TOBACCO MARKET EDITION THE ENTERPRISE TOBACCO MARKET EDITION VOLUME XLIV Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, ESTABLISHED 1899 Farming In Martin County Without Cash Crops In 1860 ?^ Diversified Farming Was Pronounced Then Farmers Of County Knew Nothing Of Peanuts or Tobacco Ten Crop* Were Crown ami Stork Wan Plentiful On Farm* in County . ? ? Despite the progress made in agri culture during recent years, the cold facts recorded in the old records prove that present-day farmers can go back ninety years and learn some thing in the way of diversified farm ing. Possibly the sailing was hard in 1850 for farmers in Martin County, but a review of census figures for the period gives mute evidence to the fact that this was a land of plen ty possibly without the modern con veniences. Tobacco and peanuts were unheard of, or at least there wasn't a stalk of tobacco or a bunch of peanuts in-; eluded in the farm program of that , day ttt this couTTtyr-But thc farmers ran the scale when it came to other j crops. Strange as it may seem, the cash crops as we know them today hardly figured in the farm program ninety years ago. While the common | rule today is to argue over tobacco | and peanut and to some extent COt ton allotments, the farmers of that period embraced a balanced sched ule. With no tobacco or peanuts to trouble them, the farmers first cen tered their attention on food and feed crops and livestock Cotton was grown on a very limited scale, the 1850 census showing that only 89 bales were produced in the county that year. When it came lo other crops, the farmers of that day pro duced far more in proportion than is produced today, It-is-fairly apparent that corn was the ranking crop, the report showing that 267,477 bushels were produced in 1850 There were 2,860 bushels of wheat produced. Oats and rye were grown in fair quantities The sweet potato crop, believe it or not, held a ranking po sition in the farm program. 119,067 bushels having been produced that year. Then there were 6,462 bushels of Irish potatoes. 38,307 bushels of peas and beans, 3,528 pounds of hon ey and beeswax, 12.067 pounds of ?butter. To round out the farm-pro gram as far as food was concerned, I 850 POPULATION I ^> Ninety years ago there were 8.307 people in Martin County as compared with 26.111 in 1940. The population was made up of 2.355 white males and 2.262 white females; 152 free colored males and 171 free colored femalos; 1, 758 male slaves and 1,609 female slaves. The population in this county while Increasing fairly steady in the past century is now only about three times greater than it was in 1850. Xhtr county produced 2.365 pounds of rice. Volumes have been written in the past decade or two about milk. It is apparent that the farmers of ninety years ago in this county talked lit tle about milk?they had milk. The census shows that there were 1,925 milk cows, or more than two cows for every family living in the county I at the time. As for the livestock pro | gram, the 1850 farmers were so far | advanced that present-day farmers Should feel ashamed of themselves. In addition to nearly 2,000 cows, there were 500 steers, 5,023 "other cattle," 6,945 sheep and 21,680 hogs. The horse was the accepted work an imal, the census listing 1,122 horses ag.unst 292 mules The order has been reversed during tin- Interven-, ing years and now the tractor is' stepping in to effect a reversal of the present order. There are new inova tions, but it is fairly apparent that the farm program has got to go back almost a century and pick up some of the things it cast aside before it can get anywhere. Farm prodcution for 1850 is com pared with that for the year 1939, j as follows; 1850 1939 : Wheat,-bu; 27666?f 120 Rye. bu 50 310 Oats, bu. 4,165 20,480 Corn, bu 267,477 361,800 Rice, lbs. 2.305 Cotton, bales 89 4,856 Wool, lbs 10,647 Irish. Potatoes, bu. 6,462 88,890 Sweet Potatoes, bu 119.067 212,740 I Honey, lbs 3,528 500 The cotton production is