University of South Carolina Libraries
v- / i THE CHRONICLE Strives To Be A Cleon Newspaper; Complete Newsy and Reliable ®hp (Minton Ctynmirlt If You Don't Read THE CHRONICLE You Don't Get the News Volume LI Clinton, S. C, Thursday, December 7, 1950 Number 49 <9 % ■1 4 t 9 V REVIEW GIVEN OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN LAURENS COUNTY Charles Babb Cannon, son of O. F. Cannon and the late Martha J. Cannon, Honea Path, was born March 15, 1&98 on a farm at Gray Court, S. C., RjF.D., Laurens county. After completing his high school ed ucation at Honoa Path, he entered Clemson Agriculture college an<J graduated with a B.S. degree in Ag ronomy in 1922. He taught school two years before entering the Extension Service. County Agent Cannon entered Ex tension work May 4, 1925, serving a short while as assistant county agent in Clardon county, and as county agent one month in Horry county, then transferred to Laurens county as county agent, July 27, 1925, the posi tion he still holds. Cannon Recites Progress Mr. Cannon made the following observations on the agricultural progress of the county during the 25-year period. In the early days, the county agri culture program was not very def inite in its objective, nor was there an organized agriculture committee A volunteer county agriculture com mittee of 117 men, women and 4-H club members from various suctions of the county, representing various phases of agriculture are now organ ized under the leadership of the county extension agents. Sub com mittees were appointed to study and recommend important problems con fronting agriculture and the social welfare of the county relating to m- rtl people. The county agriculture committee has been most helpful in i.- Tying out the agriculture pro gram. Representatives of the various government agencies in the county representing agriculture are sen tag on the county agriculture mittee. Realising the Importance of stock and good pastures, although the county had made little progress, at tention was given to such develop ment This was a hard crop, but it is giving way to livestock and grass farming each year due to insects, diseases and labor cost of cotton. Many years ago several varieties of cotton were grown, but now Laurens county grows approximately 90 to 95 per cent of one variety. In 1940 three or four one-variety communities were organized under the Smith- Doxey act. The success of these com munities brought about the county organizing into a one-variety county in 1949. Twentysix per cent of all cotton ginned in 1949 was classed through the Smith>-Doxey cotton pro gram. In discussing yields, Mr. Cannon stated that based on census figures from 1940 to 1944, the average yield of Laurens county was 296 pounds of lint per acre as compared to the pe riod from 1945 to 1949, inclusive, of 314 pounds. His explanation for the increase was based on soil building, fertilizer, and insect control as well as improved variety of cotton. Lau rens county fanner W. L. Martin, of Gray Court, Rt. 2, was declared stats wfhner la 1*37 in the five-acre cot ton contest, producing 6,075 pounds of tint cotton on five acres. Boil weevil, diseases snd other In sect damage cost the cotton fanners of Lanrens county ki 194* approxi mately #1,900,000 Organized effort through the county cotton insect and being Elberta . A new cash crop introduced disease committee has been of much; help in combating this loss. A section of Laurens county known as the Hopewell community, compris ing 38 fanners, planting 2198 acres to cotton, was organized in 1949 into a one-community boll weevil control project. Weekly checks on weevil in festation were made by an extension man and results of infestation mailed to each farmer as his guide. Every farmer in the area applied poison when recommended by the extension man. The results showed average production of lint cotton per acre in 1949 to be 420.8 pound? as compared to 393.5 pounds of lint per acre for 1938, or an increase of 27.3 pounds lint per acre. This compared to the county average of 228 pounds lint per acre for 1949. This was an inter esting project and farmers appreciat ed the efforts and results. The community boil weevil pro ject had a noticeable effect on the control of house flies and mosquitoes in the area. Laurens county had the worst boll weevil infestation in 1950 in history. Ninety per cent of all cotton planted in 1950 was poiaoned for weevil con trol. Never before has such been the case. Commercial peaches have played a part in farm income. In 1925 there were 16 growers with 331 acres just beginning to ship peaches. They ship ped 10 cars valued at $5500. In 1947, the acreage reached approximately 1150 acres with 30 growers produc ing 352 cars peadyg! valued at $230,- 141. The leading variety of peaches 1938 to 1949 averaged 422 pounds of 1949 aromatic tobacco. Three farmers grew one and ‘ttiree-fourths acres, averaging 1205 poynds per acre. There were 31 fanners who grew ap proximately 12 acres in 1950, averag ing 1100 pounds per acre. ^These fig ures are estimates, as the entire crop of 1950 has not been sold. The aver age price received was 85 cents per pound for tobacco grading K and above. This crop is adopted toe county and holds good prospects. The quality compares favorably with the aromat ic tobacco imported into America. On three different occasions in the past years, flue cured and burley tobacco were growq but with no success. No finer extension program than 4-H club work. When Agent Cannon came to Laurens county 25 years ago. hes was the only extension agent at that time, as in those days the coun ty appropriated money for county agent’s work and no provision was made for home demonstration agent. Therefore, he worked with both boys and girls in club work. In 1925, there were 11 4-H organized boys and girls clubs with 195 enrollment. In 1949, there were 14 organized 4-H boys clubs with an enrollment of 265. The girls 4-H club work is under the su