Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-08-01
MORE LIVESTOCK
URGED FOR COUNTY
Speakers at Ciyitan Club Meeting
Stress Importance of Rehabilitat-
ing Diminishing Herds in Watauga;
Meeting Largely Attended

About 100 people were present for
the Civitan meeting held last Thurs
day evening on the lawn 'at the home
of Mr.. W. l.. Henson at Villas. A
livestock program had been arranged
and talks were made by Messrs. J.
B. Horton, c. D. Taylor, Smith Haga-
man and DR.. B. B. Dougherty, each
speaker stressing the Importance of
more purebred livestock for the
county, and urging the organization
OF livestock association, which has
already resulted in number of lead
ing farmers issuing call for such
a meeting to be held in the court
house next Monday morning.
The meeting was presided over by
Mr.. u. P. Hagaman, president of
the club, and following a sumptuous
dinner, prepared and served by the
ladies of the Willowdale church, the
meeting was turned over to Mr.. j.
Frank Moore, chairman of the pro-
gram committee of the Civitan club,
who introduced the speakers The
attendance prize, offered each week
by some member of the club, was
won by Mr.. c. D. Taylor, specially
invited guest of the club.
In addition to club members and
their wives and friends, a number of
farmers from various sections of the
county were invited guests.
Following is a synopsis of the
talks by DR.. Dougherty and Mr..
Hagaman:
DR.. Dougherty
DR.. B. B. Dougherty said Ashe
county has recently seen it's mistake
and disposing of so many of its cat
tie and is now replenishing it's d.
pleted herds, especially the dairy
herds. Ashe farmers, he said, are
now selling $500 worth of milk each
day. This item alone will pay the
county's entire taxes.
DR.. Dougherty said he had recent
ly made a trip to Nashville, Tenn,
and had never seen so many cows
before. The dairying industry in
Tennessee, wherever worked strong
is filling the banks with plenty of
money and is making the farmers
prosperous. He declared cattle and
automobiles in Watauga are entirely
out of proportion-1, 900 automo-
biles and few over 5000 cattle.
There ought to be $4,000 cattle and
500 automobiles" he said.
DR.. Dougherty urged the farmers
OF the county to organize livestock
association and Immediately go about
increasing our beef and dairy herds.
Smith Hagaman
/ MI. Smith hagaman pointed out
that ten years ago Watauga had 49,
| 600 cattle; last year we had 1896;
of this number $500 were COWS. The
county tax assessor, Mr.. H. J. Hard
in, has complied this years figures
in nine townships, which show a
slight increase, perhaps about 100
for the entire county. This means
falling off of one third in numbers
and at least 25 per cent in quality
during the past ten years, Mr.. Haga-
man continued. If we put these
items together it will make our cattle
worth about one-half what they were
ten years ago.
There are 1000 farms in Watau-
ga. This gives exactly an average
of two cows to each farm, and two
and three-tenths head of other cattle
to the farm, or four and three
tenths head of all cattle to each
farm. Ten years ago we had an
average of six and a half per farm.
If every farmer would keep his
calves until they are two years old
it would double our number of cat
tie and increase the cattle value
S600.000, and would enable the
county to sell 1000 head each year,
worth $350,000. This, Mr. Hagaman
said, would pay the entire amount of
taxes and leave the handsome sum Of
one quarter million dollars with
which to turn business loose in Wat
auga.
Another big item that should be
considered, he said, is the improve
ment of the quality of the cattle. If
all the scrubs and common cattle in
the county were displaced by good
cattle it would make a difference in
selling price-not counting cows at
all-with the above increase in num-
Der of $4,000. That is, it pays
better to buy a good calf for $4,000
and pay interest on the money in
vested than it would to have COM
mon or scrub calf given you. The
difference at present prices would
require your neighbor to thrown in
ten dollars and twenty cents with
the scrub before you could afford to
take it as gift, as compared with q
purebred calf.
Mr.. Hagaman also urged the farm
ers to organize a livestock associa-
tion in the county.
Following few remarks by Civil
tan John B. Steele, the club gave the
ladies of Willowdale church a rising
vote of thanks for the fine dinner