Tom Cornwell. Jr., 16
year-old Cleveland Coun
ty farm boy. who won the
4 -H cotton club cham
pionship in Sorth Caro
lina by producing 1,114
pounds of tint and 57
bushels of seed on ttvo
acres. He tells the story in
his own words in the ac
companying article.
TT WAS early in the month of Feb
ruary, 1935, that our principal of
Falbton High School asked all the stu
dents from the 6th through the nth
grade to assemble in the auditorium for
the purpose of forming a 4-H Club. At
that time 1 knew nothing of Club work.
We were told that the club was to help
us in many ways, which are too numer
ous to enumerate here, but 1 was inter
ested particularly from an agricultural
standpoint.
One of the requirements slated for
the members was to carry a project.
Since cotton is the major crop of Cleve
land County, 1 wanted to learn as
much as possible about this staple crop.
I also figured that I could realize a
very good financial return which would
aid me in my later club work arid give
me spending money for the coming
school year.
Superior S?*d Fir**
No producer can expect the highest
returns from any crop project unless
superior seed is used," my club director
told 11s;. so 1 decided to use the best. 1
decided to use certified Farm Relief No.
1 cotton and try to produce certified
seed from my cotton. 1 secured two
bushels of certified seed for my project.
I selected a clay type soil and turned
it early in February. I believe in winter
plowing because the soil has a chance
to pulverize before planting time, thus
insuring a better stand ; and the water
holding capacity of the soil is increased.
Early breaking of soil also aids in the
control of insects and diseases.
I planted my cotton on May and.
using 600 pounds of 6-5-6 fertilizer to
the acre. No top dressing was used in
producing this crop. I cultivated my cot
ton seven times and hoed it two times.
Frequent cultivations aided the soil from
drying out and eliminated hoeing to a
great extent. I picked my cotton myself.
On my two acres of cotton, 1 produc
ed 1 14 pounds of lint cotton and 57
bushels of certified seed at a cost of
$58-7 J
CECIL'S BU5INE55 COLLEGE
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mer and fall in glorious mountains. Climate re
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tration. Stenotypy-Court Reporting. 30th year.
Efficient Placement Service. Address CECIL'S.
Dept. "S.P.- Askerille; N. C.. or Spartanburg.
KNITTING YARNS
AT LOW FACTORY PRICES
SAVE half or more on jwur Ta
postal card for 1M free sam
Tke ELMORE Corporation.
N.
SEPARATORS
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'/3
? AT THE FACTORY.
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ANKES-HOLTH MFG. CO.
Box 738SRT. Port Huron. Midi.
GIVEN AWAY'i
EMU HI hi I
4-H BOY TELLS
HOIV HE WON
STATE } COTTON
CHAMPIONSHIP
By TOM CORNWELL
Shelby, N. C., Route 1
Secured Rnl Profit
1 sold my cotton for 12)4 cents per
pound and my certified seed for $1.00
per bushel, giving me a return of
$199.03 with a profit of $140.28. In
my costs were included: man labor,
horse labor, rent of land, and ginning
costs.
1 have been asked how 1 won the
title of Cotton Champion. First, 1 would
say that my other club activities had
their effect upon this accomplishment.
I worked with the Extension forces at
the Cleveland County Fair by aiding
with the 4-H booth, was Health King
in our County Health Pageant, and
made the trip to Raleigh on the judging
team. Then, too, I tried to produce the
most cotton passible per acre at the low
est cost per pound by following proper
cultivation methods; and then the most
important factor was keeping neat, ac
curate ftcords of the project. The fact
that 1 did produce certified seed was
another very important factor in my
winning.
Will Attend Collage
At present 1 am in the ninth grad<^
thus, to think of the future seems like
a long distance away. My present plans,
however, are to attend State College and
take up an agricultural course.
1 wish to acknowledge my apprecia
tion for the assistance of the extension
workers ? Mr. J. S. Wilkins, Mr. H. B.
James, Miss Frances MacGregor, and
Mr. John L. Reitzel ? for working with,
me this project year. Last but not least,
I appreciate the cooperation that my
parents have given me. Without their
aid. it would have been impossible for
me to ever attain the title of State Cot
ton Champion.
Give The Poultry
Home Grown Feed
Several year's results from demonstra
tion poultry flock records conducted by
South Carolina poultry specialists show
that feed costs make up 80 per cent of
the total costs, excepting labor. A re
duction in feed costs, therefore, offers
one of the best opportunities for low
ering production costs.
Since corn is one of the basic feeds
for. the poultry flock and it composes
approximately one-half of usually rec
ommended rations, a material saving
.may be affected by growing 011 the farm
all corn needed for poultry feeds. Yellow
corn has a higher feeding value because
of a greater content of Vitamin A as
compared with white corn. Other com
mon grains suitable for poultry feeding
are wheat and oats (heavy). Approxi
mately one bushel of yellow corn should
be grown for each hen kept.
