Wiregrass Farmer from Headland, Alabama • 1

mm itmmm tfwcmtv The Flower Garden Suchlike The Only Publication That Covers Fully The Headland Territory" a iiC3iiiiiiiiiiiialiiiiiuiiiiaiutiiitiiics VOLUME XXX BUY AT HOME HEADLAND, ALABAM JANUARY 16, 1941 -SELL AT HOME- NUMBER 37 Dept, of Archives and History VHin VMliv If Britain Loses Senator Bankhead ((( To Enroll Wants More Benefits 31 In County For Aged People There will be a CCC on January 21st for enrollment white boys between the ages of 17 and 24 inclusive. These boys are all to go to the West Coast and have to have a written consent of their parents along with their consent to stay 12 months. The quota for Henry County is 31 whites and this quota has not yet been filled. Any boy wishing to make application can come to the Department of Public Welfare office in Abbeville any day except Saturday afternoon and may enroll in Headland on Wed' nesday at the City Hall. According to the regulations at present CCC enrollees receive $30 per month.

Of this amount $15 is sent to the dependents at home, $8.00 is for the CCC enrollee to spend as he desires and $7.00 is to be deposited in the CCC Bank depository for every month the boy is enrolled. In addition to this, food, shelter, clothing, medical care and voca tional training are furnished. Enrollment in the CCC is an excel lent opportunity for any boy to not only help his family but to help himself. Ten colored boys and one white boy were enrolled in Dothan on January 8th. Five white boys will enroll in Montgomery on January 17th and these boys will stay in Alabama or adjoining states.

Alabama May Lead In Solving Nation's Farm Problems Agricultural officials in Wash' mgton, D. are hopeful that Alabamas new conservation plan may point the way to solving the problems facing present agricul tural adjustment programs. This was revealed in a statement by Dr. Mordecai Ezekiel, economist, United States Department of Agriculture, at the annual extension conference. Some of these problems include: 1.

How can we make the AAA program really control production? It has been his observation that as cotton acreage has been reduced the per acre yields have been increased. 2. How can we make the conservation part of the AAA program work? He declared that in some sections of the country the conservation practices have not been generally adopted. 3. How can the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, Soil Conservation Service, Farm Security Administration and Forest Service be coordinated so that there wil be no duplication in their efforts? 4.

How can we make the programs work for the advancement of farm people as well as for the conservation of the farm? 5. Is the farm program working for the advancement of one group of farmers to the detriment of others? He stated that it is most important to protect family sized farms. The Alabama plan will be watched and studied with a great deal of interest during the next two or three years to see progress Forestry Action Program Urged Drive Proposed To Solve Problems In Cut-Over Regions Declaring that most of our critical problem areas are in cut-over forest regions where rural incomes are low and relief loads high, Earl H. Clapp, acting chief of the Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, recently called for a nationwide forestry action program to help solve these and other related social and economic problems including those of basic farm agriculture. Speaking at the 40th annual meeting of the Society of American Foresters in Washington, Mr.

Clapp urged adoption of a three-part program to establish a sound forest economy, which offers one of the best means of helping such critical problem areas as already occur in portions of the lake states, the Ozarks, and the Southern states, and as we are now developing in parts of the West. The first section of the program centers on private lands because the major forest problems of the United States center there, according to Clapp, who added that with two way effort and action by private owners as well as by public agencies, cooperation including public control is the keynote of this first section. It also includes extension of community state and federal ownership and management of forest lands. COOPERATION NEEDED Public cooperation with private owners in such things as protection against fire andi insects, establishing credits, and finding new National Economist And Professor Offer Conflicting Opinions Conflicting opinions as to possibilities for economic prosperity after the present war were expressed by Dr. Mordecai Ezekiel, economic advisor to the secretary of agriculture, and Dr.

John D. Black, Harvard University profeS' sor, before a large audience at the annual extension workers conference held in Auburn last week. Discusing the question After the War, What?" Dr. Ezekiel, ad' mittedly assuming an optimistic attitude based on the assumption that England will win the 'war, predicted a greatly increased national income for the United States following the war. He forecast greatly expanded markets for agricultural and industrial goods which would be shipped to Europe to help rebuild that continent.

