Tomotla Watershed Farmers
Complete Area Organization
Organization of all fanners in the
Tumotla watershed area has been
? ompletcd and the detailed plan of
organization and operation of the
croup as Area Demonstration farmers
under the North Carolina Extension
feivice has been announced by the
Cherokee County Soil Conservation
and Land Use association, of which
the new participants are now mem
bers as a branch organization.
The application for organization,
submitted and accepted, and con
taining aims, purposes and methods,
are described in the following des
cription : i
OBJECT AND PI'RPOSE
Due lo the seriousness of soil ero
sion in the Tomotlu Watershed of
Cherokee County, it is proposed to
include this 1Tumotla> area in an
intensive erosion control program
One of the best means of controlling
erosion is to keep the soil covered
with some form of vegetation, es
pecially sod forming plants. In ad
dition to erosion control such prac
tices should improve pasture and
meadows, and tend lo alleviate dam
ages resulting from floods aloni: the
streams in the area. It is hoped to
induce the farmers to carry out im
proved forestry practices, such .as
systematic thinning, planting trees
land not suited for cultivation or
pasture. To accomplish these objects
necessitates the bringing together of
all the farmers within a watershed,
into an organization that has for
its purpose the controlling of erosion
aau incrvn.siiiK tuf production of
farm lands, so that the standard of
living in the area many be improved
Realizing the seriousness of their con- J
dition the farmers have expressed i
?heir desire to cooperate in stamping ;
out erosion, improving their farm .
lands and increasing farm incomes.
On August 30, 1940 the farmers
of the Tomotla Area met with the
County Agents and as a result, the
Tomotla Watershed Area was organ
ized The following officers were
elected: Chairman. J. S. Keener:
Vice-chairman, V. M. Johnson: Sec
retary. J. C. Wells. Special problems
of the area were discussed and the
following objectives were proposed:
Control Erosion and Increase
Fertility By:
1. (a i Establishing better pastures
and meadows by: (a) Use of lime
and phosphate. <b> Heavier seedings
per acre. <c> Keeping filth and hush- ,
es cut off. < d > Increasing acreage of
meadow and pasture. 2. Better for- |
est fire protection. 3. Building check
dams in gullies. 4. Strip cropping and
terracing. 5. Practicing better farm
management. 6. Include more le
gumes in rotation. 7.Heavier rate of
seeding per acre for small grain and
legumes. 8. Increase rate of fertili
zer per acre on small grain and use
a higher analysis. 9. Increase crop
yields and reduce acreage of row
crops, 10. Take land subject to se
vere erosion out of cultivation. 11.
Improve poultry flocks by culling
hens, using only purebred birds and
improve houses. 12. Improve quality
of all livestock. 13. Increase livestock
income by better methods of winter
feeding 14. Beautify farm homes and
repair other buildings.
The Tennessee Valley Authority
will supply calcium metaphosphate
and materials, cooperating with the
North Carolina Extension Service.
The Farm Security Administration
will aid in educational projects and
make loans for buying livestock,
home improvements and beautifica
tion. and purchase of land.
TiK" Federal land bank will be
asked to make long time loans if
necessary.
The Emergency Peed and Crop
loan association will make small
short time loans for buying seeds and
tertilizers.
Members of the County Soil Con
servation and Land Use Associations
are included in the personnel and
ihey will act as leaders of the com
munity in the promotion of the
watershed progress.
The Citizens Bank and Trust Com
pany will be asked to make short time
loans to buy livestock and machin
ery.
The Agricultural Adjustment Ad
ministration will furnish lime and
legume seed at a grant of aid and
incourage better farm management
practice.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
About 50 percent of the farm
homes in the Tomotla Area will run
above the average and are in good
condition. About 25 percent of the
homes are about average for the
county but need repainting and a
small amount of repair work. The
I other 25 percent of farm homes are
small boxed houses, unpainted and in
need of repair. They will run below
the county average.
The barns and out buildings in
'l.c area with the exception of about
six farms are below the county aver
i age and in need of repair. Fences
inclosing pastures are in good con
dition. but other fences arc In need
of repair.
The type of farming is mostly gen
i eral with the exception of two dairy
faims which milk a total of aporoxi
mately 60 cows. Four other farms
keep from one to five cows and sell
Krade B milk. The products for sale
are named in order of importance: I
Livestock, poultry and eggs. corn,
dairy products, truck, and small
grain. The principal livestock pro
ducts are cattle and hogs.
