The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-12-22
AID SOUTHERN FARMERS
TO DIVERSITY CROPS
Conference of u Women Agents From
15 Southern States In Garden,
Canning, and Poultry
Clubs.

/ Southern farmers, W2o have been
members o., the United States depart
ment of agrculture's garden and can
ming clubs have been able to give their
fathers practical demonstrations Of
the value of crop di7ersification dur
ing the present bad cotton year The
actual products which the girls have
put up are proving an invaluable as
set in many farm homes where the
cotton crop mas not brought the Gus
tomary returns and many farmers
are now substituting whole acres Of
onions and tomatoes in place of cotton
after seeing the success which the
young women have made with these
crops.
A conference of the women agents
from Is Southern States is in progress
in the United States department OF
agriculture's Office of Farmers Coop.
erative Demonstration Work in the
South. Fifteen women agents are
present, each representing a State IN
addition to the members of uhe office
who nave charge of the work. These
agents supervise the work of 369 coun-
ty agents who direct the work of 49,
420 girls. Data of some of the State
reports given here is merely an in
dication of the general interest. that
is being taken more and more
throughout the whole South in the
club-movement work.
Tennessee Girl Diversifies Crops.
Madge Farrar has proved the pos
sibilities of growing crops all the year
round in ner State. BY raising and
selling vegetables throughout the year
she has made a net profit of S131.62,
while the second best girl, who also
did good work but did not diversity,
made $500 profit. The girl with the
second average grew only beans and
tomatoes during the Fall and summer.
Miss Farrar, however, having grown
these crops put in onions during the
winter which she sold at. a good pro-
fit early in February. She then pro-
ceeded to plant cabbage which brought
her an income during April and May,
while peas were her main crop II
June. This brought her back to the
tomato and bean season and rounded
out a year of profitable vegetable
growing.
Another young woman found 4
peach orchard into which hogs had
been turned. She took her Gamer
With her and established herself in the
orchard to save what was left from:
the hogs, and made $50 in one week
from her work. Similar instances
have demonstrated the possibilities Of
saving waste in that section and there
has been more general interest ex-
hibited not only by the farmers
daughters but by many of their wives.
Fig Possibilities in Southern Missis-
Sippi.
Although the area where figs will
grow in this country is extremely linn
tied, in certain sections of Southern
Mississippi this fruit grows so plenti
fully that its value is not appreciated
and barrels of figs go to waste every
year. Under the conditions that ex-
| ist in dooryards and gardens the trees
require little or no cultivation and the
majority of owners eat few, can a
few for nome use, and permit the rest
to go to waste, except in localities
where commercial Gamers are pre-
pared to buy the fruit from day to
day as it ripens.
During the past year two counties
of Southern Mississippi decided to
specialize in canning figs. One girl
packed 500 pints which she sold for
from 35c to 40c pint. The girls IN
these sections are now leaving tomato
for other less fortunate districts
where figs will not grow and are
/ planting six fig trees on their tenth
acre formerly planted to the other
crop. The demand for this product
from sections is far beyond the sup
ply.
-Four years ago there were but two
counties in Mississippi where organlz-
ed garden and canning club work was
carried on for the girls; the next year
there were II counties; the next %,
and during the past year There were
50 counties organized.
Imentoes have proved particular
boon &c certain counties in South Car
a,ina as lhaye figs n Mississippi Ger