Dr. Black, discussing the same question, was pessimistic in look' ing ahead to post-war years and stated that under the nations present economy it would be impossible to gain prosperity in the next few years despite the billions of dollars that will be spent during the national defense program. He expresed the belief that at least 50 years will be required before the prosperity outlined by Or. Ezekiel is a reality. Dr.

Ezekiel pictured a dark future for democracies if the Axis powers win the war. On the other hand, he said if England wins the war there is every reason to hope for a just peace that will free all countries of international strangulation and trade barriers. Farmers Progress Crop Production All Commodities Increased In Acreage Yield Alabama farmers have made considerable progress in crop production within recent years, reports John Liles, extension economist. Prior to the depresion average cotton yields ran around 200 pounds per acre, hes ays. The average for the last five years has been 230 pounds in spite of the worst seasons in many years.

Corn production has improved. Last year we produced 43 million bushels which is better than 2 million bushels greater than the 10 year average, 1929-38. Oats is another feed crop in which we have shown progress. Frcm a low of 61,000 acres in 1933 wc have increased plantings to 150,000 acres in 1940, or over a 100 per cent increase. In 1940 we harvested 3 million bushels of oats compared to a 10 year average of about 2 million.

In addition to harvested grain, oats provided grazing for our livestock during the winter. Hay production in 1940 was greater than 1939 and was 110,000 tons higher than the average for the last 10 years. Peanuts are an important crop to many Alabama farmers. The 1940 production was 88 million pounds greater than 1939 and 60 million pounds larger than the 10 year average. Last years production of 4,176,000 bushels of potatoes was almost double the 10-year average of 2,800,000 bushels.

Planting of winter legumes has increased from 400,000 pounds in 1925 to better than 16 million pounds in 1939. Lespedeza, an important legume crop, reveals progress. Last year better than million pounds was harvested from 16,000 acres. The 10 year iverage of soybeans harvested is 1, 000 bushels. Income from livestock Has increased from around 20 million dollars to between 27 and 28 made in solving these problems, uses for wood is urgently needed, he said.

A garden club will ever be An aid to a community Where womens hands set beauty free. Grace Nowell Crowell How They Grow Mr. Dan Coleman of Ft. Gaines mentioned in his talk to the Garden Club that azaleas grow in his home town, in Eufaula and in Columbus. In these places in particular they grew very successfully.

So we asked why hundreds and hundreds of azalea plants have died in Headland? His reply was that, the beds were not prepared properly to begin with. It seems that no matter how much soil from the woods you have, and have it you must for small pieces of mortar, lime, or cement left from building any sort of brick work or walks can kill the effect of the whole thing. Rain water washing off concrete steps, or house foundation is just as bad, and all of it is TERRIBLE for azaleas. The little pieces of mortar can be in the soil whether you can see them or not on the surface You may fertilize with aluminum sulphate once a week and these particles of mortar will neutralize it as fast as you sprinkle it on the It appears to us that acid soils give away to lime very easily. In other words it takes a minute quantity of lime to neutralize an tcjd soil.

So we gather from Mr. Colemans remarks that it is better to use every particle of the soil in the azalea bed from the woods Almost every one knows that they have to be planted up instead of down. He also said it was a very bad practice for the good of camellias when they were transplanted, to pour the water right at the base of plant and form a water sink all around the plant base. It is destructive to fine roots that grow at the base of the camellias. Camellias are planted up instead of down and love to be watered with the hose spraying lightly over the whole body of the If the bucket method is used a trench circle around the plant is the idea.

Every time we talk to the man we are amazed at the punishment our little camellias have lived through. We poured B-one at the base of the plants once a week for six long months. But our azaleas dded long ago. A camellia will live a long time and then sometimes out-grow the punishment. He reminded the garden club members to water any transplanted plant moderately once a day for three successive days, and then when needed, at this time of the year for successful transplanting.

