Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-18
BY JAMES RIRCHFIFLD,
Star staff CorreSpOndent

Farmers Of historic St. Marys
. County will produce almost as much
/ this year as IN the past, despite war
/ projects in the area which have
/ absorbed much of the countys sup
/ ply of part-tlme farm labor. The
largest Curtailment in planting Will
/ be among patch farmers" many of
| whom have deserted their fields for
high wages on Government projects
This is the opinion Of County
Agent J, J. Johnson, who said that
although farm production will fall
| slightly below last year, farmers
| are preparing to cultivate as much
/ land as possible.
T Mr.. Johnson opinion was furths.
borne out by statements of cross
roads store keepers. who have
/ stocked the usual amount of seed
! and tobacco growing equipment. and
( say they expect to have little or
no hold-over
Country Store Topics.
Men who gather at country stores
/ to discuss the farm topics of their
/ communities say there is no mini
MIXING the farm labor shortage. 1t
/ is serious, they say, and undoubtedly
/ will affect this years farm output.
| Farmers agree that the man hit
/ hardest is the large farmer who
must depend entirely on part-time
/ labor. While many of these have
not lost their regular tenants, it is
almost impossible for them to find
extra labor.
One reason for the shortage of
farm labor was declared by farmers
to the unWillingness of some men to
| take Jobs. These men work a day or
two on war projects and make as
much money as they formerly did
IN week on the farm. They re-
main idle the rest Of the week and
refuse to help out the hard pressed
farmer A work or fight law would
help remedy this situation, they said.
Higher Crop Yields.
Mr., johnson said st. Marys Coun-
ty farmers are constantly i'm
proving crop yields through better
farming methods. While tobacco
remains the chief pay crop" farm
ers are getting away from the old
one crop" farming which for the
past 200 years has drained the fer
tility from the land of Southern
Maryland and Virginia. While
fewer acres are planted, the pro-
duction IS constantly getting higher,
he said.
Steven Demko, a Czech American
farmer who has carved so tillable
acres out of forest land said the
farmer will have to learn to work"
He said farmers who in the past
have "bossed the job" will have to
pitch in themselves"
Up through st. MaryS County, in
TO Charles County and across the
new Potomac River Bridge into Vir-
ginia. farmers describe the labor
situation as tight" One farmer in
Charles County said he and his
neighbors were planting as much
land 'as we can" In Charles as we'll
as in st. Marys many part-time
farm hands have been lured from
the land to Government projects.
In King George County, Va,
farmers believe crop production this
year will suffer most at the hands of
men who depend on other jobs in
addition to farming for their living
These men, it was said. have lndi-
Gated they will let their land go I'M
cultivated rather than face the
constant problem of getting and
maintaining farm labor.
Acres to Go Untitled.
c. H. Allnutt, a retired King
George farmer, said he knew of at
least 300 acres in his neighborhood
which would not be farmed this year.
He said this land belongs to men
who have professions or other jobs
and who say they will not turn
hand as long as labor remains hard
to find.
1T doesn't seem right Mr.. All
mutt said, for these men to quit