[A serious longitudinal study of letters to the editor would reveal a great deal about changes in American culture. When reading LTEs these days, the term “more heat than light” comes to mind, in contrast to this example from the past.]
May 4, 1889
Nearly all the farmers have taken their cattle to the mountain range, have sheared their sheep and ‘turned them to the woods,’ and now have little feeding to do, excepting their work horses and mules. We are all about done planting corn, and I think the land for that crop has been better prepared for planting than it usually is. Our oats, sown on clay land are doing no good, on account of dry cool weather. Some farmers are talking about plowing them up and planting in corn. Wheat is looking very promising and will be a good crop if nothing occurs in the future to injure it.
I think the freeze last night ruined our prospects for peaches, apples and grapes. The clover fields are looking fine, especially where land plaster has been sown on the clover. I am glad to see the farmers sowing more clover, and using plaster to nourish it. I am satisfied that this is one of our best means for renovating the upland fields; and I am further satisfied that we have a soil in this community, well adapted to the production of clover, if we will but study and practice the proper mode for its culture and management.
– A. J. Long, Sr., Near Webster, N. C. (letter to the editor of the Tuckasegee Democrat newspaper)
Later that month, Mr. Long realized that the fruit crops were not as severely damaged as he had feared, and he also mentioned the thermal belt, a concept brought to prominence by Macon County’s Silas McDowell:
“Mr. Editor: Two weeks ago I gave it as my opinion that all the fruit about Webster was killed by the frost, but observations since have convinced me of my mistake. I find now, that in all the orchards (unforeseen contingencies excepted) there will be some peaches and out on the high lands, near the thermal belt, there will be abundance of both peaches and apples. I notice that the peach and damson trees in Webster are full of fruit; and I can see that the people in town are flattering themselves, that they will yet, have a peach pie this summer. … A. J. Long, Sr. Near Webster, May 20th, 1889″
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