4-H'ers Aim High
The 4-H Club boys in Colleton
County, S. C-, are already taking steps
to outdo their last year's records. Last
year 106 boys, the largest number in
seven years, completed demonstrations.
Their work showed a total profit of
$1,722.19.
With spraying tim? cloaa
at hand, all aquipmant
should ba in raadinaaa.
Work Calendar For MARCH
1. Spraying of fruit trees and vines
and ornamental plants is now in order.
2. Many chicks wiil be tost if they
are put in a brooder that has not been
properly cleaned and disinfected. Keep
the brooder house clean and see that the
litter is cJianged as often as necessary.
3. (lood fence posts are becoming
scarce. Black locust make the best posts
and it is now time to begin making ar
rangements to plant the seed or set the
seedlings.
4. Breed cows now. Dairy cows bred
in late winter or early spring freshen in
the fall and winter and produce an aver
age of about ten per cent more milk
and fifteen per cent more butterfat than
cows calving in the spring. Summer pro
duced milk sells for less than winter
milk.
5. Continue to repair fences, clean
up the lots and grounds, and white-wash
outbuildings and fences.
6. W < itch calves for lice which at this
season do greatest damage.
1. Give the baby chicks plenty of fresh
and and sunshine as often as the weather
permits ? and remember that each two
chicks need one square foot of floor
space in the brooder house and each 100
chick; need one mash hopper five feet
long and two half-gallon water con
tainers
8. Get a start on -that apple pest, the
coddling moth, by cleaning up the orch
ards, packing sheds, apple boxes and
other places where the cocoons spend
the winter.
9. If you have not already done so.
seed lespedexa on fall and spring grasnt.
This wonder crop serves the dual pur
pose of holding the soil in place and im
proving it at the same time.
10. Have your seed tested for germ
ination. North Carolinians can get this
service without cost by sending samples
to the Seed Laboratory, State Depart-*?
ment of Agriculture, Raleigh, N. C.
Interesting Carolina Farmers
Biggest
One of North Carolina's biggest fann
ers is W. J. Long, who lives near Gary*
burg in an ancestral home built by his
great grandfather in 1810.
Of VIr. Long's 8,000 acres, 4,000
are in cultivation as follows: Cotton.
1,400 acres; corn 1,200 acres; peanuts
700 acres; soy beans and other legumes
700 acres.
The farm is dotted with tenants and
all told 600 negroes are on the place.
Through the use of leguminous crops
and proper rotation Mr. Long keeps
his land in a high state of fertility. Mr.
Long has found through experiments
that Coker-Cleveland 884 is the best
type of cotton for him to grow. He
plants improved seed, has his own gins
and sells his cotton co-operatively so he
gets the benefit of the grade and staple
premiums he deserves.
Records
"There are two things I'm a fanatic
about ? keeping things clean and keep
ing accurate records."
The speaker is L. O. Moteley, thrice
named a "Grade A farmer," a "Master
Farmer" and president of the annual
Farm and Home Convention held each
year at N. C. State College.
It requires only a few minutes with
Mr. Moseley at his Edgewood Farm,
near Kinston, N. C., to see evidence
of the truth and wisdom of his state
ment. He keeps records on all his farm
ing operations and he knows at all times
just where he stands.
As for cleanliness, that is written all
over the farm from the neat, well-paint
ed "Edgewood Farm" signs that hangs
at the entrance, to the stalls of his 36
cow dairy barn.
Mr. Moseley iv a great believer in
livestock, grows the usual cotton and
tobaccoo, but supplements these crops
with fruits and vegetables.
Woman
Since her husband's death twenty
three years ago Mrs. W. W. Jenkins,
of near Wake Forest, N. C., has car
ried on single-handed the supervision of
the work on a J 50- acre farm ? and the
way she has been operating it should
put to shame many of our men farmer*.
Daughter of Priestley H. Mangum,
the originator of the now famous "Man
gum Terrace," Mrs. Jenkins inherited
the Mangum mind.
Each year for several years she has
reduced her acreage in cotton and placed
more emphasis on feed crops. Hfcr
smoke-house feeds not only her own fam
ily but the families of her tenants ? her
pantry shelves are lined with pickles,
preserves, jellies, canned fruits, and
vegetables.
Another fVoman
"Make no mistake about it, 1 am boss
of my two farms."
The speaker is Mrs. M. J. (Jane)
Elliott, 85 years of age, who makes her
regular daily rounds on foot to oversee
workers who are cultivating 150 acres
of land in the Skinnersville section of
Washington County. N. C.
Assuming the duties of supervisor over
a score of years ago when her sea-loving
husband died, Mrs. Elliott has been on
the job ever since. Mornings she arises
at four o'clock to see that the seven
teams are fed and then taken to the
field to work.
Last year 24 acres of cotton, 29 acres
of peanuts, 40 acres of corn and other
kindred crops were tended on the "wom
an-supervised" farm.