Corn yields in the area will aver
age about 25 bushels and small grain
will run from ten to twelve bushels
per acre. The yields are slightly a
bove the county average.
The farming land in the Tomotla
Area lies on both sides of the Valley
River and along small creeks and
streams that flow into it. "Vhc gen
eral topography is rolling mountain
slopes descending on both sides to
the Valley River, with the level land
lying along the river. The srrea is
bounded on the northeast by the
Marble Watershed and on the South
side by the Peachtree Watershed.
Murphy and the Hiwassec River form
the westward boundary and Fain's
Mountain forms the northwestern
and northern boundary.
The predominating soil type of
the farming is Congoree silt loam.
Cecil Clay loam, and some Haber
sham stony land. Although there is
some Talladega silt loam along creek
bottoms and Talladega slate loam on
cultivated upland. The mountain
land on the north side of Valley
River corsists mainly of Porters
stony loam and the mountains on
the south side are mostly Talladega
slate loam.
There are eight Farm Security ad
ministration loans in the area and
all are in good standing. These loans
will range from $80 to S150. There
are five Federal Land Bank loans
which will run from S1500 to $3000.
The tax delinquents in the area is
about the county average.
The area is well supplied with good
springs and well* Several cl the
homes have running water inside the
home using the gravity system.
The Nantahala Electric Light and
Power Company owns a rural line
from Andrews to Murphy which runs
through the center of the area. The
Southern Bell Telephone Company
also has a rural line that runs
through the center of the area from
Murphy to Andrews.
Highway No. 19 runs north east
and southwest through the area. The
County roads are all in good condi
tion The Southern Railway runs
parallel with the highway No. 19
through this area.
School children of high school age
are transported by bus to Murphy
High School. A two room elemen
tary school at Tomotl?. takes care of
the elementary grades.
Tomotla Baptist church located at
Tomotla is the only church in the
area.
All products are marketed througl
local buyers in Murphy. There ni<
two small drygoods and grocer
stores in the area. The two grad
A daries in the area market thei'
milk at Murphy and Copperhill
Tennessee.
There are five Unit Demonstra
tion farms in the Tomotla area Fou
of these are using Tripple Superphos
phate and the other is using Calcium
Mota Phosphate.
It is proposed that meetings be
held from time to time in the area
and the local papers will be used for
publicity r.r.d publishing results. In
addition the County Agents will make
Ijersonal contacts and assist in pro
gram planning and formulating bet
ter farm management practices. The
Watershed Committeemen will assist
In making out applications.
Land Classification and Phosphate
Recommendations
Group one prosphate supplied for
90 percent of acres in the following j
crops: permanent pasture, meadow
and alfalfa. Group two prospratc.
supplied for 80 percent of acres in
the folio wins: lespedeza. clovers, and I
crimson clover when turned under.
Group three phosphate supplied for
70 percent of acres in the following:
sweet clover, vetch turned under.
Group four phosphate supplied for
60 percent of acres in the following:
vetch and Austrian winter peas,
vetch, crimson clover, winter peas,
and small grain. Group five supplied
for 50 percent of acres in the follow
ing: crimson clover when not turned
under, soy beans and peas broadcast
when turned under.
A progress report will be filled
out by each farmer in the area at
the end of the year. The records
will be summarized by the county
agents and submitted to the state
I office. Meetings will be held in the
area to study the summaries of the
' progress reports. By following this
procedure it is hoped that future
farm and home operations may be
planned more intelligently.
It is our aim to hold an annual
farm tour and outstanding demon
strations will be given publicity
through the local newspapers.
This project will be conducted by
I the farmers assisted by the North
Carolina Extension service in co
operation with the Tennessee Val
ley authority. The Farm Security
administration will be asked to co
operate in educational work and in
giving financial assistance. Prom
time to time specialist in all line of
agricultural work will be asked to
visit the areas with the county agents
and make recommendations to the
farmers in t lie area. The personnel
will also include a watershed com
mittee composed of three farmers
and the county soil conservation amd
land use committee.
An average of 600 to 1000 pounds
of Calcium Meta Phosphate will be
used per farm each year. It is pro
posed that one ton of lime per acre
will be applied on approximately
one fourth the crop land tmd pas
ture each year. However, the rate
of application will vary from one
half tons per acre depending upon
the type of soil. Most of the lime
will be furnished through the AAA
program.