for the year 1940, and the honey production is estimated for the year 1939. Peanut production in 1939 amount ed to 23,144,000 pounds as against MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL OF YKSTER-YEAK The above picture of the Jamesville School was taken about 1905 and is about one of the best of its kind available today. It is reproduced here through the courtesy of Mrs. Pattie Wallace, of Jamesville. Professor A. Corey and Mr. Wendell Hamilton identified the young group as follows: Top row, leff to right: Charlie Woolard, -Pearl Davenport. Pugh Ward, Minnie Bailey, Ella Stubbs, Connie (iriffin, llenry 1). Ilardison, Roland Stall ings. Dock Ilardison, Tilly Ward, Mary Ilassell. Next to top row: Cucian Ilardison, Kathelene Wallace, Annie Mae Allen, Julian Ilassell, John nie Mobley, (irady (iurkin, Mayo Stalling. Burnie Mar Kajtan, Blanche Davenport, Irene Stalling*. Third row: Willie Mobley. Carrie Ward. Kffie It row n. Marie Stalling*. Helen Bailey, Marion Jaek son. Paul Ward, Joe Davis, l.illie Bell llardison, Wendell Hamilton, Perlie Modlin, Odie Itoweii Fourth row: l.illian Davenport. Stella Hooks. Wil lie Bowen. Kuth Koberson. Ruby Allixood, Sudie Koberson, Teddy Jaekson, Fannie Warrington. Bottom row: Zeno Daven|N>rt, Hunter Davis, Janie Itrown. !>lable Sykes, Myrtle Coltrain. Seated: llildah Ward and A. (drey. Cured Leal May Carry Diseases The Kentucky Agricultural Exper iment Station, in a bulletin on to bacco diseases, says cured tobacco is the source of most of the mosaic.in fection of tobacco plants before and during transplanting Therefore, men working around the plantbed should not use natural leaf for chew ing or smoking. Pockets should be brushed out, if natural leaf has been carried in them, and plug or twist tobacco substituted. Pipe smokers should use canned smoking tobacco rather than natural leaf. Manufac tured cigarettes probably are safe. It is preferable, however to use no to bacco whatever when working in plant beds. none-at all in 1850. In 1939, there were 15,865,943 pounds of tobacco produced in this county as compared with not a single pound in 1850. Rules of the Road . . . ON DIM!MIN(? liKiHTS Sec. 04. Motor Vehicle Laws of North Carolina "The head lamps I of motor vehicles shall hi' so con structed, arranged and adjusted that they will at all times and un Uto- normal atmosplmie conditions I and on a level road produce a driv ing light sufficient to render clear ; ly discernible a person two hundred feet ahead, hut any person operating a motor vehicle upon the highways ' when meeting another vehicle, shall so control the lights of the vehicle j operated by him by shifting, de pressing, deflecting, tilting or dun tiling the head light beams III such manner as shall not project a glar trig or dazzling light to persons in i front of such head. lamp." In other words, dim your head lights when meeting another car on Average Acreage r r On Farms Higher P North Carolina's nvnagc farm in 111411 was 67.7 acres. 01 $2 acres above the 1930 average, basted on j the United States Census,*reports T I. Stuart^ junior .statistician of the 'State Departinen of Agriculture l.and in farms last year totaled I 18,816,338 acres in North Carolina, or about four per cent more than re ported in the 1931) census," he add ed. "The average value per l.uin was $2,047 last year compared with | $3,018 in 1930 The average value per acre for 1940 decreased during the 10 year period from $46.75 in 1930 to $39 051 in 15)40." the highway at night The law re quires it, courtesy suggests n safety demands it. Better Living On The Farm Is \ Possibility Martin County's housing fa cilities wore perfectly balanced with the needs in IH"?0 according to census hmires for that year. families. \|/paretitl\ there were no apartments, hut more than like ly large families lived in the homes of that da> is a rule Housing facilities of that da\ would offer a startling com pa i isou to those of today when |h*o pie live on wheels, in shacks, lofts and cellars, deserted stores' and business buildings, with "'many* having no hifinr Ttirtt? \ Master Tanner \nd I lis Tenants SpcaU? ?