“Carolina Farm
Comments” by F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, as published in
the Wilmington Star on April 24, 1944
Ten years is a brief period in the farming history of North
Carolina. It is possible, however, that since 1934 no other such decade of
farming progress has been recorded in this state. Ten years ago, our people had
it brought to them in an unforgettable way the result of mining the land of its
fertility and of allowing it to erode and wash away until many piedmont acres
would not pay for the rather meager cultivation which could be given them.
Washington reports with high satisfaction how the farmers of the nation have
increased production each year for the past seven, but in this state, farming
progress has been made consistently for the past 10 years. One who studies
North Carolina farming, even superficially, would notice this, while the person
who is primarily concerned tonight, beginning at 7:30 o’clock with farming
could see it happening year after year.
I am not sure that we have more milk cows on North Carolina
farms than we had 10 years ago but I do know that they are better cows.
Dairymen have bought purebred sires from the great breeding centers of the
state and these breeders, on the other hand, have scoured the country to buy
the best animals that could be secured. There are better animals on the
Morrocroft Farm near Charlotte today than were on the Isle of Jersey before the
Nazis overran it. This is true because Mr. Morrison bought the best that they
had over there. No better Guerseys are to be found in America than are to be
seen on the Clear Springs Farm owned by A.L. Brown of Cabarrus County. The same
is true of the Guernseys on Thurman Chatham’s Klondike Farm near Elkin in Surry
County, or on George Watts Hill’s Quail Roost Farm in Durham County. The
Ayrshires owned by Leonard Tufts of Pinehurst are tops for the breed as are the
Holsteins to be found in a score of places over the state. These Holsteins are
comparative newcomers to the North Carolina dairy scene but they have made an
important place for themselves.
Ten years ago, in 1934, we produced 145,581,000 gallons of
milk while this past year, we produced right at 175,326,000 gallons. This was
done despite high prices for feed and labor and was largely because of the good
cows on the farm and a better knowledge of how to feed and manage the cattle.
More and better pastures had a lot to do with this increase, although an
unprecedented demand also causes more farmers to produce milk for market. The
increase had been coming along gradually, however, through the 10-year period.
The same situation prevails with poultry. North Carolina has
been building its poultry industry very quietly and steadily until we are now a
poultry and egg producing state of national importance. For instance, in 1934,
we produced only 49,167,000 dozens of eggs. In 1943, this had jumped to
84,167,000, almost doubled. Cooperative hog shipments from the little markets
established by county agents, largely in eastern Carolina, have shown a
remarkable growth in the production of finished hogs for market. Beef cattle
herds are scattered from one end of the state to the other with fine herds of
Herefords leading the way curb markets established at some 37 centers by home
demonstration club women bring in excellent incomes and prove the
diversification of the farming operations.
We have been slow in planting gardens this season largely
due to the continuous wet weather. But the United States Census is authority
for the fact that of the first 100 counties in gardening in the United States.
North Carolina has 24. In other words, this state leads the nation in the value
of its home gardens. As a matter of fact, North Carolina has 19 counties out of
the first 100 in the nation in the value of farm products used at home.
Citizens of other states rave about what wonderful live-at-home programs they
have under way, but we have the facts and figures to show that no other state
does quite so well as we.
Then there is the little matter of improving our lands by
the use of legumes. The legume crops of soybeans, cowpeas, and peanuts for seed
increased from 386,000 acres in 1934 to 763,000 acres in 1943, while the
acreage for hay crops was 981,000 in 1934 as compared with 1,373,000 in 1943. I
do not have the figures for 10 years for the legumes used for plowing
understand for cover crops but it is a a fact, as shown by farm records of the
AAA, that the acreage of legumes and grasses has jumped from 484,688 acres in
1936 to 1,211,012 acres in 1942. The acreage to green manure crops increased
from 475,291 acres in 1936 to 1,786,430 in 1942. All of this tends to provide
more feed for more livestock and more fertility for soils depleted of their
supplies of organic matter. Acre yields of most crops, therefore, have been
steadily increasing. This shows that the North Carolina is rapidly becoming a
more intelligent farmer. His acre yield of cotton, for instance, jumped from
307 pounds in 1932 to 337 pounds last year. In 1942, this yield was 412 pounds
per acre. It will be recalled that 1943 was a very dry year.
The use of grounded limestone, the location of broad-base
terraces on the contour, and the hundreds of other small items which all add up
to successful farming have been practiced more efficiently during the past 10
years. The North Carolina farmer now knows much about plant diseases, insect
pests, protein content of feeds, the analyses of fertilizer and those other
things which bespeak of a good farmer. Along with him, his good wife also knows
more about home management, foodstuffs and clothing. True it is that 10 years
is a short time but in North Carolina, it has seen wonderful farming progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment