The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-28
OUR VALLEY
By S. P. WERNER


Quiring some form of co-opera-
tive action is one OF more DEM
Cnstration farms from which high
grade stock, in animals and
plants and seeds may be con-
veniently obtained for the i'm
provement of the local strains,
as we'll as for object lessons in
farm practice on all lines. There
are a number of successful and
practical farmers here now, some
of them as useful as or more
than some government institu-
tons; but their utility is limit
ed because of their private
character and the necessary linn
ltatlons upon the time Of their
operators. They have served
splendidly as educational centres
for the benefit of neighbors, but
their influence has been restrict
ed to community areas. A dem
Onstration farm ought to be free
from such limitations.
The need for it is apparent to
any one who will observe the
conditions under which many
farmers operate. Their stock is
Of poor grade; their lands be-
coming impoverished; their cap
ital equipment sadly inadequate;
and their farm practice such as
to keep them one jump ahead Of
the sheriff. if indeed they keep
ahead of him. They have such
hard time making a bare living
and holding their farms that they
find little time to visit distant
demonstration farms and little
money to invest in improve
ments.
Let one illustration out of
many suffice. An ambitious
young farmer in Pennsylvania
bought a high-grade young bull.
1t was the only one in a COM
munity of about nine square
! miles. He hoped to pay for the
animal and its keep by the Gus
tom of his neighbors. But he
found that it did not pay. He
had to get rid of the bull. Then
neighbors had to send their
COWS several miles away. One
of them had a fine heifer killed
by a truck on the road. Others
sold their COWS in disgust. This
was in the finest COW country in
this part of the United States.
Now the writer ventures to as
sert that if he were given the
task of planning a system of
procedure to cure such a condi-
ton as that above. he could pro-
vide routine method of solving
this problem with minimum of
inconvenience to farmers, a max
imum of improvement in stock,
and a reasonable profit to any
cooperative OF governme |
agency undertaking the solution
in connection with a demonstra-
ton farm for the valley. Space
forbids details here, but the as
sertion is flatly made that it can
be done ad ought to be done.
The same comment applies to
high-grade stock, seeds, and
plants of all sorts. The distin-
guished farmer and seed specia-
list Of South Carolina. David R.
Cocker, revolutionized farm prac-
tice in his part Of that state and
influenced agriculture all over
the country after he undertook
to improve conditions in his home
community, soon after he COM
pleted his conventional educa-
tional career and went to work
at home on his farm. In our
valley we are distintly behind the
times, although progressing I'M
spots, and becoming at least in
oculated with ambition for bet
ter things. We need easily &C
cesible and concentrated object
lessons. It is too mcuh trouble
for a small farmer to journey toI
one place to see what can be-
done with bees to another for
his lesson in corn-breeding, toI
another for animal husbandry.
Such demonstration farms
could also serve to give young
men a taste for high-class farm
ing by employing them in sue
cessive years, as we'll as serving
the purpose of relief to the I'M
employed. Farming cannot be-
taught in the vocational classes
of the high schools alone. 1t
must be learned on the land too.
A word of warning might be-
given here. A great many enter.
prises have failed because OF
over-enthusiastic promotion with
more zeal and money than sense