By F.H. Jeter,
Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published Aug. 20, 1945, in
the Charlotte Observer and the Wilmington Star
From Iredell County comes the startling statement that the
most successful farmers in that section are those who are milking cows. This
observation is made by an old hand at the livestock game and one who was reared
on a livestock farm and has studied cattle for a number of years. He is Maury
Gaston, farm agent in progressive Iredell, where North Carolina’s only large
milk canning plant is located.
Those familiar with the state’s livestock history will
recall that Iredell farmers have been a long time in building their dairy
industry, and they did it gradually but in a solid, substantial sort of way.
They started by having pasture demonstrations here, there,
and yonder over the county. They would seed various mixtures of grasses and
clovers; fertilize them in different ways; seed them differently; and handle
them so as to learn how they would pay best in milk production. Then, they
organized tours and went in large groups to visit the different pasture plots.
Here the owner would tell exactly how he seeded and handled
the pasture and would give some of the results in terms of milk. The visiting
farmers could then see for themselves how the pasture was growing on that kind
of soil and under that method of treatment. Then they would visit another farm
and another pasture plot. Finally, after some years of this, the then county
agent, Ray Morrow, began to send to every farmer in the county a little printed
postcard on which he gave the treatment for pastures as found best as a result
of all the demonstrations.
It was not long until permanent pastures had been seeded
from one end of the county to the other. As the folks grew the feed, then they
began to add cows. Most of them specialized in the Jersey breed and began to
build up their herds as they could.
The 4-H Club members also bought purebred heifers and
purebred sires and began to start small herds of their own. Some of the fine
foundation stock brought from the Isle of Jersey by the Honorable Cameron
Morrison* were purchased by Iredell farmers.
They secured good animals from every source that was
available, however, and when the big commercial milk processing plant began to
look for a place to locate in North Carolina, the managers naturally went to
Iredell. This plant now has milk receiving stations at Shelby and at Albemarle
in addition to the great central plant at Statesville, and milk by the millions
of gallons are flowing into these three plants for processing.
But it all started through the small acre demonstrations of
pastures and in the faith of a people who believed that they could make a
success of the dairy business. It is no mistake to say that they have. Maury
Gaston succeeded Ray Morrow as farm agent when Ray went to manage Morrowcroft
Farm in Mecklenburg County, and Maury says that those who milk cows in Iredell
are the best farmers there. Their farms are in better shape; their homes look
better; and their standards of living are higher than for those families which
depend on crops.
BELL FARM
Woodrow Bell of Statesville, Route 1, for instance, is
regarded as a good example of one of the small progressive dairymen of Iredell.
He milks only 13 cows but he produces an average of 30 pounds of milk per cow
per day. This is a high average for any general farm herd, and keep this in mind,
dairying in Iredell is a general farm proposition. Mr. Bell is securing his
milk flow from grade cattle mostly and from pasture and feed grown on his farm.
He does use a high quality purebred sire with a good
production record behind him, and he is building up his herd through the use of
this animal. Mr. Bell says that his pasture is very good but that he does not
depend upon it entirely. He uses temporary grazing crops, as every progressive
dairyman should. On the Bell farm these crops are largely Sudan grass and
lespedeza. The lespedeza fields are fenced that when the permanent pasture
begins to be overgrazed to fall for any reason, the cows are switched to one of
the lespedeza fields.
All the work on this farm is done entirely by the family and
every effort is made to handle the cattle and the crops with as little labor or
hard work as possible. Mr. Bell is of the opinion that grazing crops and cows
make an ideal combination in saving labor and yet paying adequate cash returns.
His herd was started with one or two cows and is being gradually increased year
by year through saving the best of the heifer calves.
DOOLY FARM
Alfalfa is just about as popular in Iredell as are cows.
J.E. Dooly is now making preparations to plant an additional 30 acres of alfalfa
this farm. He planted 40 acres last fall and says it is the best crop on the place.
The land now being prepared for alfalfa has been in red clover and when Mr.
Dooly harvested his crop of seed this summer, he started immediately to work
the land with a tiller and bog harrow. A heavy application of limestone and
manure has been applied and the crop will be fertilized with 800 pounds per
acre of a 2-12-6 mixture to which has been added 30 pounds of borax per acre.
This borax is being used to prevent “yellows.”
Mr. Dooly says he will use 25 pounds of seed per acre and
will plant between September 1 and 5, depending on the weather. The farmer
bought his present place only about four years ago but he is making it into one
of the best in the piedmont section. During the past two years, he has
developed an excellent pasture ad has more than 70 acres seeded to a mixture of
blue grass, Dutch clover, and orchard grass. The pastures are taking care of 50
head of cattle at the present time.
And while we are on the subject of Iredell farming, let’s
not forget also that the folks there grow fine beef cattle. In fact, they have
a strong Hereford Breeders’ Association and right now they are making plans for
a big sale to be held at Statesville on November 24. Iredell beef cattle men
have some excellent herds and have furnished mush of the breeding stock now being
used as foundation for other herds in the surrounding counties. Like the
dairymen, however, these beef cattle folks say the secret of their success is
their attention to feeding and particular to the use of pastures and grazing
crops.
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*Cameron Morrison was
governor of North Carolina from 1921-1925. To read about him, see http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/governors/cameronMorrison.aspx or http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/131/entry.
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