“Carolina Farm News” by F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published in the Columbus County News, Chadbourn, March 22, 1945
Columbus is one of the very interesting counties of North Carolina. Potentially, I believe, it offers possibilities for becoming one of the best farming sections in the state. Within its boundaries will be found some of the best soil in the state. It is still rather heavily wooded despite the great lumbering operations which have gone on there for many years. It has great swamps which some day will provide feed and food crops in abundance. It is noted for its wildlife. Its people live a rather lusty life. They are pioneers, in a sense, because many of them are living on farms that yesterday are were in woods. And there are good farmers to be found all over the county.
I like to go to Columbus County because the people there do things, and they move without hesitation. In the past, woodland products, strawberries and tobacco have furnished the main income sources. But, make no mistake, the future will tell a brave tale of balanced farming, of livestock, of pastures, and a fine rural life.
For instance, J.P. Quinerly, the assistant farm agent, tells about J.W. Christianson of Lees township who operates 360 acres of cropland, and double-crops most of it. He plants and cultivates with machinery and harvests with cattle and hogs. Right now he has 350 hogs and 75 head of cattle grazing on early-planted grain and gleaning a 200 acre field of corn and soybeans. In one of his fields, the rows are a mile long with no stumps, ideal for machinery.
J.W. Soles is regarded as the grape champion of Columbus. From one acre of scuppernong vines, he sold over $1,500 worth of grapes last year. This winter he set out another acre of the delicious grapes with plants that he rooted himself. Tobacco is still his main money crop, however, and will be as long as the present high prices continue. Mr. Soles has to have a good income because he has two daughters in college and the grapes help him to keep them there.
Dan High is another good farmer who wants all his open land to pay him for his labor. Mr. Quinerly said he went to the High farm the other day and with the help of a level, two borrowed scoops, and the High tractor, Percheron mares and farm labor, a shallow pond was filled and Mr. High had another acre of fertile land toad to this particular field. The low place was fixed to that the water would not accumulate there again.
Then there is D.L. Jordan of the Western Prong section who made an average of 60 bushels of corn last year and has not made less than 50 bushels an acre in over five years. Mr. Quinerly says that Dave Jordan has reached this satisfactory yield by building up his land through the use of winter and summer legumes, by careful soil preparation, thicker spacing, sallow cultivation, and liberal applications of fertilizer supplemented with from 200 to 300 pounds of nitrate of soda around the corn when it is about knee high. David also produces about 1,700 pounds of good tobacco per acre, and he has hogs and beef steers to sell every year.
W.J. Bussey of Hallsboro has just bought a fine Holstein sire from the famous McEarchern herd at Wilmington. He plans to build a better dairy herd and to add to the 100 gallons of milk which he now sells every day in Wilmington.
L.H. High of Welches Creek makes money with hogs. He is not an “in and out” grower, according as the prices of hogs rises or falls, but he keeps about seven brood sows all the time and breeds them to farrow each fall and spring. He says the pigs come at the right time to glean his fields, to graze upon the fresh, green forage crops, and to grow up into healthy animals. He keeps parasites under control by strict sanitation and sees to it that his hogs get plenty of fresh water, minerals, and protein feed.
Other farmers of the county believe in keeping their livestock in good condition. Charlie Raper, the farm agent, says that over 400 work animals were treated at 18 clinics recently held over the county in cooperation with a local veterinarian. The men were so pleased with the results of the clinics that they asked for them to be made annual affairs.
The new freezer locker plant at Whiteville is meeting a real need. Practically all of the 553 lockers have been filled with nice meat and other farm products, and there is a waiting list of about 50 farmers who want to use the facilities. One farmer told Mr. Raper that he just had to have a larger locker because he had to take out 3 pounds of home-grown steak to put in four pounds of nice, home-made butter. The locker will be a great help in meat curing next season, and some farmers say that instead of trying to kill and cure all of their meat at one time, they will spread it out over the season since they now have a place where it can be cured without loss.
Columbus people are also very much in the poultry business. Flocks of 30 to 600 hens are to be found over the county and many growers plan to increase their flocks as they grow more feed. The whole county is moving forward in a steady, progressive sort of way. Bill Hooks, one of Columbus County’s progressive farm leaders, has already been selected as one of North Carolina’s master farmers and there will be others in the few years just ahead.
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