I. FARM LIFE--1780-1889

        In pioneer days, the immigrant took up land, and built a log house on it, from timber at hand, for a residence. He built his barn corn-crib, and

smoke-house from logs similar to those of his residence. Then a portion of the land was cleared for the crops of corn, oats and vegetables.    

        The buildings were erected at "workings," in which his neighbors participated. At these "house-raising" or "workings" the neighbor men and some of the women were invited by a messenger, usually one of the children of the family, to aid in erecting the building or buildings, and the women to help prepare and serve the dinner for the workers. This dinner was a veritable feast. The farmer usually had a few jugs of good moonshine whisky to encourage the workers. Hard work, rivalry among the men, and joking were carried on at these "workings." Feats of skill and acts of heavy lifting of the logs were loudly applauded by the workers, and often the worker became the butt of a joke at some mistake or awkward move he made. But the crowd, on the whole, was one of the best natured, jovial and lively crowds that could be imagined.

        Many tables had been arranged, from plank on the farm, for the dinner, and these were loaded with the products of the farm. A hog or two had been killed, or perhaps a calf or two, or some sheep, and these, together with milk, butter, preserves, pies, cakes, and vegetables graced the board. When at the table the men turned their jokes at the women, teasing them about some article of food or about some gossip of the neighborhood. But I can remember that the men didn't make much off of the women. They were their equals in repartee.

        At the "log-rollings," the logs, which had previously been sawed from the trees cut down, were rolled into piles by short spikes or poles, usually cut from sour-wood, over the field or clearing, preparatory to being burned. After the log heaps, which contained some of the finest big timber, poplar, oak, walnut and hickory, had dried out sufficiently, then the farmer fired these and kept them chunked-up until all the pile was consumed by the fire. Following this the field or clearing was plowed by a bull-tongue plow, corn planted and cultivated. Later, the ground, after the roots had rotted, might be sowed in oats or grass, in order to give the ground a rest. Then following either of these, the ground was put back in corn. Usually the hillsides were used for corn and oats, and the bottoms for grass. But every few years the grass-land was plowed up, tended in corn for a year or two, and then put back in grass.

        The stock, horses, cattle and sheep, were usually turned out in the forests, during the summer months, to graze. The hogs ran out all the time, except when they were put up in pens to be fattened. The horses, used for plowing, were usually turned out on grass near the house and fed some corn or oats, or both.

        Nearly all the tools used on the farm were homemade. The plow-stocks were made from wood on the farm and the plows were fashioned from iron in a crude black-smith's shop on the farm. Two kinds of plows were generally used the old bull-tongue, long and narrow, and the shovel plow, broad and short. The bull-tongue was used to break up the ground, preparatory to planting, and the shovel plow was used to cultivate the corn, potatoes, etc.

        Hoes were also made from iron in the shop on the farm and a handle inserted in an "eye" in the hoe. The broadaxe, for hewing logs, the axe, the frow, for riving boards, and even nails, were made from iron in the shop.

        At first, the pioneer raised crops for his own use only. He had no markets, except as products were sold to neighbors. Men working for the farmer were usually paid in products from the farm. Later the Carolinas began calling on the farmers of Bell and adjoining counties for hogs, horses and cattle. Then the "drover" business began. Droves of hogs, or herds of cattle or horses, were collected at some central point, in Bell

County this was Cumberland Ford, from which place they were driven on foot to the Carolinas.

        Later came the local country store, which bought up gin-seng, bees-wax furs and other products of the farm and forest, and, by degrees, a limited market was found for the surplus products of the farm.

        The corn was pulled from the stalk, after the fodder had been stripped from the stalks, pitched into piles, when the first frosts came, it was hauled to the crib in a sled. It was piled in a shed by the side of the crib. Then the corn-huskers would surround the pile of corn and begin shucking, pitching it into the crib. Men and women both participated in the corn-shuckings, and, when a red ear was found, the finder had the privilege of kissing the nearest women (if he could.) Than a laugh would resound through the crowd, since the women would interfere in the process and try to prevent the kiss. Sometimes the woman would run and the man after her, to the amusement of all. Then all would settled

down and the corn would fly into the crib.

        Following the community "corn-huskings," "log-rollings," and "house-raisings," the evening, after supper, was turned in to a "party." The

young people of the community came in with one of the old-time fiddlers and proceeded to clear away the furniture in the large room, usually the sitting room, for the "party." The fiddler played,  in  turn, "Skip-to-my-Lou," "Sourwood Mountain," "Chase the Buffalo," and so on, as the participants skipped over the floor. Often these parties extended into the wee hours of the morning.

        I can remember the corn-shuckings, logrollings, and house-raisings as a boy. The barn on my father's farm, which is still standing, was erected in this way, and the logs on most of the fields on my father's farm were piled-up at these log-rollings. The number of corn-shuckings at my father's place would run into big numbers, with parties, the night after, thrown in.

        I was a boy of eight or ten years of age before the first cook stove came to our house. Before that time my mother cooked on the open fire place in the living room. This was characteristic of our people generally in Bell County before the time of the Civil War.

        Grass was cut with a mowing blade by hand and oats were cut with a "cradle," a blade at the lower side with five or six fingers of wood, about the same length, to catch the oats when cut. With the hand the cut oats were lifted off and thrown down in rows, later to be taken up and tied in bundles after curing.

        Hogs were killed in the frosty or snowy part of November or December, cut up and hung in the smoke-house where later a small fire of hickory wood smoked the meat. When first cut up after killing the hogs, the meat was thoroughly salted and left on a bench till the meat had taken salt. In the fall of the year, the farmer would often kill a few yearlings for beef or some sheep for mutton, in order to vary the diet of pork. In this way the farmers of Bell County lived before the industrial era began.

