Where Town and Country Really Meet in Wayne County, 1938

"Homemaking Notes for North Carolina" by Ruth Current, State Home Agent, December 1938 issue of The Southern Planter

The Wayne County home demonstration club women have a perfectly beautiful curb market. I have heard Dr. McKimmon speak so often of our big markets, but I was really surprised to see just how big this one is, and more surprised to see the large number of sellers and customers.

The sellers are required to wear white uniforms. Happy smiles wreath the faces of the sellers as they stand behind their wares and wait on their customers. This is where town and country really meat, and I would not say just for buying and selling, for it was just lovely to stand back and watch the good fellowship.

This market, no doubt has contributed to a better understanding between the rural and town women because of their meeting there. Both groups are mutually benefitted by the services of the market.

I could not check on everything that was offered for sale that morning, but the following is what I observed:

Anything in pork or beef line, live or dressed chickens, vegetables of all kinds—some of them with the dew still on. Collard leaves were tied in little bundles with a pod of red pepper, spinach, turnip greens and young turnips with the tops, green beans, limas, cornfield beans, sugar peas, new potatoes, raw sweet potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes! One woman had yeast dough weighed out in pound batches, wrapped in oiled paper. Cakes—all kinds. Cookies and chess pies. I have not mentioned half of what was there. This particular curb market brings in over $20,000 per year.

Other big curb markets are in Fayetteville, Wilson, Rocky Mount, and Durham. Curb markets are under the supervision of Mrs. Cornelia C. Morris, Extension Specialist in Food Conservation and Marketing, State College, Raleigh.

Mrs. Estelle T. Smith is district agent for the Southeastern District. Goldsboro is in this district, and I think she keeps close watch over this market.

Mrs. Smith took me to see the first freezer locker, which is located just outside of Goldsboro. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are stored here by farm families for winter use. These lockers cost $10 per year per family. There were 55 lockers in this unit.

I also saw a potato house with 14,000 bushels of cured sweet potatoes for the Wayne county farm families. I hope soon to see freezer lockers and potato houses in every county in North Carolina.

CAKE RECIPES FOR THE CURB MARKET

WHITE CAKE

1 cup fat

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1 ½ teaspoon flavoring extract

6 egg whites

Cream fat, add sugar gradually, creaming until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture. Add flavoring. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Mix to smooth batter. Pour into greased, paper lined layer cake pans. Bake 35 minutes in moderate oven (350 degrees F.). Yield: two 9-inch layers, or one cake 9 inches by 2 inches by 18 inches.

GOLD CAKE

1 cup fat

2 cups sugar

6 egg yolks

3 1/3 cups flour

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk

1 teaspoon flavoring extract

Cream fat. Add sugar gradually, creaming until light and fluffy. Beat egg yolks and add to creamed mixture. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to first mixture alternately with the  milk. Add flavoring. Stir into a smooth batter. Bake in greased, paper-lined pan in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 1 hour. Yield: 1 cake 9 inches by 2 inches by 18 inches.

SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING

2 cups sugar

5 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 egg whites

Combine all ingredients in top of double boiler. Mix thoroughly with a rotary beater. Place over rapidly boiling water. Continue beating until mixture holds its shape when dropped from beater. Remove from fire. Continue beating until cool enough to spread.

Seven Minute Mocha Frosting may be made by using brown sugar and strong coffee instead of white sugar and water

QUICK CARAMEL FROSTING

2 ½ cups brown sugar

1 ½ cups top milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

 ½ cup butter

Combine sugar with milk. Stir until well mixed. Cook until syrup forms a soft ball in cold water. Add butter and vanilla. Remove from fire and cool until lukewarm. Beat to spreading consistency.