Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-10-04
COUNTY AGENT MAKES
USUAL MONTHLY REPORT

ea.,1ne IOllOWlng is the report handed
to them on the first Monday in O.
tOber:
This month has been spent work
ing with threep ropositions; inspect
ing potatoes, planning and encourag-
ing community fairs, and assisting
with the kraut factory.
It took something over a week
to go to all the farms in the county
where seed potatoes are being grown
and dig several short sections for
the purpose of examining the tubers.
In each field we dug from so to 100
feet examining the potatoes for d.
seases, instructing the farmers in
seed selection and grading. We have
two objects in this work. First, that
we make sure that we ship no pota-
toes as seed that are not of unusual
quality; the second object is to teach
the farmer to recognize the diseases
show him the Importance of grading
and instruct him in selecting his seed
so as to produce higher yield and
better quality of potatoes.
After examining all of the feds
it was found that about seventy per
cent of them would pass certiGc&ti"n
which means that they are of III. IN
quality and comparatively free frcm
diseases. This seventy per cent this
year will amount to a little more than
5000 bushels. About Is per cent. or
1000 bushels were passed as good
seed, but not quite good enough for
rcertification. The remaining Is per
cent will be sold for eating potatoes
f, as they did not come up to the high
standard of perfection that we were
striving to reach.
There is a good feeling among the
farmers in regard to this work Many
of them have said that whethre or
not they grew seed they had learned
enough about gsowing potatoes to
repay them for their efforts and ex-
pense,
! The Eastern growers this gear
wantea to ouy sc aas,d6tou 81 gasheffss 81 ods
seed which shows the are pleased
with the small shipaeats they havs
bad. believe that there is great
future for this business and should
every farmer in WAtauga county raise
seed potatoes we could not supply
the demand in North Carolina, not
to mention South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida.
have been doing what l could to
encourage and help the communities
that are to hold fairs this fall. We
believe these fairs are going to do
a lot of good and they will open the
way tc other work in their respective
communities. The Community fairs
are to be held at Stony Fork, Cove
Greek, Elk and Windy Gap, four
communities in which have mere
tofore done practically no work. The
feeling in regard to these fairs is
good. The people believe that these
fairs are worth while, that the effect
upon tine old and young will be worth
the effort. ~
The county Commissioners are re-
spectively invited and urged to attend
as many Of these fairs as possible.
Some time has been spent this
month acting as mechanic in the kraut
factory. The Association hired man
in Virginia to come and put up the
machinery, but when he failed to
show up someone else had to do the
work, and the county agent seemed
to be the only available. man. l feel
like have spent too much time in
starting off this proposition to allow
the factory to stand still while the
cabbage are bursting.
The factory is now running and
has manufactured about eighty tons
of kraut to date They have filleo
a little over three tubs and there
are six yet to be filed. Before this i:
0One Lne HTSt GuDS Will Ue SOuISu etiiS
!, emptied,. and the filling will begir
again. The Association plans to. make
800 tons this year. The sales are com
ing up to expectations.
The manufacture Of kraut is hav
ing good effect upon the cabbag'
market. 1t is not only holding SOM
of the cabbage and thereby prevent
ing the market from being gluttel
but they are grading the cabbage ant
sending to market only the very bes
The merchants are telling US freel,
that we are giving them the best cab
bage we ever bought. We hope b
this method to make Watauga Cab
bage more famous than they are a
present. so that the merchant and
the consumer will demand Wataug
products rather than the low grad
products from other sections. Th