Evening star., 1946-03-31
Farmers Plan
Drastic Cuts
In Fauquier
Labor Shortage and
Lack of Parts Form
Chief Reasons

Fauquier County farmers are
planning to cut agricultural produc-
ton drasticaHy unless machinery
and machine repair parts become
available during the planting sea-
son, and unless an adequate harvest
lbaro supply is assured, according
to County Agent Walter B. Nourse
Mr.. Nourse said many farmers in
Faquier-the second agricultural
county in Virginia-have indicated
they will plant no corn this season,
while others say they will cut corn
acreage to half that of former years.
This will mean q reduction next
year on dairy herds to balance the
feed level.
Mr.. Nourse said about S per cent
of the 1875 dairy farms in the county
have gone out of business since
We day, and it is likely that this
percentage will increase measurably
after the next harvest. These farms,
the county agent said, account for
about 10 per cent Of the milk supply
in the Washington area, so that a
further reduction in dairy herds in
Fauquier will be felt in the District.
Thus far, Mr.. Nourse said, the
cut has been largely because of the
poor prospects for farm labor. Only
those veterans who own or have
interests in farms are returning to
the land, he said, while the United
States Employment Office at Cul-
peper. which services the Fauquier
area, is overloaded with veterans
seeking jobs as truck drivers or in
dustrial workers.
Wage Competition Severe.
"Under existing economic compe-
tition in the country" Mr.. Nourse
said, "it is impossible for the farmer
to compete with industry in the
labor market. You can't run farm
paying a minimum wage of 65 cents
an hour for a 40-hour week. And
I can't blame the veteran who has
no stake in the land for wanting
to get off a farm"
Jim Hamilton, who operates two
dairy farms near Warrenton, said
he had to consolidate his herds be-
cause of the labor shortage. Mr..
Hamilton normally employed three
dairymen and three general farm
hands. Now he has one farm hand
and two men he is trying to train as
dairymen.
Just the other day I met one
OF my old dairymen," Mr.. Hamilton
said. He told me he was making
$40 week in a filling station in
Maryland. All I could offer was
congratulations"
Fauquier farm leaders believe the
end of strikes in farm machinery
plants, assuring the availability of
parts and new machines within the
next few months, would provide an
impetus for agricultural production.
Here, however, is the farm ma
chinery picture at present:
The Gill Implement g. Truck Co.,
local agents for the International
Harvester Co., does not have a single
new farm machine for sale and has
no immediate prospect of receiving
needed tractors, harvesters, rakes
and other machines.
F. R. Gill, company owner, esti-
mated 80 per cent of the company's
orders for parts remain untitled.
He said farm machines are being
held in his shop for lack of repair
parts.
1t was estimated that Fauquier
farmers could use now more than
81 100000 worth of new machinery.
Harry Carter, president of the
Warrenton Supply Co., said he has
none of the supplies needed by
farmers at this time.
I'VE have no trace chains, no
feed pals, no fork handles, no roof
Ing and not six. eight or ten
penny nail in stock" he said.
Feed Receipts Low.
A. G. Willis, manager of the Cul-
peper Farm Bureau, which handles
a large part OF the Fauquier feed
said he normally
handled 30 tons of feed a day. but
is getting scarcely anything to
speak of now"
Mr.. Willis said a contract for 30
tons of feed month, signed last
December /, has produced so far a
total OF II tons. He said high protein
meals, such as soybean and cotton
seed meal, are almost unobtainable.
These are necessary to raise the
protein content of dairy FEED mixed
on the farm.
While Fauquier farmers have
taken advantage of German prisoner
of war labor, there is no assurance
that this will be available after
April 80, Mr.. Nourse said. D. A.
Tucker, Virginia supervisor of
emergency farm labor, has advised
Fauquier farmers to plan only. on
such farm labor as can be re-
cruited in your county"
Mr.. Nourse said war prisoners
harvested corn on about 1874 farms
last fall, and estimated that about
10000 bushels remain to be shucked.
George Slater, whose 800-acre
farm near Upperville has corn in the
shock, is using war prisoners to
finish his last years harvest.
Mr.. Slater said the price of AZ
cents a shock, agreed to with the
Army as the rate of pay for war
prisoners following hearings in the
county, has been changed by Army
officials to straight IS cents-per-
hour basis. This, he said, increases
the cost Of shucking corn to about
80 cents per shock.