The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-06
Carolina Farm Comment
BY F. H. JETER

people are working longer hours
and harder than ever before, is
the fact that Columbus County
rural people, for instance, have
learned the glories of the rising
sun, the heat of the noontime, and
the cool of the evening hours.
There is no such thing as an eight
hour day for the farmers of that
or any other eastern Carolina
county at present. Charles D. Rap
er, farm agent, says there are no
white collared farmers in Column
bus this summer.
They are starting their day at
three o'clock in the morning and
working from then until IL or one
O. clock at night. They are all striv-
ing nightly to save this tobacco
crop. What little extra labor there
is, other than the ordinary farm
labor, is costing the Individual
farmer SO much that ne is trying
to do the whole job himself. He
is working with his neighbors
wherever poss b lie, in small
groups, and takes turns in going
from one farm to the other. Many
growers report that tobacco crop
pers are asking and getting from
So to $40 day and that ordinary
barn hands are getting S. and Sc
a day.
Where he can, the grower is pay
ing these prices in desperation but
he is first doing what he can with
his own two hands and the aid of
his family to harvest as much of
the tobacco as possible. Mr.. Raper
says they are doing a real job.
In Yadkin County, the grain
growers banded together to solve
their labor problem at threshing
time this summer. The whole COM
munity turned out in the Hunters
pile section to thresh the grain
and the neighborhoods of Poindex-
ter, Sofley, Hartman, and Groce
worked out a plan of labor swap
ping that made the threshing sea.
son in these communities a pleas
ant success. The same thing hap.
pened in the South Deep Greek
neighborhood where the Allgoods,
foods. McCormicks, and their
neighbors worked together until all
the grain in the community was
threshed and st ored. Money
couldn't have bought the labor but
mutual helpfulness could and it is
this way that North Carolina
farmers are meeting their produc'
ton and harvesting problems.
Sometimes the labor question is
solved by fine family cooperation
Hoyle Setter owns a 260-acre farm
just off the dirt road between
Claremont and Catawba in Cataw
ba County. About ITO acres are ii
cultivation and Mr.. Setter is for
ever faced with shortage of la
Dor. The other day, Farm Agen
Earle Brintnan visited the farm
and Hoyle told him how the fam
lily solved the question of harvest
ing this years small grain crop
Hoyle grew 81 acres of wheat ane
three acres of oats. Most of thi
was cut with the combine with Mr.
Setter riding the tractor and hi
son Hoyle, Junior, operating tn,
combine. Sometimes they changed
jobs, and while most of the graf,
could be harvested with the com
bine, there were spots where
was necessary to operate the bind
er. Some Of the wheat was lyin,
flat; som of it grew on tarrace
but in all, there were seperal acre
which were necessary to cut wit;
the binder and then this grain ha,
to be threshed.
Mr.. Setter got his whole fami],
together, called in couple of goot
neighbors, and put the combine f.
use as threshing machine Th
wife cut the bundles which the ID
year-old daughter threw to her
Hoyle, Jr., threw the straw ont
the stack, another neighbor sacke,
the grain. and the 11-year-ol,
daughter tied the sacks. Mr.. Howl
SAID his two neighbors, Mr.. Hell
ner ana MIR. Shook, proved them
| serves to be real friends and al
| OF tne grain was finally harveste,
| and stored.
| reports also come from othe
paris OF North Carolina telling q
| iaow nelghbors are helping eac
| other. It may Inconvenience
| aeign ?,, at times but usually h
| IS willing and ready to lend tina
| n ,nasa helping hand. If thi