PROGRESS SENTINEL 1 VOL. XXXXV11 NO. 3S USPS 162-860 KEN ANSVILLE. NC 28349 SEPTEMBER 1. 1983 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX * ? CORN YIELDS EXPECTED TO BE DOWN - Drought ancP-heat have affected all Nt?rth Carolina crops tbft summer and EWplm County Agricultural Extension Agent J. Michael Moore said local corn yields are expected to drop 10 to 20 bushels per acre on the average this season. The entire state production is expected to be down 50 percent in corn production from the 1982 record yailds: The drop of SO percent is due to the Payment b) Kind program as well as drought conditions and extreme heat. According to More. Duplin's corn production average last season Was about 100 to 110 bushels per acre. 4 Growers Report Few Losses During Heat Wave Poultry growers have learned ways to counteract the extremely hot tempera tures and have reported fewer bird losses than in past years. Duplin Agricul tural Extension Agent Snodie Wilson said. Wilson estimated only about 7,000 birds have been lost during the recent heat wave. Duplin County has several million broilers on 'feed at all times, Wilson said. Also, within the county are about i million turkeys and several hundred thou sand layers producing hatchery and table eggs, he said. Each bird lost is a double loss for Duplin's poultry industry. "Each bird that dies is a double loss," Duplin Agri cultural Extension Agent I Snodie Wilson said. "When the grower doesn't have the bird to go to the processing plant, he loses money and he will also be out all the money invested in labor to grow the bird to the age at which it died. And, the poultry com panies are out feed and hatching costs when a bird dies because that bird is not marketable." According to | Wilson, this year has been as hot or hotter than years in which Duplin's pouftry industry recorded record deaths due to extreme heat and the weekend of August 20-21 registered some of the highest temperatures in area poultry houses. "When the temperatures reach the 90s and above, there will be some poultry losses." Wilson said. "And, kwith the heat wave like we have been experiencing, I think it is expected to lose several thousand birds. But, this year growers have done a better job of insulating the houses and 'using fans to ventilate which has caused fewer bird losses than in past - summers." Fxtreme heat affects poultry by reducing the feed intake. Wilson said. I While the birds eat less, they "will drink more and the buplin agricultural agent encouraged growers to ke?p m _ the flow level deeper than usual in poultry waterers and cover water pipes exposed to the sun with insulation. "The birds will take in less feed and are just concerned with trying to drink enough water and stay alive, which means it will take longer for the birds to go to market." Wilson said. "Layers will produce fewer eggs and the eggs produced will have thinner shells, which means a lot of cracks." The reduced production of eggs and slow growth of market birds reduces farmer profits. Ac cording to Wilson, most poultry farmers are paid under an incentive contract. The grower's profit is figured according to the amount of feed his birds eat to produce a pound of meat or. with layers, per dozen eggs. Heat causes birds to remain at the same weight level or even lose pounds, lengthening the growing period and increas ing the usual feed intake to grow out the bird. 1 lie luigcst losses nave been in the larger birds. Wilson said. Birds ready for the market will always suffer the most loss dui ng heat waves. Wilson said, because less room is available within the poultry house for the flock to move and cool them selves. Fans to circulate the air in poultry houses helps prevent losses and Wilson also stressed the need to keep grass and weeds mowed to allow natural breezes to move throughout the houses. Bowdens Georgia-Pacific Building Gutted In Blaze An explosion at the Georgia-Pacific Corp. about 7 p.m. Saturday in the town of Bowdens caused a fire that gutted the company's wood chipping building. Faison Fire Chief Glenn Jernigan said he believes some wood chips in the metal building were ignited about noon when workmen were welding. He said the chips probably smoldered for some time, causing wood dust in the air to explode at 6:57 p.m. The company, located on S.R. 1301 about four miles south of Faison. is closed oh Saturday and no one was in the building. Jernigan said. A woman who lives a short distance away heard the explosion and notified authorities. Faison called for assistance from Warsaw, Kenan^villc and Calypso fire departments. *l"he 30 firemen fought the blaze for about two hours before dousing it. Jernigan said it was under control after about 30 minutes. The building, which mea sures about 20 feet on each side, was gutted and a con veyor belt and the wood chip machine were badly damaged. Jernigan said. Plans Underway For Annual Grape Stomp September means a busy time at Duplin Wine Cellars in Rose Hill. It is the be ginning of the grape harvest and time for the annual grape stomp. On Sept. 17, the town of Rose Hill will have a Jam boree _ in support of its poultry, pork, turkey and grape industries. The Jam boree" will kick off with a parade at 10:30 a.m. At 12:00 noon plates of Barbecue and chicken, cooked in the world's largest frying pan, will be for sale. From 1 - 5 p.m. there will be wine tastings and special tours with demonstration's of crushing, champagne making and wine bottling at Duplin Wine Cellars. All other activities will be Keith Hinson Park. From 1:30 until 3:30 everyone is encouraged to participate, in the grape stomp as all proceeds will be donated to charity. At 3:30 we will have tne Grand Stomp Off with the top ten stompers competing for the coveted Grape Stomp trophy. During the afternoon there will be live entertainment, games for all ages, and a cake auction of which all proceeds go to charity. There will be 24 arts and crafts -jf booths and for citizens, there will be free bingo in an air-conditioned building. The Jamboree festjvities will end Saturday evening with a clogging performance and an old-timey street dance. So, come on out with your family and friends and just have a good old time. The annual grape harvest opens at Duplin Wine Cellars Sept. 12 and runs into October. The public is in cited to %visit the winery Monday through Saturday. 