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Thursday, May 24, 1956 FARMS... AND FOLKS By J. M. ELEAZER Clemson College Information Specialist DROUGHTS HERE AND THERE At many places in the world they have wet and dry jC seasons. They come that way regularly, and they plan and plant accord ingly. We don’t have a regular dry or wet season uere. But we do have droughts and wet spells at any season. That complicates our problem. I Our wet seasons are less feared. With drainage, less row crops, and chemical weed controls, crops are not as often lost in the grass of a wet spell as they once were. But our problem of droughts grow with the years. High costs make this so. We can’t let droughts cut the harvests as they have. Or we’ll soon be out of business. We must study, devel op, and master the art of drought prevention. And that means good farming, to start with, so as to build up a high yield potential. Then irrigation to fill in the rain gaps and make it ’tater out in its fulness. Naturally, for irrigation, wa ter’s the great problem. But the Almighty does His part. He sends about 4 feet of it to our land each year. Ours is the problem of ras- seling with some of it that runs off, and keep it here to bless and bring abundance to our efforts and acres. Even on years of pretty good rainfall, irrigation pays. At Clem- son’s Sandhill Station last year they made 91 bushels of com per acre without it. But with irriga tion, that was upped *45 to 130 bushels per acre. CORN IN LEE County Agent Linder of Lee had 32 farmers entered in the state com production contest last year. Their average yield was 103 bushesl per acre; And the mod em state record yield was made there by C? W. Josey, long a suc cessful com grower. Irrigation helped make that yield, even though he didn’t use it. He plant ed thicker and fertilized better, knowing he could apply the wa ter if it didn’t come. But, hap pily enough rain came. And he hit the jackpot. • • • CARS. GAS. AND FOOD Some fellow with the facts in hand figured out that cars and gas cost more than our food. Change, change, we’re always talking about that. Some fellow asks what we did with ouf money when we didn’t have cars. We old-timers can tell him. We didn’t have the money then! And most folks lived on the farm and from it. Once in a genera tion, a" buggy was bought for about $65. That was a milestone in their life. After that it was renewed in the blacksmith shop. Now that same average family must have a new car, costing well into four figures, every year or so. Now, I’m not grumbling, nor lamenting about the changing times. I rather like ’em. But it’s sure interesting to keep an eye on where we’ve come from in our time. * THE CLINTON SAVE THAT STAND “It’s a shame to have then chop it out.” , it and That’s our cotton man, Sam Williams, speakdn’. He was talk ing about stands of cotton. Yes, both experiment and ex perience show it pays to , leave plenty of cotton. Clemson say? that means about 3 stalks every 8 to 12 inches in 30 to 40 inert rows, based on soil, fertilizer, and equipment. And to save it after you leave it, !, watch for hoppers and thrips, too, on the young stalks." says Sparks. Full details for detect ing and controlling these pests Can be gotten from your county agent. Remember, they will slip up on you before you know it. And your good stand will be gone, and remaining stalks stapl ed and delayed for the boll weev- fl- I \ ' • • • SOIL STEWARDSHIP WEEK Our national association of soil conservation district supervisors has declared May 8-13 "Soil Stewardship Week.” , All through the year, many special weeks are declared. But surely few if any have the basic significance of this one. After we are bom into this world, the land is our life. And it is just that, too, for the myriads that follow. Will we leave it a dead, eroded gully, from which someone will even tually have to go hungry and naked. Or will we accept our stewardship from Him Who pro vides it, nurture and protect this precious soil, and leave it better for our having had it a while? • • • BOYS ARE THAT WAY Twin Bridges! That was a landmark in our lives in the Stone Hills where I came up. . , So were Boyd Hill and Ray Hill. But they have vanished with time. Twin Bridges were at the only real crossinge we had. They were dilapidated affairs, with loose rattly boards, on each side of the old Appalachian Highway (a muddy trail then) there a mile below our house, where the road from White Rock crossed to the Hollinshed Creek area. All of our other intersections were V’s or Ts. But this one was a clear bridge over the shallow ditch on cross, necessitating some sort of each side of the main road. Dis tances were reckoned from Twin you had to be quick to check him and avoid a runaway. And a crack in a bridge was /something he just couldn’t cross. It always worried me when we had any sort of bridge to cross. He didn’t like any of ’em. And if there was Bridges, as everyone knew where faicrack of any size, he’d balk that was. ? Urged on with vein and whip, Our Old Bill was a gray horse my daddy, the country doctor, drove for years. Although he was getting old, he was as spirited and scarey as ever. If a rabbit jumped by the side of the road. » he’d twist, squirm, and snort a time or two. Then