The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-12-17
ASK EXEMPTION FROM POTATO
CONTROL

\ movement tnat- VIII uo P0PN1'
Western North Carolina has been starteo
by directors of the Farmers Federation as
was recorded in the news columns OF Inc
Times-News several days ago. This IS the
movement to secure exemption from the
regulations of the potato control law ZOE
the farmers of the mountain counties 1he
Federation will seek to have this eXemp-.
ton extended to two acres of potatoes on
each farm.
The argument for the movement to pre-
vent a reduction in the Irish potato crop
in the mountain counties is based on the
average low farm income of the region ana
the fact that potatoes are high among the
cash crops of this area. The attention Of
the authorities will be directed to indis-
putable evidence that real hardship Will
be imposed on thousands of farmers OF this
section of North Carolina if they are COM
PEELED to reduce their potato crops.
With Wv average farm income, prOduc-
ton of cash crops small in volume, and
facing the fact that present production of
potatoes is actually below the needs of the
population of the mountain counties, it IS
clear that it will be a most unwise and un-
popular policy to force reduction in potato
growing or to impose all of the provisions
of this obnoxious law on Western North
Carolina farmers. 30. '.-,
The Farmers Federation is to be conf
mended for moving to secure relief and
will have the solid cooperation and sup
port of Western North Carolina farmers
and business men in its efforts to protect
the potato growers of this section from the
operations of a~law which was originated
and passed for the special benefit of the
big growers of potatoes in the extensive
trucking sections of the United States.
According to the last farm census Hen
derson county farmers produced 156,360
bushels OF Irish potatoes on 2,270 acres.
This is much less than the number of bush
els our farmers ought to grow. Many bush
els OF potatoes, grown all the way from
Florida to Maine, are shipped into the
county every twelve months. 1t is also true
that large proportion of the county's crop
is shipped out. Due to varying seasons and
the time when potatoes mature in the ex-
tensive section of the country in which they
are grown in the Atlantic States, potatoes
from other sections are shipped here be-
fore the Henderson crop is ready for mar
ket; and our crop comes into the maket
when there are no potatoes going on sale
from Florida, Georgia and the coast sec.
tons of the Carolinas and Virginia.
This is chiefly the explanation of the
fact that Henderson county, which actual
ly produces more potatoes than its popula
ton would consume each year, is at thu
same timea heavy buyer of potatoes grow,
elsewhere However, this condition does
not prevail in all of the mountain counties
SOME of them do not grow sufficient pota
toes to supply home needs and it is tru
that Western North Carolina as who'll
imports potatoes because of under-produc
ton. y
Directors of the Farmers Federation be
ieve sit will be tragic calamity to ell
down any of the cash crops in an area hav
ing as low average farm production a
Western North Carolina, and they voice:
this opinion in resolutions adopted at tn
melting held last week.. 1t is to be hope,
that the authorities will give attention t
this plea of the Federation and grant til