Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I m i ..Mi «... THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C. April 10, 1960—1-B i m V / J r ln IN THE PASTURE—One of the key which provides ample milk for operations of the farm activities for these boys and girls. Checkin® oyer Thomwell Orphanage here is a dairy one of the herd is farm manager Bob which provides ample milk supplies for Wickham. Thornwell Farm Has Plenty Of Help BY HAROLD ROGERS Assistant Extension Editor Clemson University They say farm help is hard to get. And it is. Bob Wickham doesn’t have any trouble. He has teen-agers a- plenty ready to tackle farm chores. If this runs counter to the theme of the times, it’s mo more unusual than the farm operation Wickham oversees. In the day of urban sprawl and diminishing agricultural acreage, this thriv ing productive farm is almost within the domain of downtown Clinton. It lies behind the tree-shaded campus of Thornwell Orphanage, the expansive children’s home hardly a stone’s throw from the business district. The open fields and the cattle barns are an in tegral part of the 400-acre Thornwell campus. The farm provides a whole some outlet and recreational op portunity for the youngsters. It teaches the discipline of work. It helps to sustain the opera tion. Each of the 400 boys and girls of the Presbyterian home has daily duties and many of the boys fulfill these by volunteering for the farm work. “We believe in activity," Wickham explains. “It gives the youngsters an outlet and also helps support the institution. It works beautifully for us." The young farmers put in three hours daily at their chores during the school year--they also THEY CUT MEAT, TOO—TTie ex- and canning. Handling meat-cutting tensive self-help activities at Thom- duties are, left to right, Craig Block, well Orphanage here include work in Bob Wickham, and Powers Smith, in the processing plant for freezing (Extension Service Photos) J FEED MILL HELPS—A part of the modem fann ing operation at Thornwell Orphanage is the feed mill which mixes and processes feed for livestock. Preparing for a run are, left to right, Ken Lewis, Phillip Kemp and Dan Dennis. have their own schools on the campus, an accredited elemen tary and high school. In the sum mer, they spend six hours a day on the farm. These are the assigned hours. For those who want to do more there’s an incentive program with pay, and many of them find ways to work more than the minimum, according to the manager. They work mostly with cattle and produce programs. “Boys love to work with ani mals and equipment," Wickham says. EARLY RISERS Those who help out with the dairying may be up as early as 5 a.m. for the milking. But it does have its compensations. The “cowboys’ are housed together in a new $150,000 bunk-house, the Norton Cottage. Like all the other newer buildings on the campus, it’s constructed of attractive Georgia granite with a modern and homey interior. The agriculture is thoroughly diversified. The farm manager, a univer sity graduate in agriculture, sees to that. “They’re on the ball all right. They have a good oper ation," says Lauren County Agent M. L. Outz whoworks withThorn- well. An active 4-H program is part of the development. The acreage runs heavily to produce, pasturage and cattle. Pastures cover several hun dred acres, 600 of them im proved, and include “everything from Kentucky 31 toSerala, ’ two of South Carolina’s favorites. From it all, they average 12,000 bales of hay a year. Last year there were also a- round 100 acres of corn, about 20 acres in produce, 50 acres of soy beans and 75 acres of small grains. They have their own dairy, beef and swine program. A heard of 100 Guernseys and a milk pro cessing plant provide the young sters with milk four times a day “ or whenever they want it, ” W ick- ham says. The animal census includes some 250 head of Herford cattle and 75 hogs. Recently, they added a pony ranch for recreation. “We grow all our lieef, nearly all the pork and probably 50 per cent of the produce, ” the manager says. They utilize all acreage, all facilities. PROCESSING PLANT There’s a processing plant for freezing and canning. They kill about 80 head of cattle and 100 hogs a year. Wickham and his helpers, including Mrs. Wick ham process them at the freezer. Last year they also canned or froze 1,200 gallons of peaches, 400 gallons of tomatoes, and 400 gallons of squash. All the farm surplus goes this route, through the processing plant. They have seven or eight acres of scuppernongs, and last year, Wickham estimates, they picked 3,500 pounds of scuppernongs and muscadines in a month. These went into jelly. i ii vv DOING THE CHORES — Youth at dairy herd. Giving herdam&n Charles Thornwell Orphanage here help out Nalley, center, a hand with the feed- with chores around the farm, and a Ing are Frank A rata, left, and Roby popular duty is working with the Wallin. *»»•»». •. • Snowdrift SHORTENING 3 Lb. Tin Limit: One With $5.00 Grocery Order, Please 1 U. S. Good SIRLOIN STEAK Dixie Crystals SUGAR Fresh 5-Lb. Bag Limit: One With $5.00 Grocery Order, Please! Center Cut lb. End Cut lb. All Flarors Topp, Canned DRINKS cans Chocolate SWEETIE PIES Box of 12 29c Plantation Pride PEANUT BUTTER 12-Oz. Jar 29c Kraft's BARBECUE SAUCE 18-Oz. Bottle 35c Del Monte Cream Style or Whole Kernel GOLDEN CORN 303 Can 19c Maine Frozen FRENCH FRIES 9-Oz. Box 10c Hienz TOMATO SOUP lOtt-Oz Can 10c BISCUIT ROLLS 8-Oz. Pkgs. 10c Frerfi GREEN ONIONS Bunch 10c Sax el BLACKEYE PEAS No. 300 Can 10c Rod! Bird Imitation VIENNA SAUSAGE 4-Oz. Can 10c EVAPORATED Limit: 6 MILK Can 10c Scott Family NAPKINS 00-Count 10c MARGARINE 2 Lbs. 35c A.G. BOLOGNA 12-Oz. Pkg. 39c Golden BANANAS Lb. 10c Green CELERY Bunch 10c PRICES EFFECTIVE APRIL 10-11-12 Bounty Paper TOWELS Big Roll CLINTON MILLS STORE - LYDIA MILLS STORE Phone 833-0710 FREE DELIVERY SERVICE Phone 833-0631