After deciding that a one crop
system of farming waa not «ound,
R. D. Simmons, Duplin county
farmer of Seven Springs, began
following a diversified system of
farming, and has set an example
that others might follow.
That is what L. P. Weeks,
county agent for the State Col
lege Extension Service, says a
bout the balanced and ' live-at
home farming program which
Mr. Simmons is carrying out.
This Duplin county farmer pro
duces about 90 hogg and 6 or 8
calves for sale yearly, Mr/
Weeks said, adding that most of
the feed used In raising these
animals is grown on the farm.
Mr. Simmons sold. 90 hogs this
year for |4,910, used 7 at home
! which were valued at $360, and
i has 5 sows on hand now with 48
young pigs. During the year, he
bought no grain and is now har
vesting 50 acres of corn which
is averaging 58 bushels per acre.
The only feed bought for-his hog
crop this year was 2 tons of tank
age, and 1,000 pounds of fish
meal.
.Six calves, which were sold
this year, brought him $400, Mr.
Weeks said. He maintains a lay
ing flock of 65 hens and is gath
ering 3 1-2 dozen eggs dally. The
male birds from his yearly flock
of chicks are eaten at home or
marketed locally.
In addition to the 6 acres of
permanent pasture on the farm,
Mr. Simmons seeded 2 1-2 acres
in the spring of this year to a
mixture of ladino clover, orch
ard grass, lespedeea, and red top
clover. His cattle, hogs, and work
stock get a good portion of their
feed from these pastures and in
terplanted legumes in his corn
field. For temporary grazing and
a cover crop, he seeds 40 acres of
small grain each fall.
The cash crops on his farm
this year consist of 15 acres of
tobacco, and 9 acres of cotton. A
three-year crop rotation is fol
lowed which is planned to maln
I tain and build the fertility of the
| soil, Mr. Weeks said.
J Storage holdings of apples as
of January 1 were reported at 30
million bushels as against about
27 million on January 1, 1947.
While apples are grown in nearly
all sections of the United States
and distribution is general, the
increase in apple holding over
last year is largely on the west
coast, the US DA has reported.
"Biology and Control of the
Plckleworm" to the title of a
technical bulletin just published
by the North Carolina Agricul
tural Experiment Station.
Dr. B. B. Pulton, professor of
entomology at the Station and
author of the bulletin, says that
there are other peats which limit
the production of the cucurbit
crops. But none appear as regul
arly year after year as the pickle
worm. The pest has an uhusual
ability to spread northward each
year, though it hills out during
the winter. It also increases in
numbers at a very rapid rate dur
ing hot weather.
The first larvae of the pest
usually appear from July 6 to
18 in the Raleigh area, the au
thor states. But in the west and
north, it's usually a little later.
Cryolite dust has proved to be
I the best insecticide of the many
materials which have been test
ed, Dusting should start immedi
ately after the first pickleworms
are found. A. weekly dusting is
satisfactory, but a shorter in
terval give8 bettor control, es
pecially In rainy weather*. i
If the crpps are picked just
before dusting, Dr. Pulton finds
that the residue is not serious,
except /perhaps on small. cucum
bers. The residue is easily remov
ed by rain or by washing. Early
crops usually escape injury. Fall
crops may escape for a time if
no early crops are produced
nearby.
Copies of the bulletin, which is
entiled "Biology and Control of
the Plckleworm," are available
to the public free on request.
Write to the Agricultural Editor
at North Carolina State College,
Raleigh, and ask for a copy of
Technical Bulletin No. 85.
| ji *Q-» ' u.j. „
1947 Was Good
Year For Swine
. The North Carolina Swine
Breeders' Association conducted
16 purebred hog sales during
1947 and sold £54 hogs for $36,
257, according to Jack Kelley,
Extension Swine specialist at
State College.
Mr. Kelley stated that this was
quite an increase over the 1946
sales when 136 hogs were sold
for »13,174.
The highest average received
for purebred hogs during 1947
was obtained by breeders from
Forsyth county when they con
signed 11,, hogs to the national
sal# at Centerville, Ind., the
specialist said. These hogs sold
for jy.ST?,-pr- wg- aTerage of
1215.63 per head.
Plans for next year's sales
hare already been made, Mr. Kel
ley said, and the list of sales in
clude the following: Berkshire
Sale, Southern States Fair Ground
at Charlotte, January 29; Duroc
Sale, "Worsley's Livestock Market
at Rooky MOunt, Februalrr 10;
All Breed Sale, Benthall's Lire
stock Market, Rich Square, Feb
ruary 26; and All Breed Sale,
Sawyer's Livestock Market, Elis
abeth City, February 26.
Not. only Is the Association
planning these sales, Mr. Kelley
said, but they have set up the
following four point program to
be carried out this year: improve
purebred hogb by production test
ing; use pasture to prevent
worms and diseases; 1 consign
only outstanding hogs to pure
bred sales; and, take part in
county and district fat barrow
shows.
o
Much natural gas is odorless
and has to be supplied with an
odor before being used by the
public because of the leakage
dangers.