Mortar in Our Yard After that talk we took a look at the bare ground that is going to be our new garden, and found the most generous sprinkling of mortar in small and large hunks that can be imagined. A ton of soil will have to be scooped up and removed with it to rid the garden area of its neutral effect. Pine Straw If you are planning to mulch with pine straw this is the time of the year to begin, looking about getting it. The needles are falling now or have fallen and the ground is brown with them. We find that flower beds of all sort are benefited by pine straw.

Pine straw and the fertilizer Mr. Coleman recommends for acid loving plants, 1 part super phosphate, and 2 parts cottonseed meal, might help or bring to life ailing azaleas, not to mention the benefit to other things in the garden. Dr. Bralliar Gives Warning If it were a normal winter, we would not stress mulching as much as we have, but it is not normal, and the warmer it is in December and January the greater is the danger that roses and tender perennials will be frozen to death when cold weather does come. They just cant take it.

Remember, it is not the warm weather that kills plants in winter, neither is it the cold weather in most cases but the sudden changes. For instance, last spring we. saw scores of boxwood killed on the south side of the plant that were alive on the north side. The difficulty was, in the fact that they were frozen and then it turned warm suddenly; the sun came out and thawed everything it struck, very quickly. On the south side where the sun struck the plants, they had no time to make adjustments and were killed.

Senator John H. Bankhead Senator J. H. Bankhead, in a re cent press release, has definitely lined himself up for increasing benefits for aged people. Following is a statement by Senator Bankhead: For some years I have been deeply interested in securing substantially larger payments by the Federal Government for the benefit of our aged people.

I strongly feel that such increase should be made by the Federal Government, for the benefit of our aged people. I strongly feel that such increase should be made by the Federal Government, regardless of what amounts may be contributed to the pension fund by the several states and counties. Under the law now in force the Federal Government matches the amount paid by the states and counties up to $20 per month for old age pensions. The result is that in the poor states and poor counties the pension paid is very small on account of the difficulty in raising additional money with which to match federal money for pensions. At the last session of Congress, the Senate passed what is known as the Connally Amendment providing for payment by the Federal Government of $15 for each $10 contributed by the several States.

The House Conferees refused to agree to the amendment and as a result of the attitude of the House Conferees, the Connally Amendment was defeated. I believe that at least $30 a month should be paid by the Federal Government and that such Federal payments should be made without regard to the amount paid by the states and counties. Recent developments have given me great hope that something substantially along that line may be adopted during the present session of Congress. I plan to actively support the movement to increase the afnount paid by the Federal Government to $30 per month. This is my only New Years John Ashley Hodges Buried Monday John Ashley Hodges, 58, brother-in-law of Mrs.

Marcus Scott, died of a heart attack last Saturday night at him home on a Columbia route. The funeral was held at the Pleasant Plains Church of which he was a member Sunday afternoon at two-thirty with the Rev. H. E. Draughn conducting the service.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maggie Murphy Hodges; two sons, D. C. and P. O.

Hodges; one daughter, Mrs. Buck Jones; two brothers, Tom Hodges of Abbeville route, Joe Hodges of Hilton, two half brothers, Lamb Smith of Black, and Whirley Smith of Pensacola; one sister, Mrs. Lucy Johnson and one half sister, Mrs. Jennie Jacobs, both of Black. Views In Solving (ollon Silualion Farm Workers Give Suggestions At Extension Meet Two definite suggestions as to the best method of solving the present precarious position of the southern cotton farmers were offered by State farm leaders at the annual conference of extension workers held in Auburn last week.

Dean M. J. Funchess, director, Alabama Experiment Station, said that the per acre yields of cotton must be increased if American farmers are to hold their position in the world cotton markets. If we subscribe to the defeatist idea that our export market for cotton is gone we are miserably lost, he said in challenging the agricultural workers to get Alabama farmers to reduce the cost cotton production by obtaining higher per acre cotton yields. He did not condemn acreage control but advocated higher yields on the reduced acres.

