s&gg* WATAUGA DEMOCRAT jf[ jTJff it U the best ?dverti?iju medium ?v*iubie. independent Weekly fieum paper . . . Seventy-Third Year of Continuous / ublu ution ppiff ' " ? s?f " ' 1 " " VOLUME LXXI1|Zto~M PRICE: HVE CENTS BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE ?, 1M1 ASC Annual Report Has Farm Facts From the I960 ASC Watauga county annual report there come# some interesting facts for all farm ers of the county, as well as a number of agricultural workers, business men and others who are deeply interested in the agricul ture of our county. Basically the moat Important part of this report is the amount of conservation work accomplish ed under the Agricultural Conser vation Program. 7340 acres were treated in one way or another, and more than half this acreage re presented the improvement of a permanent vegative cover of eith er pastures or meadows. The government cost-sharing in the performance of all these prac tices amounted to over $86,000, or an average of $11.82 per acre. The farmers share of the cost plus his own labor amounted to at least the same amount, or more. The practice of this program have paid the farmers big divi dends during the past twenty-five years. Farmers who have continu ally made use of these practices have built up their soils, their livestock and dairy herds, increas ed production of their crop*, eith er improved or built new farm buildings, and, in general, the standard of living of the farmers in the county is comparable to that of their neighbors who have businesses of their own or work in industry. Since the inception of this pro gram more than half of the farm ers in the county participate each year, and at least thirty-five to forty percent participate every year. Ninety percent of the fertilizers and seeds used in carrying out these practices is sold by local vendors, handling only the best materials available. No one could venture to say in Just what condition the farms of this county would be in had it not been for the ctake this program has had in achieving these accom plishmenU in agriculture on o