The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-01
tenant PROBLEM
SOLUTION FOUND
rorden And Sow Placed On
Braswell Farms In East
ern North Carolina

70 solve the most vexing of al
snems Of tenancy-that of a lew
..d.rd of living and a resulting
nsotisfied people. John w. Good.
assistant director Of the State
n,oop Extension service, com.
nas the Braswell system to other
n, o%perators in the state.
umor,as J.. Pearsall, general man
nj the 16, 000-acre Braswell
nrany holdings in Eastern North
S"a,,ina. has encouraged home gar.
and livestock ownership for
wont families since he took charge
-bo 50 Braswell farms in 1885.
w.. This year progressive Mr.. Pear
.u-knovn as Tom Pearsall to his
~soru+1ess friends went a step
further
ue took an old three-room store
.,isinc in Battleboro, where the
boswell company maintains head
',ortors. and transformed it into an
a.ricultural building for, not only
his own tenants, but for the COM
.,uritv-at.laree. tom Pearsall is
NICELY convinced that community
generation and joint consideration
,f AGRICULTURAL problems is the path
n better balanced farm program
:, North carolina" says Extension
Leader Goodman.
Garden Calendars Distributed
10 accompany the mandatory
home garden for each tenant family
numbering 900 people, in all -
PearsalI had printed a complete gar
den calendar, showing the kinds OF
vegetables to plant. when to plant
,tap. how to cultivate them. and
tbe amount needed for each person
in the family. A copy Of this gar
den calendar must be kept posted
in or around every tenant house.
The IL farm overseers employed by
the Braswell company, are required
10 check IN the gardens the same
as they do on the cash crops, lnclud-
inc cotton, tobacco, peanuts, grams,
beans. peas. lespedeza, clovers, cat
tie. mules, sheep and hogs.
In addition 10 the regular main
tenance allowance to each tenant
family, Pearsall supplied $3.50 worth
tf garden seed. half Of the cost be-
inc for seed potatoes. Included in
the garden seed allotment, enough
for a 12.months garden. were $4,000
cabbage plants.
To &c Of the tenant families, who
we're able to feed and care for the
animals. the Braswell company
loans milk COWS. Others of the ten
ants own their own cows. Pearsall
says the rext step will be to require
every tenant family to keep a COW.
Tho NJ. C. Braswell Company Agri-
cultural building at Battleboro Is
marked by a sign hung from plow
handles over the front door. The
main auditorium is equipped with
chairs Tor $50 persons, and it's light
ing fixtures hang from a singletree
and a wagon wheel.
1T is not a negro community
house, although most of III tenants
naturally are colored people," Mr..
Pearsall said of the agricultural
building. I'VE invite all of the peo-
pie Of the community to use it, and
white and negro farm and home
agents and vocational teachers,
have had the building placed at their
disposal for any type Of program
which will contribute to a greater
self-sufficiency among Easter
North Carolina farm people," he de-
clared.
Specialists Are Invited
Two regular monthly educational
meetings are held in the building
Tor the community IS whole.
Specialists from State college and
other agricultural agencies, farm
and home agents, and vocational
teachers, are invited to give demon
STATIONS and talks. Leading grow
els and livestock farmers also are
frequently guest speakers, A sound
mutton picture protector, and a slide
protector, together with 40 to so
lin Sfrins and ,oaJe IF poofioo nic-
lures are kept on hand at all times.
Inc ID farm managers, OF over
seers' held two special meetings a
month in the building to discuss
their problems. Occasionally the en-
.'fe tenant population Of the farms
Is brought in for a meeting.
y lounge, or library, and a kitchen
comprise the other two rooms i'll the
building. A complete set of agricul-
euEal publications, including State
College Extension and Experiment
station bulletins, and U. S. Depart
Nleht OF Agriculture bulletins, is
available. There r also in the
racks current issues Of five leading
iafH magazines.
An annual event looked forward
" by all Braswell farm tenants is
'Ne "~Laying-By Picnic" held in a
PASTURE on Of the farms in the
-8ll' On this occasion, 500 in cash
nlzes are awarded for the best farm
-oIllile' and to the winners in the
raIihin2 contest for farm wnmen.
i've prizes, of $40, $40, SIS, SO and
70 are offered for the best record of
a'l'e conditions, crop production,
ana handling livestock.
Inc Braswell Farms were estab.
Ashed III 1882 by Squire r. P. Bras
VH' They were carried on after
DS death by the late M. C. Braswell,
n M f-