< ol Ill plans fol ledupinu C\pc?l- . .III! I T If I ' . IS III I ? lit Til' lilt Clinic illll III:'. P. Ml. Ml 1 I !?*,???*;? I K M M' .ii- 1.1 Mn i S , m .i li'ti.i i i" '('I!.?IT ? i ? FaTlfver. presents I11c~T< ? 11 o \v j n u d d i?,is nil laiutU?item f??1 lowed on ni\ farm I find thai hi -l of all. a pi, u lu at vv oik nig relation ship should In hi. opt i,iti ~Th.i a >ti im (|o.iltn lUP 3n eel itv oT any ai ipiiin ail a pn i. i still id if ig entered ililA^i l.ittMK I" "in {business Therefore Jliiouuh sin.li ah undehdandiiu; th. major it.v il ! iijj alios have i. maiiii I? \\ ilfi m- loi i number nf \ ai t hav I ft 1 that it \nas i?i> iiai\ ,i. i ' ? 1 i to improve Ihe liv I ; vj.|MI le'l Oil my farm m ? \ ? i \ \\ iv po. ? ih l.y providing cd ; i . \V ' this m ininil a pioi'j .ii fot I'm: line. ahd repair h.i l,?. ? ii in operation I'm I pni taut both I" in? and l ai'ni I aim I til's uu?rrn?farm h.e. boon?H'o pie? Ura.ru !"i pi oduel imr ol I >od ,nd fe< I i I i <11111 ( IIH III. A - n il. . land , I I needed to grow food and veg? l aid, i raps for hunie u ? t provided Wait 1 ree ftven thnut'.h ill "I t\u d?0Vc conditions an nn 1 I nils --all lacl.oi lK. I have level felt that I ai m mi; could be slice. Inl unless th> pi in t iph ol ell help anil hard work v\ a employed a.-, a continuous in .tltution on the part o| each farm family The I e ale Ilia I. I lal/rnei Hi Mai ' 1111 County?brrl?b-w?ha Vt?!?? ? it?u-j? ugnized Veil l> I rjjnil To Divnsilv lYojnam t ()n Farm In Future \i u I'rograif) 4 all- for I*ii lure*. Mini I iN? -lo? k am! Muir l imil l rril i rop* U\ (.1 A \ i VKIIU 1.1 1 v ? i! a..V. r! . r. ive ' ? ! ? \|"! 'I el" 111# ' ?' ?- II I i . < ill' 'I r I t< >.t)UCOt> i ?f?-i > i ? w h< i ? |'i?r crops n v- l,ii.in [kin Tin- ictvagr '?'lb '? ' : '111'- to the,. " ' . < Ml. 1 ?> . t h. V cul i ! i:!-i t it rcforc : i i\ o'liiin ? I ii' lai'inv-rs t>f ' i- ii. i \ ii r i"i.i 11hi the Cam 1 i " \ hum . 11 a 11 ? and ? i . f t it'll-n k, t i, p diver ' I'l-niiK" in 11jii>.1 particu ih i' n >t -iily mean . ' ? it. i .it .Midi !,iiim'but crops i nn dl I i ii v i' .'Me < M-.ii every m .. Hi ' 'M > -.ii- S. 'in?' ui'iMMy is '? 1 ' i ,..ii_iu?-ii.LATiiLK ,t well ! ? ? iH'thj i?i; tin pilldia.M of rv. .. it 111.-....I l>. pr<>duc ? ?I -"i ii I hi" Snn ? . t ftul.d.K-s, on \ vii,i1 loi ilie home I-.'..id. Mi?d i" yCpriv ' 'i*??I demarids. 'V I I p.rlcll I?>I H ut.'. 1 .11)4 ppul U V I'M' ' Mi-VHHpl ("tt lM(i ft If >mTJ\ Mild "i vciiil limrt- or. i atrtv would ~ i? i- i.Tii M ' nOii,' ? .nditioiv ? 111i *? ? ?1 ?.11 ?( belts. Ol hi - in l lit-. 1 iniil> should f. in . . mii1- '' n i i?.. . v. milk i -i m ii,. j tN health. j i '? 11>j, i". ,1 'h:? i. 2'),000,000 peo i f in n- ? ? i? ?'1 n today n ? Lixiriij ,l' \ > ? . 1 ' j" i ??.i! \ ? ? i> 'lib1 u*in v ? 1 ? people ai'e* Livodg i'H ? ?.11 . i ? .,a. - i ' mm iarniM in ? 11 l.'ii i \' ? i me, . i i'otn 11 11111.|' I il I"! I M -Miatlon -liouitt lu'l be pi uniLLi_d. Lu_ cuiiUnue in tlifc* ? 111'i?i i d, j11 i i ' ' , "i home -oppl"- . '-'-hrr:: : !? liuiMiu ii , i? K'k en the (arm Hi i.il.N I ?' I I r i l- jllil. Uu.ll |.M lilies I ! M I III CI ' 'I ? t I ( 11 f I'l'lli, 111 .ul , I ! I I I , t il ?' 1 Ull Ui! I 'm ' ' M 1- III i !||. I' . ' d ] I.IN ' 11 ? a ' .iV > In eli i "y t1 i f II.. I . It .civ It: .1 ? ? 1 l"t tile .I. i ? i ill.111 I 11 iii iii;|?l11 1 -? liul viin I, i |.I - n t . .Htddic.i. Nv-ifh in I r i i'd ii, In :l i iL ? m ; ? n 11 el and. < (' .ntmii. d .?r. I,, i [.'..I,- iin .A i it>nb_ Security Registered POLICY Will Provide for Your Family K When You Are Called Away Ami - Will Guarantee An Income for Youl & Yours When You Become Old & Grayl ?SEE Leslie jTowden fJ. Paul Simpson Garland f.oltiain Representing SECURITY LIFE AND TRUST COMPANY TELEPHONE 97 WILLIAMSTON; NORTH CAROLINA. J