pervision of the home demonstration agent, since the employment of a home agent several years ago. During the years, steady progress has been made in dub work. Cotton yield by chib members for the period J lint per acre as compared to 345 in pounds for the county based on cen sus figures. For the same period, com yield showed 24.1 bushels per acre for club yos as compared to 16 bush els for the county average. , Grand champion and reserve grand champion beef steers have been shown in shows from 1944 through 1947. Exhibits in fairs of field crops and poultry have been creditable also. The first purebred dairy calf chib was organized in 1949 with 12 mem bers. The club has grown to 19 mem bers in 1950. These boys are doing a fine job. No country is more prosperous to no greater extent than the progress of agriculture. The basis of agricul ture is soil conservation. Laurens county organized in 1935 into what was called “Laurens county Conservation” with 25 people join ing the association out of the 45 far mers present, but disolved in 194'; with 379 members. Laurens County Soil Conservation district was then formed Septemoer, 1939 and was thr (Continued on page two) LIONEL Trains and Accessories Yarborough Oil Go. i; WEST MAIN ST. CLINTON, S. C. “Yoar Goodyear Store** PLENTY OF FREE PARKING SPACE feats NEW 1951 Chevrolet though, since Laurens county wes a cotton county Today there are ap proximately 75 beef cattle farma jf which at least 36 are breeders of purebred cattle and the remainder 45 beef producer* are uatne purebred aire* to head their herds The quality of animals in some of the herds will compere favorable to breeders of this section of the United State*. About the same atory for dairyini as for beef cattle. Twenty-five jeers ago feere were approximately six commercial dairies in Laurens coun ty. Agent Cannon states there are now 35 grade A dairies in his county and several more farmers are plan ning to begin dairying. A big problem has been for many years to have high producing bred sires for increasing production, so county agent Cannon called together 1 member* of the sub-committee of the Agricultural committee and other leading farmers to discuss this prob lem. The result being an Artificial Breeding association organized in the county and semen from the Clemson college experiment station bulla be ing used to breed, whether commer cial dairy or the family cow. A great step forward in dairying. Realizing no livestock program is sound without good pasture, so the pasture program was carried on with the livestock program. It is needless to say that 25 years ago, it wasn't easy to get farmers to apply commercial fertilizer, manure and lime to pastures. No sir, that was for cotton, corn and small grain. As results many under fed poor produc ing cattle and over grazed red hills. Today, the pasture program in Lau rens county is attracting national at tention. County agent Cannon has had the honor for the past two years showing pasture development to the National Plant Food committee and farm and business men tours from nearby states, as well as many tours for the people of his county. He states that tall fescue and clover is their principal winter per manent grazing. Their temporary winter grazing being small grain, rye grass and crimson clover. Summer grazing, bermuda and DalUs grass with lespedeza as permanent grazing; temporary summer grazing being pearl millet and sweet Sudan grass. The agent remarked of the pro gress for the past three years in win ter grazing—«e c*Us it the ‘‘blanket of green,” which is a very appropri ate name. He made the statement that in 1946, there were approxi mately 2300 acres planted to winter grazing which increased to approxi mately 3000 acres in 1949 with indi cations of 4000 acres in the fall of 1950. The agent stated fhat it’s not at all hard now to get farmers to use from 800 pounds to 1000 pounds of complete fertilizer per acre with 100 pounds to 300 pounds of nitrogen per acre on this “blanket of green." The sub-committee of the agricul ture committee on livestock and pas tures has assisted the county agent in ordering and delivering to farmers in 1950, 240 tons of TVA nitrogen, equivalent to approximately 380 tons of nitrate of soda, to be used on win ter grazing demonstrations. Another expression Cannon used in discussing pasture ftork, was ‘‘grass farming." He says there is no better soil conser vation program nor labor saving practice than “grass farming”—rjihat “blanket of green.” Of course, he never talks but a few minutes until he brings up the importance of ap plying lime to land. Cotton, cotton, cotton—a wonderful America's largest and finest low-priced car! SATURDAY NEW! ninor dgujf Luxvriaws Madam- iirtariersl new NEW! IN ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT! NEW! Jumbo-Drum a * • A-I^ia ICVFnpOGV www GUffa-Preef Sadsfy-SipM NEW! ii Cantar-Paint staadngl NeW outside! New inside! Refreshingly new in feature after feature! That’s Chevrolet for 1951! It’s America’s largest and finest low- priced car, with distinctive new styling, new front and rear-end design, and new' America-Preferred Bodies by Fisher. And, with all these new things, it also brings you the proved things, which make Chevrolet America’s top car. It brings you extra-sturdy, extra- rugged, extra-durable Chevrolet con struction; it brings you that more thrill ing and thrifty Valve-in-Head engine performance for which Chevrolet is world-famous; it brings you comfort feature after comfort feature and safety feature after safety feature found only in Chevrolet and higher-priced cars. Come in ... see Chevrolet for 1951 . . . and you’ll agree it’s America's largest and finest low-priced car. TIMB-PBOVI* OKA by owr • billia* mil** of p«ffor»an<* in M»n bond* of bondrnds of fhowMndt of ownnrt. OpfioMf a* On twin aiodnfo at antra toot. MORE KOPLI BUY CHEVBOIETS THAN AMY OTHER CAR! CHEVROLET GILES CHEVROLET COMPANY, Inc. PkoMai Went Main Street Clinton, S. C. ——