The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-11-11
STOCKTON NEVER
HURT BY COTTON
When Cotton Growing Neigh
bors Get Hungry r. III. Welch
Sells Them Corn and Bacon

Nine miles. from Elizabeth
City, just around the corner
from the village of Woodvil1e in
Perquimans County is Stockton.
Stockton is a farm of 500 and
some acres and one of the most
attractive home places; in North
eastern North Carolina. Here
one finds an old Colonial man
sion built after the style of JEFF
ferson's Monticello and built in
the midst of a sixteen acre
grove carved from the virgin
wilderness. There are 238 trees
in that grove, 26 different vari-
eties' in all and every tree ma
tive tree.
Stockton was, originally the home of
one Josiah CRANKY who built it in the
year 1900 and built it honestly as
houses We're then built. There is not
knot or a blemish to be found in any
piece of timber in the house to-day and
oakehg doors made on the premises and
hung in place nearly a century and
quarter ago haven't a crack OF a warp
in them after all these. many years.
Stockton is the home of Rcbt. II.
Welch., Mr.. tWelch bought the place in
1908 for $4,000. 1t would take Just
about $4,000 to get it away from him
nllf oh r FL
most successful farmers and one of the
Carolina He is. a native of Chowan
County. His ancestors were originally
settlers and his mother still lives SOn
the lands decided his ancestors by the
Crown more than 200 years ago. But
ancestral history, pride and tradition
couldn't hold this man Welch in Chowan
County after he had seen Stockton in
1908 and taken an option at $4,000.
There is an unmistakable air of
about Stockton. Robt. H.
Welch is a stock law farmer. While his
neighbors have raised cotton and let
their pigs and cattle run at large, Mr..
Welch has raised corn, peas and cotton
and turned most of his peas and corn
into pigs. He has prospered while many
Of his neighbors have run down 1T the I
heel. Many of the farmers between
Woodville and Durants Neck raise cot
ton and little else. They raise cotton |
and buy corn and pork from Il. II. |
Welch. Last year most of the farm !
ers in that neighborhood went broke |
when cotton dropped from forty cents !
20 ten cents pound. But the Welch |
children went off to college. Stockton
carried on because it wasn't dependent |
lpon cotton. Mrs. Welch herself sold |
Il 400 worth of turkeys off her yard |
asst year. Mr.. Welch sold 81 800 worth
If beef cattle off his pasture. He also
sold several, thousand pounds of bacon,
having packed all of his pork instead of |
shipping it on the hoof or selling it on
he rack. One lot of 400 pounds OF
lis hams shipped to the Norfolk mar
ret brought him 3S cents a pound.
Of all the acres in Stockton, Mr..
Eelchg thinks his 75 acres of pasture
he most profitable. 1t was from this
pasture he sold S1,SO0 worth of beef
attle last year and probably viii do as.
veil this year. The stock on his pas
ure gets no other feed from early
April to late in November. In Novem-
er he turns his pigs and cattle into the
elds to forage upon the corn and peas
eft from the harvesting. Only on rare
ccasions when the fields are covered
nth ice and snow is the live stock Civ
n any other feed; then the stock is
rought into shelters and fed upon
hucks, hay and other cheap feeds for /
-hich there is no ready market.
And r. II. Welch hasn't worked him
elf to death making good on his farm. {
Ie has cultured and helpful wife,
ney read the daily newspapers and
.ading periodicals, enjoy good books
nd music in the home and find time to l
ome to town several times in a week.
ny farmer who is having a hard time I
it might learn a thing or two from I
:. H. Welch of Stockton.