The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 07, 1950, Image 7
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THE CHRONICLE
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Volume LI
Clinton, S. C, Thursday, December 7, 1950
Number 49
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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)
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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.
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