Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / Sept. 11, 1936, edition 1 / Page 13
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THE STATE FARMER SECTION PAGE FIVE Fairfield County farmers are planting velvet beans to a larger acreage. Terraced land is profitable and cost of operation is l^!<« than expected. Gospel of Better Farming Little Stories of Big Import in South Carolina Progress BY A. B. BRYAN Gospel—That is, good news-—of bet ter fanning progress in the Palmetto State is being proclain»et! in practices in field and orchard, pasture and feed lot. This go<Ml news, written upon the land, so to speak, by progressive farmers under the guidance of agricultural leaders may be read through observation by the niass of other farmers. And is being so read, thanks be, to the advantage of all! Some typical bits of this good news, illustrative of various phases of iami ing progress, are given here so thar tlirough this newspaper’s columns the gospel of better farming may be more widely proclaimed. For the Land's Sake—Some five or six years ago. I went with a group of about 40 Cherokee cxjunty farmers over into the lespedtv.a section of North Car olina and spent two days studying thi.s crop. The next year all 40 of these men planted at least a small acreage in les- pe<leza. Other farmers watched the crop and liked it. Each year since that time the acreage has increased. Last year, 15 or 20 thousand pounds of seed were saved in this county, all of which has been sold to local farmers, and in addi tion, many fanners have gone over into North Carolina and Tennessee and bought seed. So 1 am safe in saying that a majority of all farms in the county have at least some lespedeza growing oji them this season. — S. C. Stribling, (.'ouniy Agent. Uome-Croivn fVori Stoci. — The Pickens county legislative delegation was asked by an interested group of farmers to purchase a jack and a stallion for the county, to be placed on the County Farm. A committee ap(x>inted by the delegation, including the county agent, to locate these animals, purchased a very fme jack and a young Percheroti colt and the people are very much pleased with our selections. We feel that this: is a forward step in livestock production in Pickens county, a.s wt have some Ho or 100 mares that we exptx't to use for breeding purposes. — T. A. lioivtn. County Agent. Improving the Sweets.—A great deal of interest has been shown by some Clarendon farmers in sweet |x>tato seed improvement. After several growers ac companied me to Florence, to hear the discussion at a conference on the sub ject, I placed about 75 bushels of pure seed anvong 16 men. We also got two fire-heated hotbeds under way during the early Spring.—F. M. Rost, County Agent. Big Money From Bithly.— Reports fromi a cooperative carlot poultry sale, made by Oconee county farmers in late March, shows that 40.^ patrons sold S,- 714 pounds of |X)ultry for ^^3,309.7^. This shipment brings the total tonnage of poultry marketed for the year to date to 62,756 pounds which has netted the 1,371 formers ? total of $io,<55S-73-— C. //. C riff in, (bounty Agent. Velvet Beans Galore.—I have always urged Fairfield county farmers to plant velvet beans, but the indications now arc that we will have a larger acreage this year than ever before. VW have ordered cooperatively S45 bushels of velvet beans. In many instances, our farmers will get a good farming practice pay ment on the acreage planted in velvet beans, as the vines will be left on the land. We have also ordered, cooperative ly, crotalaria seed. At least 4.(XX) pounds of seed were planted where only 4(X) ix)unds were planted last year. —R. If. Lemmon, (jounty Agent. Saving Valuable Soil.—There are more requests from Laurens County farmers for terracing through the grow ing season than the tractors will be able to handle, to say nothing of the re quests for this Fall. Every precaution is being used to see that the construction of the terrace meets the government’s specification and this one jwint is sell ing the importance of terraces to the fj(rmers more than any other thing we can bring to their attention. Tliosc farms that were terraced last Fall have proven to the farmers during the excessive rain this past W'inter that properly terraced land is pmfitable, and the cost of (>per- ation per acre is less than the farmers ex|)ected. — 6’. B. (Cannon, (Jounty Agent. Better Quality (Jotton.