The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-11
a8@41News of Interest to North Carolina Farmers 49,
Tar Heel Farmers Are
Prepared For Defense
PHYSICAL Condition Of Farm
land Better Than Since
World War No. 1

hn1lD SdlOllAld WIZ
,reoared for national defense!
This is the opinion of the N. c.
agricultural extension service,
based upon the observations and
l,novIedge of its $50 farm a n d
home agents in the 100 counties
of tbe state, and its 80 subject
,aotier specialists and administra-
.nrs at N. c. State college. To
s,,nnort the opinion, the extension
serv;ce submits the following facts
and figures.
Through better cropping pr;x-
,iccs learned from demonstrations,
and through the Agricultural Con-
servation program which has built
N the fertility of the Soil while
;tabjlizing income, the physical
,ondition of North Carolina farm
and is better than at any time
;;nce before the first World war.
Restricted production has enabled
.armers to rest a part of their
and each year, to grow and turn
nder lesumeS. and to control ero-
sion.
For Instance. since 1896 farmers
cooperating with the AAA have
nlanted nearly three million acres
Of 1eaumes and grasses and turned
under more than four million acres
If Green manure crops. In the past
five wears more than 500, 900 tons
Of ground agricultural limestone
and nearly 10000 tons of triple
superphosphate have been applied.
About As. 900 linear feet of terraces
have been built. And this year
alone. 1921, 100 pounds of Austrian
winter peas were distributed as
an AAA srant-of-aid. the seed to
be planted on approximately 49,
0O acres as a winter cover crop.
without Income Loss
These improvements have been
made without any appreciate loss
IN income. Recentl.- published re-
norts showed that cash income in
creased in 1910 in all phases of
North Carolina life except agri-
culture. Cold. hard figures were
used in making this comparison.
and State college officials say they
don't tell the true story.
They admit that cash income
from tobacco in 1910 is less than
in 1889. But in 1889 farmers pro-
duced about 60 per cent more to-
bacco than in 1910: and they used
correspondingly larger amounts OF
fertilizer, labor. and land. tt e
acreage retired from tobacco
could be, and was used on liter
ally thousands of farms for home
gardens and the production of food
and feed previously bought.
Actually the extension leaders
say. the farm people Of North Car
DINA are better off this fall than
they were after the rich crop OF
tobacco last fall. They may not
have as much money to spend, but
they have more canned goods on
their pantry shelves, and more hay
and corn in their barns.
Largely responsible for the re-
ported drop in cash farm income
was a decline in government pay
ments. Triple-A officials point out
that the failure to plant within al
lotments in 1889, when there was
no control program On tobacco,
cost North Carolina farmers thou
sands of dollars in conservation
payments.
Receiving S14, 900, 900
But farmers voted in marketing
quotas for their 1910 crop, and
they are now beginning to receive
an estimated S14, 200, 600 in 1910
conservation payments. All of this
money will be in the hands OF
growers by early spring, or just
as soon as they sign applications
Tor payments and the federal
treasury can check their records
and issue checks.
The estimated S14, 200, 600 in con-
Servation payments under the 1910
program compares with only ST.
5lS.739.9l distributed in conserva-
uon payments under the 1889 pro-
gram. The Triple-A program also
is distributing S4,O77, 2o5. 20 in 1910
cotton price adjustment, and $79,-
4OO'03 in 1910 wheat price adjust
nent payments.
therefore, the bullying food and
leed storage places, and the near
" ~ million dollars in govern
mlent payments which will be in
me hands of farmers within the
next four n five months, should
Seave North Car olina agriculture
veil prepared for any immediate
Emergency.
Win their soils built up in fer
Il'y and protected against ero-
sioh' not to mention enormous in.
aeases in beef, dairy, swine ana
poullry breeding stock in the past
lew years, Tar Heel farmers can
well say: Uncle Sam, we are
'e'ay Tor any defense CALI" 4
nonv,>, Dr.