By J.R. Sams, County Agent
Polk County Fairs for 1921
Arrangements have been made for a community fair to be held in each of the six townships in Polk County. The officers have been appointed and the premium lists are in the hands of the various secretaries. And, by the way, the good ladies of Columbus township had these premium lists prepared and paid for out of their own funds and gladly present them to the other townships as a neighborly act.
Now for the fair itself. What will they be? Just what the officers and citizens of each township make them. Without active work on the part of the officers and committees these fairs will be small affairs; and without the cooperation of the farmers and other business men, they will be nothing. One thing in particular we desire to accomplish this year is to make these fairs more educational. We want to make them real agricultural schools, in which we can all make a first-hand study of standardization of commodities for cooperative marketing. We also want to make them greater means of social development in the county. We want the town people this year at these fairs, to meet the people who live in the country and know each other better. And still another great object this year is to collect the best of all these fairs and have a Polk County exhibit at the state fair to be held just after our fairs will close. To this end, we want every farmer in Polk County who has county pride to take part in these affairs and especially to exhibit the best corn, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cow peas, soy beans, and small grains. We want to make a specialty of corn at the state fair; so bring your prolific corn, your big single eared corn, white corn, yellow corn, red corn, speckled corn, sugar corn, pop corn, and just corn. We want to show what Polk County can do in the way of making corn. Now all together pulling for these fairs and for the Polk County Farmers Federation and the next thing you know, we will be the foremost county in the “Old North State” in cooperative work. Why not be first in something?
What to Do Now?
Fodder pulling is right on hand, yes, fodder pulling. It’s awfully expensive, but pull you will, so “Go to it.” Save all the fodder, shucks, straw, cow pea and soy bean hay possible, save all the cane fodder, cane heads, Johnson grass, hay and all other kind of grass and legume hays that can be cared for now while it can be saved, and save that hay bill next summer.
Another thing to do now is to prepare to plant a crop of wheat this fall. As I said last week, prepare the land well, sow good seed and sow before it is too late, and sow only land that will make wheat, or do not sow.
Still another thing to do is to take care of all the cow peas, soy beans, sweet and Irish potatoes, and all other crops, especially the sorghum crop. Now this will take up all the dry weather available this fall and on rainy days. Repair the cowsheds, poultry houses, pig pens, etc. Now this will beat burning gas unnecessarily, going to town when you have no business or whittling on goods boxes at the cross road store or pitching horse shoes in the village streets. Try it and see how it will work.
Once More Pastures and Gullies
Every farmer in Polk County will take notice that we have declared war on gullies in Polk County. Let farmers in Greens Creek township call on W.B. McSwain and Frank Giles and other farmers who have done some gully stopping, and see how it is to stop them and catch the gully stopping fever and go home and do likewise. It is really discreditable as a farmer to have a single gully on the farm. Now here is the way the thing is done. As a general rule the most gullies are found on that portion of the farm that has been worn out growing corn, cotton continuously and thrown out and called a pasture; which in reality is nothing but a waste place where cattle over exercise themselves starving to death. Right now during the last days of August and September is the very best time to stop these gullies and do another best thing on the farm. That is to cut all trees, bushes, briars, weeds, etc., on these waste lands and put them in the gullies and spread them on the bare places where no vegetation is growing and just wait two years and see what will happen? Then sow some redtop and white clover over all this cut over old land next February and you will have a pasture within the next two years worth looking at and worthy to be called a pasture.
Then another good thing in this connection and if you will go over to John Gilbert’s farm near Columbus, you can see better than I can tell you what this is. When I went over to pay him a visit I thought a cyclone hurricane or something had swept down from white Oak mountain and had demolished all the bushes on his farm. Now just keep your eyes on Mr. Gilbert’s place and during the next two years see those thicket clad branches be transformed into pastures of living green, on which beautiful fat cattle will be browsing. Now every body get busy and stop the gullies, clean up the road and branch bank and make some Polk County pastures equal to those found anywhere.
From the front page of the Polk County News, Tryon, N.C., Sept. 3, 1921
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