Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-04-04
Agricultural Independence

If every farmer in Virginia hat
produced on his farm in 1872,
enough wheat and corn to furnish
his family with plenty of bread,
and enough poultry. hogs and
sheep to furnish variety OF
meats, and enough vegetables
and dairy products to balance the
diet of the farm family, there
would be considerably less grumb-
ling and more happiness than we
have in this State at the present
time. If every farmer in Vir-
ginia had produced sufficient
hay, corn and other forages and
grains in 1923 to feed the live
stock on every farm for period
of one year there would be con-
siderably less disease and suffer
ing among our livestock than
there is at the present time.
These are trite sayings and
have been repeated so often than
they are becoming commonplace,
yet our farmers can really hope
to achieve real agricultural indie
pendence until thev pay more
attention to these every day
things.
1t would seem that every farm
er who realize the Importance of
having a good well cultivated
garden, yet there are hundreds
OF Virginia farmers who have no
dardens at all, and thousands
who have gardens that are SO
poorly worked that they furnish
only small part of the vege-
tables needed by the farmer. A
good garden, well cultivated, is
the most profitable piece of land
on most farms, yet mauv farmers
only work their gardens when
they have nothing else to do.
The money spent in Virginia for
canned vegetables and other
canned goods which are pro-
Quoted in other States, and which
might better be grown in Vir-
ginia, would do so much towards
making our farmers agricul-
turally independent.
Every member of every farm
family should drink at least one
pint of milk per day, vet there
are thousands of Virginia BOYS
aud girls who have not had a
glass of milk for three months
Far too many of our farmers
have no cows, and many of them
who do keep cows do not feed
them enough to make them give
milk in the winter time. Some
of our farmers who produce larg e
quantities of milk sell all these
products and feed their own
families on milk and butter SUBJ
stitutes.
Hay and corn can be produced
in every county in the State. yet
there are thousands of farmers in
Virginia who never produce
enough of these crops to feed
their livestock through the win.
ter. One farmer told the writer
recently that his cattle had
reached the annual March stage
|of leaning up against pine
trees praying for wild onions
Hundreds of cattle and othel
forms of livestock die annually in
Virginia during the months o.
March and April from starvation
aud many of these that livet
through the winter are in .sucI
poor condition when grass come.
that they make no profit for the
owners.
This is not the fault of TIL,
cattle but the fault of the owner
The above are just few O
the reasons why county agents
farm organizations, leaders ans
bankers throughout Virginia ar,
promoting the Agricultural In
dependence campaign the frs
week in April. Now is the tim,
to make plans which will prevent
a storage Of food and feed durinl
ll924-1925.
Every farmer is urged to sigi
an agreement card on which Ii,
Iagrees to do the following
things
l. To raise enough corn an,
hay to carry him through 1872
without buving.
2. To raise enough meat t,
supply his family for one year.
3. 70 have good spring an,
fall garden.
| 4. To provide milk and butte
for his family the whole yea
through.
S. To keep an average of a