North Carolina Farm News, April, 1953

“Around the State” from Extension Farm-News, published in the April, 1953, issue of Extension Farm-News, published by N.C. State College

DURHAM

Eugene B. Britt of Route 4, Durham, a city worker, isn’t really a farmer, but he gets a lot of fun out of working with his even acres in the Bethesda community. His small farm is neat as a pin, fenced with woven wire and treated posts. He seeded six acres of Ladino clover-fescue pasture two years ago and bult a small fish pond. He raised a beef for his freezer locker and got enough hay from the pature to feed four additional steer calves. He top-dressed his pasture in January. Now he plans to use electric fences to divide it to obtain maximum grazing.

MECKLENBURG

Several “durn fools” gathered at the Baird farm in Huntersville community of Mecklenburg County recently to survey their handiwork begun 15 years ago. John L. Gray, in charge of Extension forestry, recalls that when these men had taken some worn-out cropland back around 1935 and planted loblolly pines, many of their neighbors had laughed at the “durn fools.” Today Baird’s loblolly pine is ready for its first thinning, and many of the trees will make five sticks of pulpwood.

IREDELL

When the Iredell County farm agent’s office received it long-awaited equipment for putting liquid nitrogen on small grain, applications were quickly made on 50 acres of the H.W. Wilson farm, Route 5, Statesville; 25 acres at the farm of N.C. James, and 35 acres on the farm of John Lewis.

TRENTON

Eight pigs per litter is a good average for any farm. But when a sow has 17 pigs at one farrowing, all a man can say is “gosh!” Bobby Johnson of Route 1, Trenton, a 4-H’er, has a sow that almost pulled the barnyard trick of the year by bringing 17 pigs into the world. His sow is half Minnesota No. 1 and half Hampshire. She was bred to a Minnesota No. 1.

MACON

S.W. Mendenhall, Macon County farm agent, recalls the time when it took a real selling job to get farmers to buy lime for their land. But things are changing rapidly he says. Recently three Macon farmers, Fred Hannah of the Patton community, Fred Sorrells of Cullasaja and Ed Bradley of the Iotla community, rounded up orders from their neighbors for the purchase of three 800-bag carloads. The savings to all farmers will be considerable.

SURRY

Surry’s sheep population increased recently when John Y. Stokes paid approximately $2,500 for 40 head of Montadale ewes. He purchased them from a farmer in Missouri. Although Stokes admits his knowledge of the sheep industry is strictly limited, he was wise enough to employ a veteran herdsman from Western Carolina. He has constructed a new barn and plans to increase his pasture acreage, according to James B. Caudill, assistant county agent.