'Personal Mention' of Farmer Work, 1950

'Personal Mention' by F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, as published in Extension Farm-News, January 1950

After a long and honorable and successful career, Bob Graeber has decided to call it a day. Bob entered State College in 1907 with total assets of $1.26 in cash and was graduated four years later with high honors. 

That’s been his record since. He has not been afraid of hard work, and his work has borne fruit. Much of his present-day interest in the farm woodlands of North Carolina has been due to his consistent hard-hitting, alert championship of trees. Now he has retired and we wish him luck.

The other day in the little Baptist Church in Oxford, the minister said “Behold in this City is a man of God. He is honorable man.” The preacher quoted from the words of King Saul, who had approached the town in which Samuel, the judge, lived. The words, however, were applied to Gene Moss, who died on December 12. Gene was the father of research with tobacco in North Carolina. More than that, he had studied the practical aspects of tobacco growing and had described them to thousands of visitors who came each summer to Tobacco Branch Station. Gene related his findings in words that could be understood. At the age of 72, worn out with years of hard work and honored by all who knew him, he passed to his reward. His neighbors came in great numbers to pay their final respects and they said simply he had been a servant to them all. A Moss Fellowship is being set up at State College to sponsor research in tobacco, and over $15,000 has been put into the fund up until this time.

Club Leader L.R. Harrill is back from Austria with interesting stories and many kodachrome slides. He believes the 4-H activity set up in Austria will stick and will become a permanent part of that Nation’s agricultural teaching. Mr. Harrill enjoyed many trips over Austria and says it is a beautiful land, rich in culture and history but with the people living too much on past glory. The South tried that for a long time, too. It doesn’t work.

Thanks to Less Schlup and Clara Ackerman for a piece by Bill Humphries in the December issue of the National Extension Review. The story about those Haywood County youngsters making an imprint in Iowa. Believe it or not, lots of people think anyone from the mountains of North Carolina is only a hillbilly, as they are so falsely depicted by some self-appointed interpreters. Perhaps as we sometimes also believe many of the people out there still live in so-thatched hovels while their livestock enjoys the comforts of gaudy, red barns. Both are in the past.

Our congratulations to Iredell’s Roger Murdoch and Wilkes’ Paul Choplin for splendid farm forest contests started in the two counties. Many idle acres in both counties are being reclothed in seedling pine trees.

Congratulations to Doctors Collins and Moore and to F.L. Albritton for 500 new membes in the State 100-bushel corn club, honored at the Crop Improvement meeting here on January 26 and 27. And to Wayne Corpening, again, for the State corn championship going to Dwight Willilams of Haywood. The Junior Championship went to Dale Gainey of Wayne and here, incidentally, is a big hand for Mark Goforth and his associates for that successful corn contest in Wayne for 1949. The celebration down there the other evening was one of the high spots of the 1949 corn year. There were 59 junior and adult farmers winning places in the 100-bushel corn club. This is the outstanding record for any county for the year. Governor Scot has challenged Governor Tuck for another corn “war” in 1950. The North Carolina Governor also intimated that he would like to start a little pasture contest on the side. Governor Tuck said that the corn war was one in which both sides won. It was a great occasion, that luncheon, in the Commonwealth Club at Richmond with Paul Sanders doing the honors and flanked by the two governors. Governor Scott handed over the trophy to the Virginia Executive but warned him about 1950. The luncheon was something to write home about, a fitting climax to a great undertaking.

Our manners to Claude Morgan of Granville. Claude is the new president of the North Carolina Association of County Farm Agents. Assisted by George Hobson of Mecklenburg, first vice-president; Otto Owens of Robeson, second vice-president; Charlie Clark Jr. of Onslow, secretary and treasurer.

A hand also to H.G. Silver, assistant to Virgil H. Holloway, Madison farm agent. Young Silver knows how to write a narrative report. He puts in punch and life as well as information.

E.Y. Floyd tells this editor that Lloyd Weeks is doing a great job of managing the North Carolina Flue-Cured Cooperative Stabilization Corporation. Anyone who can manage an organization with a name like that deserves all the good things that can be said about him.

The Holstein people report great progress. More than 448 new Holstein cows came into North Carolina in 1949, and that noise you hear is the squirming being done by the Guernsey and Jersey people.

Seed of North Carolina’s new disease-resistant tobacco varieties have been in heavy demand. “Let’s hope the new varieties act all right this year,” prays Dr. Bill Colwell, agronomy head. Tobacco, you know, is North Carolina’s fighting crop.

Orchids to Martin’s Tom Brandon and J.W. Sumner for a successful sweet potato contest in 1949 and five boys winning free trips to New York City. Lewis Gurkin of Griffins Township was tops. Thirty-one Martin County boys took part in the sugar spud contest and did creditable work.

Word drifts down from Surry County that Col. Neill Smith is all outfitted in a new suit of clothes to say nothing of other sundries and acceptable gifts donated by a grateful people for constructive work done in Extension last year. And he deserves them everyone.

King Cotton let the growers down last year in Cleveland, Rutherford and Polk counties to such an extent last year that they are included in the four disaster counties for this season, along with Henderson where unreasonable rains ruined things for the truck growers.

Much regret heard at the going of Dr. Roy Lovvorn to head up a division of weed investigations at Washington. Roy is one of the best agronomists in the Nation and his work with pasture crops here in North Carolina helped to get that great forward movement started. We shall miss him.

Don’t overlook Julian Glazener and associates when passing out words of praise. On November 25, Transylvania County became the first county in Western Carolina to meet its responsibilities for a 4-H cabin and for funds to operate the club camp at Waynesville. The cabin was built and completed with volunteer labor on November 8. Everyone had a part.

“Friendly atmosphere and gracious hospitality” is the way home agents tell of their many Christmas parties during the month of December. Wonderful meetings.

Don’t forget that Seth Scott of Pasquotank and Billy Cansler of Iredell won top honors and $200 college scholarships in the Junior Vegetable Growers contest in 1949. Both boys were honored at Washington.

Finally, Bill Hayes of Washington says he stopped vaccinating hogs long enough in December to hold his annual corn growing banquet. Prizes donated by the people of Plymouth ranged all the way form a pair of beautiful wool blankets to a shave, hair cut, shoe shine and free bath at Peoples Barber Shop. Dr. McGowan, local physician, donated a free baby, including the nurse, diaper service, and a little red wagon. The first prize winner, unfortunately, was an old batchelor who declared vehemently he was not interested in the little red wagon.