The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-01-27
GARDENING
and FARMING
IN DARE
By J. L. REA. Co. Agt.


The All Electric Workshop is
progressing nicely at the Kitty
Hawk School for the boys. Eugene
Barwick, with the Virginia Elec-
trio and Power Company, is helping
to conduct this Workshop. Each boy
is assembling a small Electric mo-
tor. This little motor is given to the
boy when the Workshop is COM
pleted. Fourth bows learn how
electric motors run. The same prin-
ciple applies to big electric motors
as it does to small motors. The All
motto ITO learn to do by Doing" is
an excellent way to teach.
Garden Club
Bryson L. James, Extension Horti-
culture Specialist from State Col
lege, gave an interesting program
to the Roanoke Island Garden Club
members. James gave an informal
type program. He discussed in some
detail how to propagate shrubs. He
said that 1870 of all trouble with
plants and shrubbery is water
either too much or not enough. This
is true even in winter when most
of us think shrubs do not need
watering. The specialist said plants
dry out in the winter and this is
when most damage occurs.
Mr.. James said that people in all
walks of life are becoming more
interested in plants and shrubs. He
said the Garden Clubs throughout
North Carolina are playing an i'm
portant part in interesting people
in ornamentals.
Unique Location
Mr.. and Mrs. Harvey Young of
Frisco live in a most UNIQUE loca-
ton. The Youngs live in a house
trailer on top of a sand dune. The
Youngs can stand in their trailer,
which has picture windows. and see
both the Atlantic Ocean and Pam
leo Sound. The Youngs are origi-
nally from New Jersey but have
owned their several acres of pro-
perty at Frisco since 1916. It is
impossible to drive a car to their
house. The Youngs said it took a
bulldozer and a towing truck to
place the house trailer in its pre-
sent position. 49,
The Youngs have many interest
ing plants around their house trail
er and are eager to establish grass
and other shrubs.
Strawberries
If you have Strawberries some
attention should be given to these
plants now. If the plants are set
in a fairly light sandy soil and were
fortified last fall an additional ap-
plication of fertilizer should be ap-
piled now. Three pounds of 1870
nitrogen should be applied to the
100 foot row. If the strawberries
are in heavy type soil and the land
is fairly high in fertility the fall
application should be ample. Nitro
gen applied to berry plants in jan
uary and February on this type soil
could cause too much top growth
resulting in soft berries that rot
early.
If you are planning to mulch
this should be done now and scatter
ed lightly over plants and in mid
die of rows. Mulching results in
cleaner berries and the straw also
protects the plants from cold wea-
Their.
We have an excellent bulletin on
small fruit culture and will be glad
to furnish you one.
Farm Prices
Farm real estate prices are head
ed down! The USDA's semi-annual
survey shows drop of less than
10, but it marks the end of an g.
year rise nationally. Prices fell 2ao
or more in IA states. This was
enough to offest gains in II states
some of them as much as go.
We've had quite a. boom in farm
land. From 1854 to 1860 land values
in Fl states rose 500 or more. But,
sas USDA economists, point out.
in some cases prices have moved
too high, compared to the earning
power land. For example: Although
average earnings are $11.50 per
acre nationally, after compensating
for labor and montreal estate
investments, the return from land
alone is only So. an acre. That's
less than $50 return on an average
land value of Sill. per acre. The
value of land is now 81 times earn
ings per acre; 6 years ago it was
only 6 times annual earnings. Corn
Belt land in Illinois sells for as high
as $500 an acre. Citrus groves in
Florida sell as high as $4,000 an
acre.