; Kenneth Hendrix Added Crop This Year
Irrigation
Helps First 4Cuke'
Crop
? Kenneth Hendrix this year grew
j 65 acres of cucumbers for the first
; time and has been more successful
? than average, judging by the
results. This has been in the Blue
Springs community of Hoke
County.
He said Thursday irrigating the
crop "probably paid off." His
harvest season, longer than the
average, and probably because he
irrigated.
Larry Locklear, Hoke County
Agricultural Extension associate
agent, said last week the regular
span of the harvest for cucumbers
i is about three weeks, starting
about the end of the first week ol
June.
Hendrix said his pickingv done
by 39 to 41 people, started aboui
June 5 and he expected it to con
tinue through this week and
possibly longer.
He said the 10 migrant workers
with the crews have been picking
seven days a week, and the others,
Hoke County people, many of
them Hoke High students, 5Vi
days a week. All have been work
ing eight to nine hours a day doing
the harvesting, he said.
Starting production this year
provided these extra part-summer
jobs. One of the harvest crews,
numbering 12 to 13 high school and
college students, is supervised by
Phil Summa. Hoke High physics
and chemistry teacher and wrestl
ing coaching, leaving to enter law
school.
Kenneth Oxendine supervises a
crew of 17-18, some of whom are
Hoke High students.
Hendrix is in a family operation
with his father. Earl Hendrix. and
brother Gary, helping this summer
on his vacation between semesters
at North Carolina State University
at Raleigh.
The Hendrixes also produce soy
bean*, corn, tobacco and honv
Locklear said the yield of corn,
produced on about 60 acres ad
joining the cucumber fields, would
reach about 120 bushels per acre,
because of irrigating done on it.
He said that without irrigation the
yield would be about 60 bushels
per acre. For evidence he pointed
to a corn crop in another field on
another farm. The corn appeared
to be less than half the height of
the Hendrix crop. Locklear said
the shorter corn hadn't been ir
rigated.
Hendrix uses a pivot irrigation
system that can water 50 to 60
acres at a time without being mov
ed.
Puddles from irrigating stand on road between tall corn on Hendrix farm.
Irrigating is credited with being the main reason the corn grew tall as it has
this season. [Staff photo by Bill Lindau. \
A crew ptckmg cucumbers on Hendrix farm Thursday morning. [Staff photo by Bill Lindau .]
Housing Tips
by Willie Featherstone, Jr.
Associate Agricultural
Extension Agent
FUEL-EFFICIENT VACATION
DRIVING
The cost of operating a car has
doubled since 1970 to over 25 cents
a mile for a full-size sedan. The
increased cost of driving adds to
inflation, weakens the dollar, and
^ threatens change in American life
? styles. Paying a little more atten
tion to the way we operate cars and
trucks and maintain them, can
hold the line or even reverse the
upward trend in vehicle operating
costs.
Here are some suggestions for
holding down fuel costs for vaca
tion driving:
1. If you, can. choose shorter
recreation and vacation trips. For
? more information and ideas, con
tact tourist information centers in
your own and neighboring states.
2. Eliminate unnecessary trips
while on vacation. Take along your
bicycle.
3. Before leaving, make sure
your tires are inflated to manufac
turer's highest recommended pres
sure. Buy a good tire guage and
check tire pressures, when the tire
is cold, regularly. Mileage can be
^ improved one percent for every two
pounds of tire pressure needed to
bring them up to highest recom
mended pressure.
4. If you need new tires, radials
will generally give three to five
percent improvement on gas mi
leage. Don't mix radials with
conventional tire# -? it can be
dangerous.
5. Decide whether you need a
? luneup. Poor gas mileage is a sign
that your car is out of tune and
needs adjustment. Hard starting or
stalling probably means a tuneup is
needed, but it may only mean that
the air filter needs replacing.
6. Start your engine without
pumping gas and drive away. An
idling engine gets zero miles per
gallon. Don't punip the accelera
tor.
7. Don't idle the motor for longer
^ than 30 seconds; then drive slowly
for the first few minutes. Turn off
the ignition any time a wait of more
than 30 seconds is expected;
8. Anticipate traffic lights, stop
signs and other stops K> reduce the
need for hard braking. Extra
Clothing
B.C. Moore's and Hoke Ex
? tension home economics join hands
to help Hoke citizens get answers to
their clothing questions.
Miss Anna Peelc and Mrs. Ellen
Willis. Extension home econom
ists, will be in the fabric depart
ment of Moore's store Friday. July
11. 10:30 - 6 p.m.. to answer
questions.
Do you know how much fabric to
buy. size of pattern needed, sizes of
machine needles and thread?
fc Friday is the day to ask these
questions.
braking wastes fuel and wears
down brakes and tires.
9. Drive within the 55 mph speed
limit. The most efficient speed for
new cars is 45 to 50 mph. Most
automobiles get about 18 percent
better mileage on the highway at 50
than at 65 mph, and 20 percent
better mileage at 55 than at 70
mph.
10. Avoid using air conditioning,
whenever possible. Closed car win
dows and open vents produce the
best fuel economy.
Wilkes County
Man Electrocuted
On Repair Job
A Wilkes County man was killed
by electrocution Saturday while
working on a fan at House of
Raeford here.
The victim was Frank William
Pierce. 25, North Wilkesboro.
He was killed while trying to
disconnect a 480-volt ventilator
fan, the accident report says. He
was dead on arrival at Cape Fear
Valley Hospital in Fayetteville.
Pierce was employed by Wilkes
boro Mechanical Refrigeration
Technology, Inc.
Women's
Softball
July 2
Rosa's Grill & Michael's Men
Shop 1 1
Picket Grocery 10
Hoke Jaycees 18
Hollingsworih's Barbers 5
Standings
W I
Hoke Jaycees 4 q
Hollingsworth's Barbers 2 2
Pickeil Grocery I 3
Rosa's Grill & Michael's Mens
Shop 1 |
Kenneth Hendrix \left\. Associate Extension Agent Lurry Lockleur. and Red Bone. Hendrix's companion, with
portable irrigation equipment on the road between cucumber fields Thursday morning. The equipment also has
been irrigating the corn crop. [Staff photo by Bill Lindau.\
The Guaranty's 26-week
Money Market Certificate!
This week's rate 8.614%
Available from July 10 - July 1 6
$10,000 Minimum
G
SAVINGS
UARANTV
a LOAN ASSOCIATION /
Fayetteville. Fairmont. SI Pauls. Hope Mills
Regulations prohibit compounding ot interest on this account.
WhyalOpm
laundry load is better
than 10am.
It won't get your laundry any cleaner.
Neither will an 8am load. Now, either time
could be inconvenient for you, but someday
it may make a difference in your energy bill.
In fact, everything you can do to cut down on the energy
you use between 10 am and 10 pm will help.
Because that's our Summer "Peak Load "period, the time
when the demand for energy is the greatest. And we must have
enough energy to meet that demand, no matter how high it gets.
So try to get by with less air conditioning during the day.
Try to take showers, wash clothes and dishes before 10 am or
after 10 pm. Conserve energy every way you can.
Because the more you get out of your energy dollar, the
more we can get out of ours. And the less our bills will have to go
up later on. ?
CF&L
Carolina Power i> Light