—We had uround kki entries in the cotton contest and most of these people have secureil seed from the breeders. These contests have aided in building up a better staple of cotton in Chi“sterfield county. \L L. Teal turned under five acres of Aus trian winter peas that would average 2.^ inches high. ITiis five-acre plot is in the cotton contest, with one-acre check plot adjoining. — J. C. fVillis, Assistant (Jounty Agent. For Better Pastures.—Eleven farm ers will cooperate in TVA pasture dem onstratioiis in Charleston county, with a total of 2,685 acres of pasture being fertilized with the triple superphosphate. Soil samples have been secured from this pasture land in order to determine whether or not lime is needed in addition to the suiH*rphosphate, in order to secure a maximum growth of the better per manent pasture legumes and grasses.— C. IV. (Jarraway, County Agent. Hogs Buy (Jorn.—J. Walter Johnson of the Ay nor section of Horry county has just completed a feeding demonstra tion of U) hogs, showing that hogs pay well for home-grown corn sold to them. The hogs made an average daily gain of 1.36 ptnuids over a period of 5S days. Mr. Johnson received $1.64 per bushel for the corn fed for this demonstration. His hogs sold for $10.75 hundred, which was tops on the Richmond mar ket that day. "The best market 1 have found for corn.” says Mr. Johnson.— V. M. Johnson, (Jounty Agent. Pig* on balanced ration* help to make balanced farming. Independence for Small Farmer 1 urmng from dependence on cotton, N. L. Lisenby, a Clu*sterfield. S. C.. county small farmer, is finding independence in production of various grain and other crops and livestock in addition to cotton. Corn, oats, wheat, syrup, cabbage, hogs, cows, and poultry are grown on Mr. Lisenby’s 65-acre farm first for family and farm use and then to sell for cash to supplement the 12 acres of cotton growing under the agricultural adjustment contract. “To make a living first for my faniijy and after that whatever can be grown for c;ish, ’ said Mr. Lisenby when asked to give his itiea for safe farming. (irain crops and the legumes that go naturally with grains have a big place in Mr. Lisenby’s practice, and these fit into his hog-cow-hen plan for consumption of home-grown feeds. For Seed and Meat Corn is grf)wn for tvxo si>ecial uses—to sell as seed and to tee<l to hogs for meat pro<luction. So with oats—about six acres, to sell as seed oats and to feed to work stock. Wheat, about five atres, tor sale and for bread. Soybeans, grown in corn and after grain, and also cowpeas after grain, not only provide grazing or hay for livestock but also help to enrich the land. For the land’s sake also Mr. Lisenby plants a rye-wheat-oats mixture in cxjtton fields to turn under. Also there is considerable stable manure to add fertility and humus to the soil for better yields of various crops. Ill the way of livestock, Mr. Lisenby produces hogs from two purebred Duroc sows; a number of heifers and young calves fn>m his family milk cows; and poultry and eggs from flcKks of Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks enough for family needs and considerable to sell. Mr. Lisenby is un able to till the deJiiand for his strain of DurcK Jersey hogs. Cabbage from a quarter-acre plot, fruit from a g(X)d home orchard, syrup from both sugar cane and sorghum—these are three further sources of cash as well as family fixxl. Family's Best Crop Showing the value of these various products as sources of cash as well as family and farm substenance, Mr. Lisenby's returns this year included: seed cx>rn, $75; seed wheat, $40; seed oats, $ux); hogs, $100; calves, $20l cabbage, $55; syrup, $25; poultry, $50. Granted that these cash items are not large, the total of $465 is a con siderable addition to the cash fro^n some 10 to 12 bales of cotton produced e;ich year on 12 acres. What makes it more worthy of attention is that this cash is from sales of surplus products produced primarily in a self-sustaining or live-at-home program of farming. Mr. Lisenby’s big family is the crop of which he is proudest It con sists of seven boys and five girls, who have been trained in farm aiid home experiences as well as in formal schooling. Such a family is not only a “mar ket” for much home-produced food but also a source of fine service in con- duc'ting the farm and family life.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 11, 1936, edition 1
13
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