ii
he slept and returned to fight th
dog, under the impression that tie
dog would hurt tnc child. A par
ty of darkies tried to protect tie
child from her other protectors,
the little one did no escape un:.i
her mother killed both the h i;
and doirwith a musket.
Col. Thomas J. Conger, a North
ern gentleman, thus write-, to Ch
Polk, in a private letter: "1 am
glad to see the State is at last put
ting forth an ellort to let the j -pie
outside of the State know of
some of the great advantages North
Carolina oilers to immigration. I
came down here from New York
my health required it, and ha-'
succeeded in jarming far bevon i
my expectations. I have been" im
ploycd by the American Bible So
ciety at the Bible House as the
salesman for a number of years, i
like the State and the people. It i
very strange what absurd opinion
there is about the South; that life
and property is unsafe etc."
The N. Y. Tribune says that it
must be admitted that the South
has many natural advantage f:
cotton manufacturing, which are
not possessed by the north. The
streams that run their spindles are
nover frozen, and up to this time
thev have never been seriously af
fee ted by the drouths of summer.
The climate is peculiarly adapted
for the first manipulation of the
delicate raw material. In th
North the :tir is frequently so drv
that steam has to be introduced in
to the weaving-room to keep the
threads moist and prevent them
from breaking. Such an expedient
is never necessary in the South:
even in mid-summer the atmos
phere is always sufficiently humid
to allow the spinning and "weaving
process to go on without interrup
tion. Further than this, the South
ern mills require less gas and le
fuel than their Northern rivals, ana
the original cost of the construction
is invariably much smaller. Their
owners derive still greater advan
tages, however, from the fact that,
they can buy the raw material at a
reduced price, f,ad can have it de
livered at their doors fresh from the
fields without any charge for
freight, brokerage or commission.