War In Europe Presents Opportunity for Piedmont Farmers, 1940

From the October 9, 1940, issue of the Wadesboro Messenger-Intelligencer

Prof. F.H. Jeter, the Charlotte Observer farm page editor, said in his letter Monday that ordinarily I try not to preach or to urge or even to insist when commenting on the agricultural affairs of the State in this column. But here is one time I shall depart from the usual custom. I do so because there is a real opportunity for Piedmont farmers to make some money this year. There is also the opportunity to have a commodity which may be scarce and high in price next fall. That commodity is crimson clover and vetch seed.

The United States normally imports from abroad, largely central Europe, about one-half of its supply of this seed. Now that Mr. Hitler has set about gobbling up most of Europe and upsetting the normal course of life and commerce, the supplies of seed secured from that continent will certainly be curtailed if not stopped altogether. Certainly, people are not going to busy themselves with saving clover seed when they might better be saving their very lives.

Charley Brickhouse, district agent of the Extension Service, was in Washington a few days ago and found the agronomists and conservationists up there very much upset because of the outlook for clover and vetch seed. Enos Blair, extension agronomist, has also become concerned and only lately, I have had advices from Washington to the effect that if we didn’t save our seed of these two crops, we would have a hard time getting any.

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