he’d, with one desperate effort, lunge forward, trying to jump ti, with buggy ind all. I was always afraid he’d break the harness. And I won dered how we’d get home then. If the weather had been good, we’d ford the ditch to avoid the bridge-crosflng there. But that, too. was a scarey adventure for me as a kid. Old Bill knew his business. He’d hesitate a bit at ng directed down that ditch angle. bein we’e all he 1yd, knowing the momen tum would help him get safely on the other side. After it was finished, he’d usually give a snort of victory. d hit it at sort of an After he once started, he’d give it, abridges, now mark the spot hard- Twin Bridges have long gone. A beautiful crossing of paved roads, with unseen culverts serv ing the purpose of the old rattly Dr. Felder Smith OPTOMETRIST Phene 794 Laurens, S. C. COTTON CORD SUITS $16.50 L. B. DILLARD ly at fill to the moderns who ' whizz by. But 'to us old timers, it is a mile post in memory, all but obliterated by time. Next week we’ll talk abouj those hills This Ad Got Results Quickly LOST—Ladies yellow gold Bul- ova wrist watch with black cord band between W. Centennial St., in or near Broadway Theater. Re ward if returned to Mrs. Ernest Hitt, 116 W. Centennial St. 1c Try a Want Ad in The Chronicle to Rent, Sell, Buy, Find, Trade or Hire. KING DIXON'S HATF0RM FOR King Dixon's Platform 1. Bring new industry to Laurens County. 2. Promised when elected to the House in 1954 not to raise taxes, and have kept faith with the taxpayers of Laurens County. If elected Senator will not raise tax es without a referendum of the people. 3. Will at all times fight for the best schoob possible in Laurens county and run them on an economical basis. , > 4. Have Game Wardens placed in primary. 5. Will at all times work for and introduce legislatipn to help farmers. <- 6. Will work for interest of 4-H and Future Farmers of America clubs and other youth groups as they will be our leaders of tomorrow. 7. Will work /or equal dstribution of gasoline taxes in order that cities and county wiD share properly their portion of these taxes. ~ 8. Always belived in local option and will fight at all times for thfc right of people to vote on the question, and will carry out the wishes of the people. Voted for local option in House in 1955. 9. Will cooperate with County Industrial and Develop ment Board in seeing that ample funds are provdied so that a full time general secretary may be employed to help bring new industry to Laurens County. " V .. .4 ■ - • i ' 10. Will work to continue county road program, black topping all unpaved roads in the county. 4 V SENATE New Industry for Laurens County Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new industry is moving to South Carolina. Laurens County needs a leader in the State Senate who will direct his efforts toward getting some of that new industry for Laurens County. If elected your Senator, I will help provide the badly - needed funds for the Planning and Development board in order that they may em ploy a full-time general secretary whose business it will be to bring new industry to our county. Laurens County possesses all of the prerequisites for new industry with the exception of progressive leadership in the Senate. , J King Dixon believes in industrial growth, new jobs, higher payrolls, the best educational system for our a ‘ 1 children, higher pay for teachers and good roads. —;— King Dixon believes the top dol lar should be spent for the taxpay ers’ benefit and not for the Sena tor’s personal gain. (Political Advertisement) f Y- We give GREEN STAMPS Leon, Fresh Ground Dixie uome Freshen Summef Shoes with Griffin's White Shoe Polish Aster's Prune -SLICED BACON PORK SAUSAGE ' TURKEY HENS Foncy Tasty Fish 25c Dressed Whiting Lb 10c * Lb. Only Tasty Virginia 29 c Juice Leon Tender , 2 ^ 25c Boneless Stew lb 45c D , . /~ u i Marhoefer's Red Hot Charcoal ifci* -inn ii» uwt Iri.Mtir. »£ 7Jc -s 3* 29c 19c 49c Cottage Cheese'c., 1 25 «-°i Pkfl -73c Select© Pure Dressed A Drawn 8 to 12 Lb. Avg. Lb. * Tops For Salad Palmetto, Farm Sliced Cheese New York State Sharp Cheese Tosty Quaker MACARONI •-Ox. 13c Gold Medal SPAGHETTI i? 14c Hostess Bartlett SHORTENING THI NIW FINER PEARS Fresh Dixie Gerber's Strained Bahy Food 3 J “ 31c G|eon Giant - Tender Peis No. SOS Cana 41c Planters Fresh Pcinnts 39c 7)4-0*. Can White, Yellow, Choc., Pillsbury Cake Mixes 4 ^ 99 The Favorite Van Camp Pork‘Beans 9^99 Carr's Crockin' Good , Saltines . . ? 19 Deep South PURE APPLE JELLY 2 Lb. Jar FOOD 6 Your Pets Will Love SLICK DOG Lady Betty Fresh CUMCUMBER PICKLES Borden's Eagle Brand CONDENSED MILK . Jumbo's Smooth r PEARUT BITTER . 16-Ox. Cans 15-Ox. Jar 15-Ox. Can 12-Os. Jar Sic 49c 23c 29c Limeade or Lemonade LIBBY'S . .7“ 99t Dixie-Home's Frozen WHOLE OKRA 5 - 89c Foncy Tender Green Beans 2 ^ 25 Fancy Yellow Fresh Sweet Golden Bantam do*. SQUASH 3- 25c C 0 R N ears 59c Argo Com Starch 1 Lb. ng. 14c New Detergent Dash 25-Ox. Pkg. 39c Gold Seal Glass Wax ! a 15-0*. Can 53c | Old Dutch Mirocle Cleaner The Cold Cream Soap So Soft . . . Cleanser Soilax Camay Northern Tissue 2^.21c2”^2^ ’C 25c a 8«th 0 $iz« Ovv 4 35c Dog Food Dog Food Removes Stubborn Dirt —- Cleons Eosier Ideal Dash LAVA SOAP Spk&Spai 2£»c 2 29c 2 23c 27c cV ■•4 t. ..