The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., November 19, 1910, Page 796, Image 8

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

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PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT
RALEIGH, N. O. STARKVILLE. MISS.
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MAY BE ADDRESSED TO EITHER OFFICE. ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS
MATTER AT THE POSTOFFICE AT RALEIGH. N. C.. UNDER THE ACT OF
CONGRESS OF MARCH 3. 1879.
Under the Editorial and Business Management of
TAIT BUTLER and CLARENCE POE.
Prof. W. P. MASSEY.Associate Editor.
E. El MILLER,.Managing Editor.
JOHN S. PEARSON.Secretary-Treasurer.
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York, Eastern field; Albert H. Hopkins, Chicago. Western field.
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guarantees the reliability of all advertising that it carries. ”
Weekly Circulation First Half of 1910-417,280
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Editorial Gleanings.
A CORRESPONDENT of one of our local pa
pers exposes the false claims made by West
ern promoters who are trying to get farm
ers to leave the South and try farming in Wyom
ing and other Western States. The usual policy
of these men, as he points out, is to get these
prospective settlers to visit the section at a fa
vorable season, dine them at a good hotel, and
then take them out in automobiles and sell land
to them before they have a chance to make any
inquiries. The correspondent in question is a
Southern man who went to Wyoming, and gives
this pointed advice to Southerners who may think
of going there:
“Stay where you are, Mr. Farmer, in a
country where you can grow anything, and
don’t run the risk of buying a farm in Wyom
ing and starving to death, unless you first
investigate the conditions here. I have lived
in the State of Wyoming for the past six
years, and it is, in my opinion, a great State
on account of its large and increasing stock
business and large mineral resources. But
when you say that, you have said it all.
When it comes to farming, Wyoming will
have to take a back seat. Not because farm
Droducts can not be raised here, but on ac
count of the high altitude, alkali and uncer
tain climate.”
We have lately received a bulletin issued by a
Southern experiment station for distribution to
the farmers. It is a very valuable bulletin, so
far as the information it contains is concerned;
but here is a little quotation from it that glvet
an idea of the style in which it is written:
“Distributed somewhat sparsely and irreg
ularly over the spot are the fruiting cavities
of the fungus (pycnldia). In rotten spots,
produced by Inoculation, the pycnldia fre
quently assume a somewhat concentric ar
rangement. Proceeding from the innermost
pycnldia toward the edge of the spot the
pycnldia become smaller, none at all being
found near the edge of the diseased tissue.”
An illustration in the bulletin is labeled “Hy
pochnose Sclerotia and Mycelial Ribbons Upor
Apple Twigs.” It seems to us that these quota
tions explain, to a great extent, why so muct
really valuable work done by our experiment sta
tions fails to reach the farmer and help him ii
his work. It also strengthens our belief tha
every experiment station needs an editor who can
translate the writings of those scientists who write
all the time as if for other scientists, into plain
English that the every-day farmer can read and
understand.
Jt
That is an interesting story Mrs. Stevens tells
about the first Thanksgiving Day. In our Christ
mas issue she will match this view of primitive
New England with an account of a Christmas in
the Old South.
Jt
A great many of our Corn-Club boys have not
yet sent in their reports. We announced that
these reports must be sent in by November 20,
but to give all a chance, after fair warning, we
are willing to make it November 25. If you
want a prize, you must send your report by that
time. Don’t put it off another day. We want to
hear from every boy who entered the contest.
Then, those prize ears; very few lots are coming
in. If you are going to compete for these prizes,
send in your corn right away.
Jt
We have ourselves said some hard things about
the tenant system now in favor in the South; and
we have one or two very Interesting letters on the
same subject which we expect to publish Just as
soon as we can find space for them. But better
than to show how bad the tenant system is—and
it is bad—is to show a better plan and tell how
it may be adopted. Who has solved the tenant
problem to a reasonably satisfactory degree? We
want to hear from him. If you have had experi
ence which you think will be helpful to others, let
us have it
Jt
The profits in Southern stock raising are
bound to grow bigger and bigger as the years go
by. The ranges of the WeBt are fast being con
verted into cultivated fields, and to the South the
Nation must look for a steadily increasing share
of its meat supply. A striking Illustration of the
general decline in range stock together with more
rapid marketing brought about by high prices is
afforded by the fact that cattle census of Texas
January 1, 1909, showed 8,794,000 cattle in the
State; January 1, 1910, only 5,960,000. The wise
Southern farmer will get ready to take advantage
of the big profits that stock raising now offers
and will increasingly as time goes by.
J*
Getting the Best of the Boll Weevil.
