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THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., Dec. 11 1969—S-C Farms & Folks County Agents Where Action Is BY HAROLD ROGERS Assistant Extension Editor CLEMSON - County agents al ways seem to be where the act ion is. Ever noticed that? Busy on the ever-changing farm front, involved in communi ty planning, or stopping by to help the home owner withaprob- lem--they do get around. Taking a look through Clem- son’s wide window on the world of S. C. agriculture, through the agents’ reports, here are some of the things happening out where the action is: Marion County’s J. L. King has been participating in a careful study of tobacco bed sites to help growers boost production. “Some are consistently failing to produce sufficient strong, healthy plants to have an economic to bacco crop," he says. They made a careful study of the bed sites as to soil type, preparation methods and general management practices. Some 600 yards of bed were prepared with three growers, in demonstrations designed to correct mistakes in site selection involving too much shade, fine or heavy soil types, or poor drainage. “Soil fumigation, fertilization and general management prac tices are being observed as out lined in Circular 291,” King says. The results should help over come some of the problems in producing strong tobacco plants. Greenville’s J. K. Jones says there 4-H beef and dairy calf clubs had a good year with the fairs. Members showed at three of them, winning over $3,000 in prize money plus five trips. “It was a most successful year for calf club work,” Jones says. “Yields throughout the county are good on all farms where the six steps in cotton produc tion have been followed, “be says. One producer, Ray Freeman, planted 14.7 acres of cotton and havested over 21 bales weighing more than 500 pounds. “His in sect control program prevented the boll worm from building up in the fields,' Willis says Other cases were noted where farmers were unable to stick to schedules at critical times, and. “the crops showed the results c' not applying insecticides in three and five day intervals, - Willis says. * * * Timely Tips BY COUNTY AGENTS Fertilizing Shade Trees-Late fall or early winter is the best time to fertilize shade trees. It is best to place fertilizer in holes punched in the ground under the branches. Use from two to four pounds for each inch in diameter of the trunk when it measures greater than six inches. Planting Trees and Shrubs- Plant ornamentals during the fall and winter months. Those grown in containers may be planted throughout the year. Provided plants are watered properly. Cattle Lice - Cattle with lice are known to rub out patches of hair during the winter months. Contact the County Agents’ Of fice for control information. Fresh Fish - You can tell if a fish is fresh by its eyes. If eyes are clear and bright, okay; if cloudy, be cautious. In Newberry, some of County Agent A. F. Busby’s activities indicate the broad scope of ser vice now being turned out. ™ He assisted two families in obtaining loans to build farm homes, a community group with plans for drainage system, and worked with a church group in getting plans for landscaping, seeding the lawn, and placing shrubs. Several families were given help on seeding home lawns, and farmers with seeding pas tures. But the help didn’t stop at the door. Five families were given assistance with rodent control, 13 with household insect control. And there were many others. Over in Chesterfield County, J. C. Willis says there’s new evi dence that it pays to stick to recommended practices on bringing in a cotton crop. Salt - A pinch of salt put in fresh milk will keep it much longer. Dust pan - The dust will slide off easier if you wash your dust pan. * * * When painting small pieces such as tables and chairs, you might find your basement workbench is an invaluable aid. Place these pieces upside down on the bench and do the under neath surfaces first. Then turn them right side up and finish painting. A bench makes it easier to cover each piece evenly with paint and you’ll be able to spot drips and missed areas quickly. INTERESTING FACTS By Tom Plaxico Ever wonder where such words as “graham crackers,” “ferris wheels” and cantaloupes” got their names? Graham crackers are named after the Rev. Sylvester Graham who in the last century advo cated special diets and had the first graham crack ers made. Ferris wheels are named after George W. Fer ris who built the first one, in Chicago, in 1893. And cantaloupe is named after the town of Cantaloupe, Italy, where cantaloupe was first grown in Eiurope- And, here's another interesting fact . . . Just think what the automobile has done to the English language! If one of our ancestors who died before 1910 came back to life and heard all this jargon about “grills,” “automatic transmis sions,” “power steering,” “headlight,” he would think he had come to a country where English wasn't spoken. What would he think when he heard the terms “Three deuces,” “Four-in-the- floor,” ‘Three in the tree,” “Get a wheel,” etc. We DO live in an interesting time of history. Plaxico Chevrolet, Inc. 4M Weft Main Street SWEETIE PIE “And he isn't even an income tax deduction!” It's Time To Plant Those Fruit Trees BY M.L. OUTZ County Agent It’s time to order and put out fruit trees. As a youngster I recall going to visit my grandparents in the summer. It seems that my grand dad always had some kind of fruit and nuts to offer. These would be home grown and delicious. I’m planting some fruit trees along with pecans, grapes, and figs this winter. So I recommend you do the same. Good fresh home grown fruit can’t be beat. Some say that it is too hard to grow with so many insects and diseases. This isn’t true. Yes, you will have to spray, but that isn’t all that much trouble. A small three gallon spray does a fine job. Spray sch- dules are available for each type of fruit, also, fertilizer recom mendations. For home orchards we have a minimum schedule to follow. So let me recommend that you put in your order and get ready to grow some fruit It is a challenge that pays off. You’ll be proud you did. There are always a lot of pe cans planted during the winter season. Many of them are of the wrong variety. I’ll list the varie ties recommended by Clemson, and if I were you I’d follow and put out one of these listed. I sup pose the most popular variety of all is Stuart. It seems to be very popular from a commercial stand point. Others recommended by Clemson are: Cape Fear, Curtis, Desirable, Elliot and Gloria Grande. Almost everyone has a place for a pecan tree or two. I might add that we have a list of recommended variety of plants, which includes, crops, gardens, lawn grasses, and fruit and nut crops. We can also give you production practices for each plant if you like. Call if you need a copy. The rat bait supply is a- bout exhausted. We have placed two tons in the county. This I’m sure has killed many rats. We have had many good comments concerning this program from people who appreciate the effort. Thanks, thanks, very much. Also we want to say thanks to all those who handled the bait. This program could not have gone on without the cooperation of the merchants throughout the county. So our sincere appreciation goes to them. There is still some a- vailable at some country stores and feed and seed stores in Lau rens and Clinton. 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