Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1956-10-10
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COUNTRYSIDE
PHILLIPS HARRISON

Grapes are reported as get
ting to that stage these days.
With all the barrels on display
a person can tell exactly when
to go calling on his friends
vineyard. Some years ago there
was a ready market for the
scuppernongs grown in this
area and a great many car
loads were shipped from Clar-
endon, each year. Virginia
Dare wine was made exclu-
sively from this type grape or
at least that is my understand
ing. This wine was valued as
a table wine by all. Then too
a great many were used for
grape jellies, preserves, and
other desserts. II is my belief
that we have missed the boat
again on a well paying money
crop. Grape lovers over the
country say our scuppernongs
put all other types to shame.
Cotton was king last week
over in Marion, Florence. Lee,
and Sumter counties in South
Carolina. 1t was very evident
by the amount of cotton Strcwn
along the road as tobacco is
lost along our roads while il
is in transit to market. Mech
anical cotton pickers must not
have gained much favor up to
date as several were parked in
fields where il looked as if an
attempt had failed to use them.
But, brother, the human cot
ton pickers were busy. All
sizes, sexes, and color were out
there trying TO get the crop in
before bad weather should set
in. Man, what staggering
number of tired, aching backs
there must have been in those
counties last week! Liniment
and rubbing alky must have
sold at a premium.
While / was waiting for a
business appointment over in
Sumter last Thursday l engag-
ed in a discussion of cotton
picking with a man who was
also waiting in the same office.
I'll note here his views but
please understand this is not
my opinion at all. He said"
Engineers will never build a
mechanical picker that can
compete with human piCkers.
Just notice how nature bal
ances things. If humans over
period of several generations
engage in a specialized activi-
ty, why nature endows them
with special characteristics
that will overcome the OBJ
stacles in performing that acti-
witty. So you will notice that
most farm labor are low in
stature and broad in the
shoulder where crops are
grown that require a lot of
STOPPING" - After giving this
assertion a little thought I
couldn't resist rcplyin g
Mister, if you are correct, you
folks must have a lot of dwarfs
among you. Why it looks to me
as if some Of this cotton needs
digging not picking"
Middel age is something that
catches up with all of us if we
live long enough. And usually
, catches us up with a jolt. Sew
eral days ago l had the pleas
ure to meet an old acquaint-
ance l had not seen in some
twenty-five years. When
walked toward him he grinned
and remarked-"Well, you've
got the old spread too" -
knew my weight had increased
considerably but / was not a.
ware that the cause of il is
so evident to everyone.
Fair time is with us again.
Years ago when | was in about
the sixth and seventh grades
all county schools of Columbus
would attend the county fair in
Whiteville and would be mar
. ched (notice l stated we were
rharchedJ from somewhere
near the court house to the
: fair grounds which were al
ways down near the rail road
= in "Vincland." This trip was q
real gala affair and was made
several years from our school
in a two mule wagon. I'm still
a great admirer of better trans
I portation, but never will | start
a trip with more anticipation
p of pleasure and adventure thar
b those trips TO the FAIR.