9 a.m. until S p.m.. and see the operation during the grape season. The winery is open to the public year round. % | Duplin Corn Suffers Some Loss Due To Weather By Emily Killelte Desnite recent drought like conditions and extreme heat, Duplin Agricultural Extension Agent J. Michael Moore expects the county's corn crop to be better than those of neighboring counties. Farmers have begun pick ing corn in Duplin and Moore said many have been sur prised by the yield. At the end of the season Moore expects corn yields to aver age about 80 to 90 bushels an acre which is about 20 bushels less than last season. "Corn is picking good for the season it has had." Duplin Agricultural Exten sion Agent J. Michael Moore said. "Some farmers have been surprised by the yield; I think the corn crop did better than expected because the early rains built up a lot of moisture in the soil which helped fill out the ears during the dry spell." Throughout the state, Moore said, corn production is expected to be 50 percent less than last year's record crop. He said the decrease is attributed to the Payment In Kind program and drought conditions throughout the state. In Duplin 43 percent of the county farmers enrolled in tile corn PIK program idling 31,038 of 90,068 acres of corn cropland, according to county Agricultural Stabi lization and Conservation Serviced figures released in March. Duplin farmers will earn 1 139,383 bushels of corn under the PIK program. Corn prices last week ranged from $3.64-3.75 a bushel and Moore encouraged the idea of contracting corn crops with grain buyers while the price is high. "It is possible the price of corn is peaking right now." Moore said. "Farmers should take time to contract their crop this season at the present price. Most any of the large area graneries will negotiate contracts for corn and it/would be a good idea to contract about 75 percent of what the yield is expected to be." Moore added soy bens could be contracted, too. Soybeans have ex perienced more of the drought and heat conditions than corn and Moore expects the bean yield to be modest. "The heat and lack of rain has caused the blooms to fall off the soybean plants." Moore said. "If the heat lets up and rain falls, the plants will continue to bloom and there will be a crop of soybeans." Moore also emphasized the need to con tinue checking soybean fields for insects. Regardless of the reduced crop of corn and soybeans in Duplin, Moore said the annual county corn contest will be held. Any farmer may enter by contacting the Duplin Agricultural Exten < sinn office in Kenansville. Entries should be made at least one day prior to har vesting. The contest is spon sored the by the Duplin Agricultural Extension office and the Duplin Earm Bureau. The countv winner will com-, pete in the statewide corn production contest. Last season. Moore said. Duplin had 33 entries. Over 600 entered the state corn con test, he added. Duplin Approves Half-Cent Tax The Duplin County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a half-cent sales tax last week after a public hearing. The tax. which will likely take effect Oct. 1. is expected to bring about $590,000 to the county for the nine months remaining in the fiscal year after the tax begins. Duplin's share of this money will be about $?155,000. Forty percent of this will go to the schiKils. The remaining $135,000 will be divided among 10 county municipalities according to population. The towns must spend 40% of their shares on water and sewer systems. About 85 people attended the hearing in the court house. About 20 people spoke, all but one in favor of the tax. After the meeting, the commissioners said (hey were generally satisfied with the turnout, although some noted that the audience con tained many people con nected with the school system. "It was heavily weighted for the schools," Bill Costin of Warsaw said. "1 would have liked to have seen more people, but it was heavily advertised so what can you do?" GERALD BELL speaks against half-cent tax. LARRY DAVIS of B.F. Grady School speaks for half-cent tax. Duplin Agribusiness Fair Countdown Begins Plans for the second annual Duplin County Agri business Fair are falling into place as the countdown be gins. A scant (Jve weeks away it will appear, to aH except those who do the work, that a magic want transformed the old Elemen tary School site in Kenans ville into a professional fair arena. During the weekend of Oct. 1 and 2. Charlie's Amusements will move in bringing at least 15 different rides. Clean family-type en tertainment will feature something for everyone. Bob Barlow and his skilled assistants will appear and set up booths in the Kenan Memorial Auditorium and the old school building. Then the very best of everything Duplin has to offer will be assembled for everyone to see and enjoy. In addition to exhibiting livestock this year, there' will also be competition in the cattle and swine ^vision. Winners will receive trophies as wey as cash prizes. A new attraction this year will be horses. Tentative ' * plans call for a different breed of horse to be ex hibited each dav of the fair with some special activity taking place Saturday in Turkey Stadium. Duplin may well be proud of her talented ^citizens. We had an opportunity to enjoy that talent last' year as our own people entertained each night with a, variety of enter tainm'ent ranging from gospel music to clog dancing and a, Little Miss Show. A spectacular ?vept was pre sented last year by a square dance group known as the "See Saws." This group performed in the amphi theater. Dancers came from all over eastern North Caro lina and held the audience spellbound as every stage in the amphitheater was filled with dancers. Toe-tapping music could be heard even on the midway as the caller chanted "do ce-do and there she goes." If you would like to be a part of the entertainment this year, your talent is needed. Please call feose Hill 289-3193 or 296-1996*. in Kenansville. '