Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-07-25
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but Denlnu the Plantations are
hundreds of neat and attractive
homes on small farms owned and
operated by Negro farmers. The
farm and home agents of Exten-
sion Service have put in long hours
helping these families to increase
their production and raise their
level of living.
In Leeds, Ala, for example,
County Agent Percy White and
Mrs. Rubye ]. Robinson, the home
agent, are helping to improve a
whole community. Already 80 of
the 46 homes in this section of
Leeds have been touched by the
program. improvements include
painting and general renovation,
the planting of flowers, seeding of
grass, the purchase of furniture,
and the installation Of modern kit
chen equipment. The school, a
store, and three churches are in
volved in the face-lifting project.
Is South Carolina, Mrs. Marian
B. Paul, State supervisor of home
demonstration work; R. G. Smith,
the farm agent; and Mrs. Cammie
Fluid, the home agent, showed me
many improved farm homes. We
stopped at three or four, including
that of Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt
Benson of Woodruff. They started
out as sharecroppers with a bor-
rowed bed and a second hand stove
81 years ago. Today, they own 124
acres and an attractive home. Mr..
Benson is chairman of the COM
munity farmers club and one of
his boys is State president of New
Farmers Of America.
Near Columbus, Miss, | had a
chance to see how Mrs. jamie V.
Hunt has been helping families
to improve their homes. Albert
Anthony, 1000-acre cotton farmer,
has built himself a modern two
story stucco house. It's serving as
a good example for both white
and colored farmers who are be-
ginning to make some real improve
ments in their homes, too.
Theodore R. Jackson Of St.
Joseph, La, owns just 40 acres.
But by developing a balanced farm
ing program, he is making it pay
off. Newest crop to try his hand
at, with the help Of County Agent
L. S. Whitlow, is eggs. He has
$50 layers and collects as many as
240 dozen eggs, a week. With part
Of his savings, he has built COM
Portable home. By doing most of
the work himself, he was able to
reduce the total cost to about ST.
600.
Fifteen miles further from town
along a back road is the modern
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Charley
Perkins. It's about as well appoint
ed as any small rural home one
will find anywhere. They have a
complete bathroom and a new
kitchen with a home freezer. They
are making 40 acres provide them
a good living.
In Arkansas, Prentiss Monk, a
soil conservation champion Of his
state, is model farmer, growing
a variety of crops from cotton and
cattle to peaches and caster beans
With the help of the Production
and Marketing Administration, and
Soil Conservation Service, he has
built more than four miles of ter
races on his farm to help reduce
erosion. Also, he has set out more
than a million trees, mostly for his
neighbors, within the last three
years. This has proved to be N
excellent sideline source of income
The Monks have a comfortable
home and so have Alex Jack anc
his children, who also live in
Columbia County, Ark. County
Agent Wesley R. Dansby and
had dinner with the Jacks-home-
cured ham, string beans, sweet.
potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad
and ice cream right out of THEN
home freezer.
In Virginia, Miss Rachel Carter
the home agent, took me to visit
Mr.. and Mrs. Preston Higgan.
botham who live near Amherst
Two white wagon wheels welcome
you to their attractive two-story
home. There's a spring in the yard
issuing an endless supply of colo
water, but Mrs. Higganbothan
says she will never rest until water
IS piped into the house. They are
trying to decide which will come
first, tractor or hot and colo
running water. Miss Carter is bet
ting the water will win.
But it has usually been the trac
tor and other mechanical farm
equipment such as combines, hay
talers, seed drills, and corn picker:
which have helped to provide the
income, for the construction ant
maintenance Of improved housing
And today tractors and other i'm
plements are seen on good man!
of the oWner-operator farms. They