John Liles, extension economist, agreed that it is important for production costs to be reduced but expressed belief that our hope is in increased domestic consumption and that marketing cotton is one of our biggest problems. Both agreed that the income from cotton must be supplemented with cash from other sources, especially livestock. Mr. Liles warned that as livestock production increased there will be a tendency toward larger farms and a dismemberment of tenants. Heads of various State agricultural agencies expressed belief that Alabamas new conservation plan offers an opoprtunity for Alabama farmers to step up their cotton, corn and small grain yields, pasture and livestock production.

Farmers reaction to the new program is fine, they said. Mother Of Mrs. Burdeshaw Dies Mrs. Margaret Law Mixson, age 87, wife of the late Marion Mix-son, and mother of Mrs. Eunice Burdeshaw, died at the home of another daughter, Mrs.

E. C. Las-seter at New Brockton Sunday night. She had been ill with a cold for a week or so but did not become seriously ill until Sunday morning when she developed pneumonia. Mrs.

Burdeshaw had gone over Sunday to pay her a visit of a few days, arriving soon after the complications developed. She was the daughter of Capt. R. T. Law of Dale County, a distinguished captain of the ranks of the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

She was a person of strong personality, never forgetting her childhood impression of war. Although her father had a distinguished record, she thought it was a painful duty, not valorous deeds. She lived an active and eneigetic life up until her death and had said she might like to live to be a hundred if it were not for this war we are about to get into. She kept her own home all these years and it was since this illness began that she went to her daughters house to stay during her illness. She has one sister who survives her, Mrs.

Cy ONeal of Andalusia; one other daughter, Mrs. Mattie Lou Conner of Enterprise; two sons, Cecil Mixson of New Brock-ion and Walter Mixson of Grace-viile. The funerad was held Monday afternoon at Tabernacle with the Rev. Mr. J.

D. Stephens of Dothan conducting the service. Interment was in the church Clapp declared. But, he added, private owners of forest land must also cooperate with state and federal public interests, this cooperation must include acceptance by private owners of such public controls as will insure reasonable forest practices on their lands. In urging public forest acquisition by comunities, states and the federal government, Clapp pointed out that forest lands, submarginal for productive use under private ownership, and other forest lands which private owners cant or wont protect, should come into public ownership when such land is needed for watershed protection or for solving acute social and economic problems.

The second section of the forest program urged by Clapp would provide added protection, development, and use of national forests, other forest lands in public ownership and under public management, and lands which may hereafter come under such ownership and management. The third avenue of atack, Clapp said, is forest research serving private as well as public owners to supply the technical bases for management, protection, and utilization of timber and other resources, and to lay the ground work for a folklore of American forestry. Stressing the need for comprehensive rather than a piecemeal attack on the countrys forest problem, Clapp concluded his statement by saying: My considered judgment is that public regulation is the spark plug we need to create and maintain a nationwide, forest economy that will help solve problems of rural poverty and unemployment, and create security and stability for all its families, communities, regions, and industries that depend upon the forest resource. Farmers Urged Help Make America Strong If democracy is to survive and America is to grow stronger, farmers must play a most important part in the survival and growth. This was told to workers of the Alabam Extension Service by such speakers as Karl Olsen, National Defense Commission; C.

A. Sheffield, United States Extension Service; Dr. L. N. Duncan, president, A.

P. P. O. Davis, director, Alabama Extension service and J. E.

Bryan, Jefferson County superintendent of schools and director of NYA for Alabama. Mr. Olsen reviewed the recent history of Germany, England and France and declared that America must have National Unity and that democracy must be concrete and real. He stressed the importance of our trade with South American countries saying as trade goes, so goes the Nation. He advocated a give and take proposition with the South American countries if necessary.

Director Davis urged extension workers to help farmers take their proper place in community, county, state and national affairs. He advocated collective action by farmers and challenged agricultural workers to teach and inspire them to act for themselves. Blackwood News The Blackwood Home Demonstration club met Friday, January 10, at the home of Mrs. Nell Kennedy. Ten members and two visitors were present.

An interesting program was given. Nell Kennedy, Reporter. Miss Margaret Horn has been ill the past week with flu. Mr. and Mrs.

