Arkansas State press., 1950-02-17

looacre farm left by his father and run it for his mother, sister and
four brothers.
Willie wasn't quite sure where he'd get money to tide the family
over the winter and to begin a crop the next year, but he began
to think He had seen buyers purchase hundreds of turkeys in nearby
Richmond, Texas, and ship them to northern markets.
OF course, they weren't interested in one or two turkeys such as
he and his neighbors had. They bought them by the crate. Maybe
my neighbors would let me sell their turkeys to the buyers in town
on a commission basis, Willie said to himself. Aat least he could try.
The next morning, he hitched up the wagon, and he and two of
his brothers went from farm to farm collecting turkeys from their
neighbors to sell to the big buyers. Within a month. he had saved up
enough from his commissions to begin buying turkeys outright and
selling them al a profit.
The Pilgrims aren't the only ones who were thankful for tr-
keys says Mr.. Melton as he recalls how these birds saved the day
for him and his family 20 years ago.
Today, Mr.. Melton is m of the biggest colored farm operators in
Texas He owns 400 acres and rents 900 more which he farms with
three tractors. He raised 100 bales of cotton a year, SO to 100 carloads
of watermelons, go acres of corn for his 400 turkeys, 1000 chickens,
and AZ head of beef cattle.
In town, he owns an interest in the $4,000 gin, and in the en-
porium which sells everything from groceries and Bingham to kitchen
stoves and farm equipment
Mr.. Melton started farming on his own in 1927 when the 100
acre patrimony was divided among his sister, brothers, and him.
self His share was l6 acres To this. he added rs more which he
purchased through the Federal Land Bank.
But before he could really get going, the depression hit and caught
him just a it did many other farmers. 81 had to mortgage my mules
in 1882" says MI. Melton.
In addition to the depression, he had trouble trying to get his
land to produce good yields. Il was doing good then when | got a half
a bale of cotton to the acre" Mr. Milton asserts.
Continuing he adds, Then my county agent showed me how to
build up my land by rotating my crops planting winter legumes, using
onHeiei" tuhze draining my land properly. Last year, my
neighbors and got together under the leadership of County Agent A
!. Adams and had a network of bitches dug to drain 1926 acres of
our farms In this effort we also had the assistance of Soil Conserva-
ton Service and the Production and Marketing Administration of the
U. S Department Of Agriculture"
Mr.. Melton now averages a bail of cotton to the acre and about
oo bushels of corn to the acre on his land Some of his corn is in
terphnted with watermelons.
Mrs Melton handles the chickens She has 700 layers whose eggs
are sold to a certified hatchery. Mr.. Melton takes care of the tur-
keys-4oo of his own every year and about 1000 he buys up each
fall from his neighbors, fauens. and sells on the wholesale market
The Meltons live in a modern six-room home. There are seven
children; two are in college, four at home, and one is away
i plan to continue increasing my livestock and watermelons and
reducing my cotton acreage; my boys like livestock farming and
melons, too says Mr. Melon.