The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-06-18
p. w. STEVENS
By d. HOWARD TlLLITT


farm and the best farmer in Camden
County. P. W. Stevens of Camden
County is setting a pace for the farmers
in this section of the Old North State.
Eighteen years ago Pat Stevens was
retail grocer in Elizabeth City and he
had one of the best groceries in the
town. His health failed him and he
was advised to give up the sedentary
habits of the merchant and seek re-
stored health in open air work back On
the farm.
Fright then says Mr.. Stevens, Il
decided that if back to the farm l must
go, I wouldn't go back to farming as /
had known it all my life. l determined
to be the best farmer in Camden coun-
ty and l shall not die contented unless l
am the best farmer in Camden county.
1 was on his farm on last Saturday
and in a modest sort of way, he showed
and told me what he is doing. 1t is
my impression that he has reached the
point now where he is the best farmer
in my county. He is not making the most
money farming of any other: but his
methods are the best; and his, farm
Oak Grove Stock Farm is destined
soon to be known throughout this sec
ton as model farm. - :,
And Doesn't Own a Car
! said: Mr. Stevens. have you no de-
sire for an automobile:" he said: No.
There are so many things l need so much
worse than l need an automobile that l
do not even desire one. / shall buy one
when / reach the point where l have all
the things l need on my farm and can
, well afford one In this connection let
me say, that while Mr.. Stevens does not
ride in an automobile on Sunday and a
great part of the time on week days, he
does ride on his improved farming i'm
p1ements; and when he drives in the
field he has ahead of him pair of mules
which are none better in Camden County
| he is on some sort of a farming imple-
ment of which there is none better to
be had; and he sits and rides as a hero
because he has mastered his vocation.
I saw his farming implements. and to
name them would make a list too long
| for good reading.
Boil WeeviIs Won't Get Him
There is not stalk of cotton on his
| farm of sixty five acres; nor is there
more than enough irish potatoes for his
family use. Corn. soy beans; oats, har-
ry vetch, crimson clover and wheat con-
stitute his crops. He has four acres
| in wheat which he says will furnish him
and his son in law all the flour they
need. He showed me four acres of land
which is now on young corn. Prior to
planting this corn it was in crimson Glow
er and oats and on it he grazed last fall
and this spring thirty head of hogs;
thirty head of sheep and several calves
He told me that he began grazing and
that it was giving him good grazing in
February and that he grazed on it un-
til the last of May and now expects to
get from that four acres over one hun
dred and fifty bushels of corn. I said
'.NIr. Stevens, 1 did not think that Grim
son clover would grow here He re-
piled: ''It won't unless you inoculate it.
1 sent to the State Department of Agri-
culture and got that incubation. Tc
plant that four acres cost me about four
teen dollars
He now has another four acres which
he planted in the fall in oats and harry
vetch. He had this cut and shocked
From this four acres he has over six
tons of hay which is worth between for
ty and fifty dollars per ton and On thi.
same land, without any fertilizer, he ex
poets to grow from 40 to 100 bushel.
of corn.
He Uses Legumes
He has eighteen acres in oats whicl
he is going to cut in a few days ant
either sell the oats and straw for feet
or thrash the oats and sell. Benin,
this crop he is going to plant four acre
in alfalfa; five acres in crimson and bu
! clover; four acres in soy bean hay AM
t and the remainder in soy beans for seed
Every acre he has in corn will b
sown with soy beans of one bushel t.
: the acre. He has his farm cut off i
, such a way that early in the fall he vii
e close in a piece and turn his hogs in 70
: grazing-a great many times not eve
t gathering the corn.
a When he took over this farm seve
r years ago, it would not bring barre
!. and a half to the acre, and now he get
d from seven to eight and even nine ba1
S rels to the acre. I asked him how b
r did it; and he replied that every yea
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