The times-news., 1937-09-15
FARMING IN THE MOUNTAINS

Frank s. Rodgers gets fine article PRINT
ed in The Charleston News and Courier, in
praise of the Hendersonville farmers mar
ket and mountain farming practices. He IS
greatly impressed by the showing and the
record of the market and by the llve-at-
home policy of our Henderson county farm
erS.
What is commonly spoken OF as the
"curb market" (althOugh it has been a
number of years since the farmers quit do
ing business at the curb) attracts as much
attention and favorable comment as any
of the natural attractions of this region.
During the summer large crowds flock to
the market merely for the purpose OF see
ing it and looking at the products on sale.
Of course there are thousands, also, who
patronize the market in business way.
For the summer visitors and tourists
throughout the year the market is source
of deep interest and delight. 1t is fea-
ture of Hendersonville which attracts wide
spread attention and approval and, from
the standpoint of publicity, the town has
no better advertising feature.
An intelligent and travelled Florida lady
tells The Times-News that she considers
the market the best she has ever seen. 1t
is smaller than the markets of the larger
cities of the country, but more attractive
and interesting than any of the Others ac-
cording to the estimate of this lady.
Hendersonville has profted and will con-
tinue to profit through the market, in indi-
rect ways, such as the advertising value OF
the place and the favorable impression ere
ated in the minds of visitors who see it, al
though some of them do not visit the mar
ket for the purpose of making purchases.
The value of the market as show place
cannot be estimated
The TimeS-News is frequently called
upon for information about the market,
the inquiries coming from people in other
sections of the country. In some cases the
persons are interested in establishing mar
kets elsewhere. From any of these stand
points the market is community asset.
The market was established as an outlet
for the products of this section and 1t Is
from this standpoint that strong and Ia
vorable impression is made on all visitors.
Persons unfamiliar with the agricultural
production of this mountain region are
amazed at the showing made at the mar
ket by the farmers and truckers OF the
surrounding country. Strangers come ex-
pecting to find nothing but mountain seem
ery here. When they see small fraction
of the products of the soil at the market,
they are amazed. The usual result is trips
through the region by visitors to get first
hand view of the farms from which come
these products.
When visitors travel through the coun-
try districts they find, as did The News
and Courier's correspondent, that this is a
region of small farms, but that many of
them are highly productive; and one of
the most impressive findings is the live-at-
home, or self-supporting, character of the
agricultural production of this section.
Our farmers Give at home" They pro-
duce no single cash crop; but produce and
market practically all the crops known in
the southeastern states, except cotton
Agricultural diversifcation has reached .
high mark here.
OF course, no claim is made that cond;
tions are perfect-or that they approach
perfection-in this region. Not all of ou,
farmers are prosperous. The average casl
return of the farms is low 1t is a fact
however, that a. large majority of tn,
farms are ssf-sustaining Farm familie
uroduce sufficient for their needs and I.
feed their livestock, 1t is often said in thi
,,.r. Fz,.esss.s,-'Ez H.