The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1950-06-22
by A. p. Carroll.
Soil Conservafionist


Once four hundred acre farm
in Holmes County required seven
tenant families to operate, but
today it takes only one. The land
is being better cared for and is
showing more net profit to the
owner and tenant. The tenants
left this farm and moved to town
and went north looking for bet
er opportunities. This is typical of
many areas in Mississippi and
especially in the brown loan.
area.
However, E. w. Hooker, the
owner of this farm, was quick to
realize that there was better,
more prosperous method of farm
ing this place other than grow
ing row crops and having to feed,
clothe and house seven tenant ia
miles. Therefore, he and the
Holmes County Soil Conservation
District Conservationist made
plan for grass farming rather
than for cotton. He fenced and
cross fenced the farm and con-
sructed stock pond in each pas
ture. He applied lime, phosphate,
potash and nitrogen and seeded
to dallas, fescue, and bermuda
grass, lespedeza, white clover,
lidano clover and wildwinter
peas. All these plants were plant
ed on the areas that are best "a
dapted to the particular plants.
Today he is grazing one hundred
head of brood cows and calves.
He carried sixty five of these
cows through last winter on these
pastures without feeding them
anything. Mr.. Hooker rotates the
grazing to allow the grasses to
grow up to be grazed off in the
winter. Most of the cows drop
ped calves in February, March
and April and they were all in
good condition.
He has taken the advantages
of the assistance offered by the
Production and Marketing Asso-
citation in getting stock ponds
constructed and the minerals and
the seed to plant. The Extension
Service representatives have as
sisted him in the care and man.
agement of his cattle. The one
tenant family that remains on
the farm cultivates only Is acres.
This Is acres is highly fertilized
and the tenant states that he
makes as much as he did laake
on many more acres.
Also, Mr.. Hooker has .orn
down all of the old seven tenant
houses and constructed a nice
fireproof block house which is
shown above with the tenant ia
mily. He installed lights, tele
phone and running water.
This family is enjoying the
same conveniences that the town
people are. The tenant is paid a
regular salary to look after the
cattle and he gets a commission
when the cattle are sold. The
Negro stated that he is having the
best time of his life, having more
money to spend, good house to
live in and he never thought il
would be possible to have rum
ing water in his house.
| Mr.. Hooker states that he has
! found it to be much more pre-
fitable to Craze this hill land thar
it is to grow cotton. Also, he
states that the land and minerals
he applied are being nailed dowr
by the grass and are not being
moved away to fill up bitches anc
creeks flooding some of our bes
bottom and Delta land.
i There are sixty acres of wood.
on the farm. He stated that til,
woods are so located it is no
practical to fence them out of the
pastures; therefore, he allows the
cows to Craze through them
When he was asked if the cattle
damaged the young seedlings, h,
; stated that he had not found tina
they did. He also stated that h,
had found that grazing out tn.