The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1953-10-16

SICK on my property as they do
you with your yard"
/ Maybe you got something, Mr..
Gillian" the reporter says. "A
farmers got lot more than sur
pluses on his mind, eh?"
/ Sure has That was the
shortest sentence the Elan farm
er. who looks more like a 1853
business man. said
Leaving Mr.. Gillian, the report
er headed farther west. He figured
the Ed. would want at least two
farms reported on He turned
right off of Route 400 a mile or
two farther on
This farm had a pretty, tree
lined lane which opened into a
wide vista after a quarter of a
mile. Across a field of young al
falfa was new farm house.
cleaning in coat Of white paint.
Built it myself in between
crops in 1850 the owner, Frank
Gillian, told the reporter when
he came across him in field
back of the house.
This conservation business. Mr..
Gillian what's your slant on it. :"
the reporter asked, looking at his
watch. Maybe if this fellow was
mt too laxative he would get
back in time for a cup of coffee
At the usual time, he figured
Right down my alley" the
farmer says. The reporter gave up
the idea Of coffee by II o'clock.
This guy is good for a half hour.
he figures
Put it TO you pretty short
| figure it's a matter of dollars
and cents. I use eight principal
practices OH my land I love this
land. | want to treat it Just like
YOU treat anything you love, with
the best of care.
Strip cropping gives me protec-
ton against loss of top soil-that
means better crops, more money.
l use crop rotation. changing over
from one season to the next keeps
down diseases. is easier on the
land. l plant on the contour to
save washing and tractor fuel. l
use crop residue management
like letting corn stalks deteriorate
on the field. That gives the land
humus and helps hold moisture.
I'm clearing land and seeding
new pasture TO make my opera
ton larger, more profitable I
plan to enlarge my herd of cattle.
Besides l like that long. green
look pasture gives my land I also
am getting down more land in
perennial hay, which gives me hay
without ever exposing the land
once it gets started My last plan
ned operation is using proper
amounts Of fertilizer and lime ac-
cording to lab-analyzed needs of
my land"
The reporter shook Mr.. Gillian S
hand IN thank you gesture and
headed home. The Is miles back
home gave him time to think.
These guys aren't farmers, he
figured. They're business men.
concerned about their property,
their products. They want some
good things for their families.
They take pride in what they Of
fer to the public. same as we.
Maybe this story won't be so
bad to write after all, he figured
getting out of his car back of the
office. Maybe he ought to check
With the county conservationist
for final angle on the story, he
hought
The c0nservatiOnist showed him
samples Of farm plans. How they
classify the soil on a particular
farm. How they map the land use
fOr best crop and growing results /
How the farm plan lays out an
1cre-b y-acrc plan of converting
he farm TO the most efficient
system Of operation modern agri- /
cultural techniques can devise.
In the neat farm plan folder
was an agreement between the (
to continue help I
mo tbp farmer, uit N ppripSic vicjtS
and advice. on the one hand. and I
the farmers agreement to work
At the plan. on the other Sort
Of a partners in profit idea" the
reporter mased
Get your story?" the Ed. asked
as the reporter started hitting the !
keys
Yeah the reporter says, not |
a line "A great one, too. ,
It's about business men, wide