Farm News Around the State, November 1953

From the “Around the State” column in the Nov. 1953 issue of Extension Farm-News

ROWAN

Farm agents get quite a few unusual requests for information, but here is one of the most unusual Glenn Tussey, assistant in Rowan has received. “If you feed chickens rat poison and it doesn’t kill the chickens, will the eggs laid by the chickens be poisonous?” was the question lady’s question. A question to the lady as to why she desired this information brought the following answer: “Well, my neighbor won’t keep his chickens out of my flowers, so I fed them two whole boxes of rat poison, but it didn’t kill them. And the reason I’m asking about the eggs is that I buy them from my neighbor.”

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PERSON

Sometimes an almost forgotten farm project comes in mighty handy, according to C.J. Ford, Person County Negro farm agent. Ford explains that an 18-year-old timber stand on the farm of William Clay is now paying off in a big way. Back in 1935 he helped Clay thin a 16-acre stand of young pines. Clay was named the outstanding farmer of the year in Person for his forestry work, and his picture and a story appeared in a popular farm magazine. Clay’s health has been declining recently and he has been receiving periodic treatment at a Durham hospital. This cost money—more money, in fact, than Clay thought he had saved. But his son remembered the pine plantation. Part of the timber will soon be sold and should adequately cover Clay’s medical expenses.

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MACON

Seven Macon County communities were awarded more than $1,000 in prizes at the second annual Community Development Achievement Night held at Franklin on November 7. Prizes were donated by Franklin business men. First price of $400 in the Community Development contest went to Patton community; second prize of $250 to Carson; and third prize of $150 to Clarks Chapel. Lesser prizes were won by Oak Grove, West Union, Bethel and Prentiss. Thirteen communities participated in the contest.

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WESTERN N.C.

California may do some things better than North Carolina, but it can’t hold a candle to the Irish potato growers of Western North Carolina. Henry Covington, Extension specialist, reports that eight Watauga farmers have taken advantage of the ideal potato-growing climate of the mountains and exceeded the California average yield by 105 bushels per acre. The average yield for the eight farmers was 535 bushels per acre.

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MT. OLIVE

Hill Yount of Mt. Olive has used his head to stretch his pastures. Yount has diverted a stream of water so that it flows down over a meadow to which plenty of nitrogen has been applied. His cows were enjoying lush, tender foliage when most animals were finding it hard to discover a little green grass.

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DAIRY PRODUCTION WINNERS

R.M. Lefler of Willard is winner of the 1952 Efficient Dairy Production Contest. Lefler’s record is tops among the Dairy Herd Improvement Association members taking part in the contest sponsored in North Carolina by the Southern Dairies and Kraft Foods. His prize is $30 and a plaque.

Russel Oxford of Taylorsville, a member of the Alexander County DHIA, won second place, and J.R. Nipper of Raleigh, Route 1, won third; his herd is enrolled in the Capitol No. 1 DHIA.

Four other winners were also chosen. In order of their standing these are B.R. and G.C. Daniel, Blanch; Fred Bahnson, Winston-Salem; W.E. Cummings, Summerfield, Route 2; and W.H. Brake, Rocky Mount, Route 2.