Mack Kennedy are leaving for Ft. Benr.ing. He is returning to active duty in the army after being in the reserve corps. Mr. Paul Kennedy has returned to the air base at Orlando after a thirty day furlough at home.

CHURCH Announcements Mrs. W. M. Green has been quite ill this week. Farm AAA News ftom the Thru My Office Window The Methodist pastor, Rev.

Thos. Gross, announces the following subjects for Sunday: 11 a.m. Why Our Place in the Church? 6 p.m. What Religion Has Done for Me. The pastor hopes to have all officers and teachers and church officials present at the eleven oclock' service.

Parents are also especially urged to attend. There will be preaching service at the Newville Methodist Church at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Welcome to all. Autauga County Makes Comeback They had a great community party in Autauga County, Alabama, during the holidays.

The occasion was the record made during the year in the prevention of woodland fires. In the Autauga Creek watershed are 463 farms totaling 70,000 acres. In former times the woods were ravaged by flames every winter. This year there have been only six fires and only 15 acres were burned. The section used to be at the mercy of spring freshets.

But hills that had been denuded of their virgin timber are peing planted to seedling trees, kudzu, oats and other winter cover crops. One of the speakers said there was a time when erosion was so bad that a mans plantation moved faster than he could. Autauga, once rich but in recent years the victim of one-crop farming, is making a powerful comeback. Cooperation and applied intelligence are the keys to success. Atlanta Journal.

building a house, even though a small one. Another thing is, you dont feel at home. Everything is new and shiney, smells like paint, you cant find anything, you cant decide where to put things so that you can remember where to find them next time you want them, there is no little homey spot where you are accustomed to sitting and reading, and you find that everything you have is dirty or soiled and needs washing, polishing, cleaning or dusting. You wonder why you ever thought you wanted to buy anything else, and you have forgotten you had this or that. The mid-winter clearance sales on marked down dresses look like the best offers they have had in years but you cant buy even a tiny marked down handkerchief be-(Continued on page two) We see where having a flu Christmas, moving into a new house, trying to get things- straight, get the plumbing to stop leaking and in other places start running, deciding which Of our old junk to keep and which to discard, makes for poor newspaper reporting.

These people who have built houses are a mum crowd. They must have gone thru the agony of trying to get things built like they wanted them when they didnt know themselves exactly how it was done. They havent said a word about it but they must be smugly amused at how the next fellow runs and leaps into it and comes up with the agonized expression. Well, anyway, we want everybody to know that things go in the reverse half the time no matter how hard everybody tries to get them to go forward in of the purchase program and the addition of kudzu to phosphate, lime and other conservation materials is to help effect a more rapid distribution of available seed stock. County offices are already accepting orders for crowns and are making surveys of available supplies of crowns, he said, adding that each farmer who applies for kudzu crowns is being told that his order is contingent upon there being enough crowns to warrant the program.

Agricultural leaders believe there are available crowns in around 12 counties of the State. Under the new Alabama AAA program, each participating farm will establish, within the next five (Continued on page four) Kudzu, the triple-duty hay, erosion control, and soil building crop which is gaining in popularty on Alabama farms will be offered to Alabama farmers as a conservation material, provided the supplies of crowns are sufficient, A. W. Jones, State AAA administrative officer, has announced. Payment for these crowns will be deducted from the farmers AAA payments.

Jones announcement pointed out that a purchase program for the crowns is being inaugurated in the State. Under the plan the AAA will purchase crowns from those farmers who have established kudzu and make them available to other farmers under the 1941 program. The purpose National Forests Preparations to accommodate more than a million winter sports enthusiasts this season have been made by the U. S. Forest Service in more thn 110 national forests.

Figures for the 1939-40 winter season show that at least 1,289,000 visits were made to winter sports areas developed for public use by the Forest Service. As nearly one third of these visits were made in national forests in California, the Golden State again expects the greater number of the fun-seekers Remember When- It was the height of fashion to have the family album on the parlor table? Grocers stuck a small potato on the kerosene can spout? We were told that the income tax would cure all our ills by putting the tax burden on those most able to boar it?.