On steep and rough land the lime
and prosphate will be spread by
hand. The Cherokee County Soil
Conservation and Land Use associa
tion now owns three lime spreaders
which will be used by the Unit Dem
onstration farmers and Area demon
stration farmers for the distribution
of lime and prosphate.
It is planned that this project be
set upon a permanent basis. As a
result of this proposed project we
expect to stimulate better farm prac
tices. better farm management, con
trol. erosion, save more home grown
seed, red une row crops, increase
yields, increase livestock, increase
acreage of grasses and legumes, con
serve the soil, use this as an educa
tional demonstration so that adjoin
ing communities ma:.- profit from re
sults obtained, and finally to assist
this community to become self-sus
taining so that they will not hav?
to depend on outside relief.
o
Martins Creek News
Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Harper and
ilititr Betty Joyce, of At
lanta spent last week end with Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Ingram and family.
Mrs. M. I. Hall spent last week
end in Bellview.
Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Steward of
Murphy visited Mrs. Susan Corn
well and daughter. Rinda. last Sat
urday.
A large crowd of people attended
the singing at the Martins Creek
school house Sunday.
Mrs. J. B. Hall. Mrs. Jake Stiles
and Mrs. Ben Mern are ill at this
writing.
Mrs. Clifford Hall and Mrs. Las
sie Hughes were the birthday dinner
guests of Mrs. J. B Hall Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ingram and
son. Harry. Jake Stiles. Tommy Hall.
Kenneth Allen and George Phillips
visited Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mann Sun
day evenine.
Miss Birdie Allen has returned
from a weeks visit in Andrews.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cunningham and
children spent last week end with
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Carringer amd
Mrs. Margaret Carrringer.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ingram returned
Saturday from a visit in Etowah.
Carl Cunningham will preach at
the Glade church Sunday.
Mrs. Winona Hughes spent a few
days last week with her sister, Mrs.
J. B. Hall.
LOWER
PEACHTREE NEWS
Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Dockery of
Hangingdog visited Mr. and Mrs.
Emory Sneed and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Witt and Virgil
Clonts visited in Andrews Sunday.
C. D. Rogers spent Sunday with
Andrew Barton.
Miss Marie Gregory entertained a
number of her friends with a Hal
loween party Thursday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. John Donley of
Murphy visited Mrs. Donley's sister.
Mrs. Glenn Hendrix. Saturday night.
Mrs. Clcnard Sneed visited Mrs.
ANDREWS, N. C.
FRI.-SAT.. Nov. 8-9
John Waynr |n_
'West of the DjviH?"
SUN.-MON.. 4 Tl'KS , X?v. 1,.^
"Bocm Town"
Sunday 3:15 and 9:30 P m
Mon. and Turs., 3:15. 7 & 9;3| p a
THRILL FOR THRILL?"""
STAR FOR STAR...',he'
mightie?t screen cniertainnwm
of them all! A
Scr?n PUy by JoLn U* Mahtn . Bu*d <*
Story by ]<bm Edwaru Grant
Earn Stiles Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Loyd Hendrix. and
son Jknmy, were the guests of Mr
and Mrs. Clarence Hendrix Saw
day night.
Russel Sneed visited Miss Con
Lee Stration.
Miss Elouise Witt visited Miss
Marie Gregory Saturday.
Miss Mary Lou Ferguson visit?!
Mildred Hendrix Sunday.
Shady Grove News
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Aip and family
visited Mrs. Ella Arp Sunday.
Jamilee and G. B. Orton were the
Saturday night guests of Madia
Payne.
Mr. and Mrs. James Benton Ma
son and family and Everett Rice
visited Mr. and Mrs. Garthrell Mason
in Blairsvllle Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Pice spent Sun
day with Mr. and Mrs. Milt Rice.
Mrs. Christabell Rice and children
Modene. Clyde and Pauline were the
Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lee
Kisselburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Turner of
Loving. Ga. spent a few days I85'
week with their daughter. Mrs. Ben
ton Mason.
Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs
Will Payne were Bill Bryant. Mr. and
Mrs. Carl Standridge and children
Bobby and Mary Helen.
Miss Leona Moore spent Tuesday
night with Miss Maida Payne.
CRAMP AND BINC Explore the World of 1960 (Inspired by General Motors Futurama at World's fair)
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