WE ADVISE that no section recently, or
about to be visited by the boll weevils,
place much hope in the occasional reports
which reach us that after they have infested a
section for a few years they do little harm and
that they are actually leaving some of the sections
first infected.
That the weevils do less harm after a few years,
and that they are even present in smaller num
bers after they have infested a place for a number
of years than during the first few years of their
attacks, is probably true; but there is little in the
facts and history regarding their work in this
country to Justify any one extracting much hope
of making cotton profitably according to the old
and common methods after the boll weevils once
make their appearance.
That people make cotton profitably after the
boll weevil has been with them a few years, and
that some few even do it during the first years ol
the weevil’s presence, is pretty good proof that
all could do it if they would make cotton in the
right way. The best way to make cotton under
boll weevil conditions is the best way to make
cotton before the boll weevil comes. There is no
secret in making cotton in the presence of the
boll weevil and no newly discovered methods ol
cotton culture are used. The methods that arc
most successful are Just those which the best cot
ton growers have been using and which we have
advised for the last fifteen years. The difference
is simply that the boll weevil makes the adoption
of these better methods necessary and lessens the
L yield even when they are used, but not to suet
; a& extent as to make cotton growing unprofitable
This Week and Next.
— •
SOMEHOW we can’t get over the idea that ev
ery farm ought to have a liberal suppl} of
both orchard and small fruits. Now, we know
that readers will not have to go back many num
bers to find where we have said something very
much like that before, but that can not be helped.
We know that the farm with plenty of apples and
pears, peaches and plums, grapes and berries,
is a more desirable place to live than the farm
without them. We know that a good garden en
ables the farmer to live better and at less expense,
and we know that Southern farmers can have gar
den truck almost the year round. For these rea
sons we urge every reader to think over Professor
Massey's garden talk and over the articles by Mr.
Latham and Professor Niven on pago 803.
Another feature of this Ibsuo to which we
would call attention is Mr. Prince's letter on the
running at large of live stock. This is a practice
that can not fall to be Injurious to any section,
and every progressive farmer should do all In his
power to stop it. Then, we have a little talk
to the boys on hunting, with a hint to the
older farmers about allowing all sorts of so-called
sportsmen to over-run their lands, shooting with
impartial recklessness in all directions. The laws
usually give the farmer better protection along
this line than he thinks; and if they do not protect
him, he should call on his legislators to get busy.
That "diversification” means the adoption of a
rational system of rotation rather than the whole
sale planting of untried cropB, we have often tried
to make clear, and there is on page 796 another
talk on this point with special reference to the
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boll weevil.
The value of the agricultural short courses to
young farmers Is sp great that wo feel justified
In once more calling attention on page 800 to
those in our territory and urging every farmer
who cafl to attend one of them this winter.
Next week we shnll have the conclusion of Mr.
Poe's interesting letter on "The Land of Upside
Down”; more reports from farmers who are pro- •
paring for better crops next year; some Interest
ing figures, drawn from actual experience, on
what it costs to lay tile; a plain editorial talk on
“The Heal Theorists”; an interesting article by
Mrs. StevenB on the preparation of Christmas
gifts; a little talk to the boys on the study of
the things they find on the farm, along with the
usual departments, and some striking letters from
our busy farmer readers.
Nearly every day we receive letters from friends
who fail to sign their names, do not give their
postoffices, or omit some other Information which
Ronably expect a reply from us. These good peo*
Pie, no doubt, think hard of us because we do not
keep our promise to answer all inquiries with a
personal letter, but the fault in such cases is not
ours. If you have written us and obtained no
reply, be Bure and write us again. You may have
omitted to give ub the Information wo noed, or
your letter may have gone astray. At any rate,
w'rlte us again if you fail to get an answer to your
letter.
President Barrett says that last year he took
a census and found enough Congressmen and Sen
ators who said they were In favor of a parcels
post law, to pass it through both Houses. They
are not going to pass it. however, until tho farm
ers make them, and now as Congress Is meeting
again., it 1b time to get busy. I,et your Congress
man and Senators know how you feel about it.
Petitions don't count,—don’t wasto time with
them;—but a personal letter is likely to interest
the legislator, and a hundred or so personal let
ters will almost Burely put him to work. Write
yours to-day.
A Thought for the Week.
IF IN EVERY ONE of tho elections last Tuesday
the best man had wou, if all the progressive
measures had been adopted, if every altruistic
movement that animates this Nation to-day should
achieve unanimous adoption, if even the dream
of perfect brotherhood should win approval at the
polls, not all these things combined would bo as
potent for the happiness of any man among tSolIe
for whose help they are intended, ub tho simple
exercise of individual Qualities that are within the
boundaries of his own soul.—Collier’s Weekly