        Nearly every farmer had his cane patch, from which molasses was made. Molasses formed a regular diet for the Bell County farmer's family. This largely took the place of other sweets. I can well remember the big vats on the furnace in which the juice of the cane was boiled down. Sometimes it was boiled in large kettles set in the furnace in rows, but later vats were made of sheet iron. A ladle was used to skim the boiling liquid. The cane was ground on an old cane mill, the cane stalks being run between two upright rollers and the juice caught in tubs below. At the top of the mill a large sweep pole extended out from the mill, to which a horse was hitched, and the head of the horse was tied in such a

way that he walked in a circle.

        The stir-off was the final boiling of the liquid just before it was taken out of the vats, or probably got its name from the taking of the hot

molasses from the vats or kettles. These stir-offs were usually at night and the neighbors from far around would gather in. The cane stalks were all piled up around the mill and the boys would run and play on these. Near the vats was a hole in the ground where the skimmings were poured during the process of boiling down the liquid. One of the tricks of the boys was to cover this hole over with the ground up stalks and let same smart boy run his foot and leg into    this hole. The boys, in their playing, could always maneuver someone into it. This, of course, was considered great sport. Some maple syrup and sugar were made from the sugar maple.

        The old water mill came along with the pioneer. Usually the water mill in Bell County was of the turbine type. In some other parts of the country there was the overshot type. These were both water mills. Saturday was usually milling day and the roads of the county were lined with the boys going to mill with their corn sacks under them. Around the mill the boys fished or parched corn while they waited for their turn. A sack of meal was called a "turn." In the dry seasons of the year, many of the streams dried up so that grinding could not be done on the water mills of the neighborhood and the people would have to go to Flat Lick, on Cumberland Gap, to get grinding done.

        Shelton Evans ran a mill on Little Clear Creek; Henry Rice, and his father before him, had a mill on Cumberland River in the Narrows above

Pineville; Rev. John C. Colson ran a mill with horse power in Middlesborough, before the founding of this town; Calvin Smith ran a mill in Little Clear Creek just above Clear Creek Springs; the Haynesses had a mill on the lower end of the J. T. Fuson farm, this being one of the first Mills on Little Clear Creek; Alec Carroll had a mill on Greasy Creek; Frank Creech, and his father before him, had a mill near the mouth of Pucketts Creek; there was a mill on the old Shelton farm on Big Clear Creek; and, as I remember it, there was a mill near the mouth of Straight Creek.

        I remember that Shelton Evans, on Little Clear Creek, had an upright, straight saw attachment to his mill, where he sawed lumber for the neighborhood. I can still see this old long saw going up and down through a log. It was a slow process. But many of the houses on Little Clear Creek have lumber in them today that was sawed on this old Mill.

        Pumpkins were an important crop on the farm. They were usually planted in the corn where the land had an overflow soil. Some of these pumpkins grew very large. I can remember my father telling me about two pumpkins my grandfather had on one vine in what is now known as the Jeff Fuson bottom, an overflow bottom. One of the pumpkins weighed one hundred pounds and another one weighted seventy-five pounds. Pumpkins were used to feed hogs and cattle. They were also cut in strips and dried for family use. They were made into pies or stewed and fried in grease for table use. Often pumpkins were piled up under fodder and kept till longer after Christmas. The cushaw was another product of this type and was sweeter and better than the pumpkin.

        Every farmer had his large garden. Most everything was raised in this garden: peas, onions, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, mustard, muskmelons, water melons, beans, cucumbers, strawberries, corn for roasting ears, tomatoes, cabbage, and other garden vegetables. Often the garden would contain from two to five acres. This was heavily manured each year and kept to the highest state of production. Chestnuts were gathered from the forest in great quantities. People would often take horses or mules, with sacks, into the forests to gather

chestnuts and come back loaded with twenty-five or thirty bushels of chestnuts. Sometimes some of these were sold, but, in the main, they were consumed on the farm. Black and white walnuts were also gathered in for use on the farm or for sale. Hickory nuts were also brought in to be cracked on the hearths before the fire on winter evenings. The chestnut blight, in the last few years, has killed all the chestnut trees and this has been a great loss to the remaining farmers in Bell County, since the masts cannot be counted on so well for hogs anymore. Huckleberries were picked in the woods and blackberries in the fields and canned for Winter use.

        The pioneer had his bees also. From these he supplemented his sorghum with these sweets. Nearly every farmer had his bees, and still most of the farmers, or a good many of them, at least, have bees. My Uncle James Arthur Fuson, who lived only a half mile from us, in his old age, made a special study of bees and kept them on a large scale. He sold large quantities of honey, and at one time had over one hundred bee hives. I like to think of him as the "keeper of the bees."

        The pioneer early planted his orchard with trees of the apple, peach, and pear. In the main they were apple orchards. Apples did well in this mountain region, but peaches and pears did not do so well. Certain types of apple tree, like the old limber-twig, seemed to be native to the country, or were so well adapted that they produced an abundance of apples. Then, too, the limber-twig was a winter apple and could be holed up in the ground or put in closets near the fire and kept all winter. When I was just a boy, there were large apple orchards all over the county. Most of these have died out, and many of them have not been kept up. There are fewer orchards in the county today than formerly. This is accounted for from the fact that there are fewer farmers in the county today than formerly. The soil has washed away from the hillsides, many of the farmers have gone to public works, and the new generation is not interested in farming like their fathers were.

        Some of the best farming land of the county is as follows: In the Yellow Creek Valley around Middlesborough, along Cumberland River from the Harlan County line to the Knox County line, on lower Pucketts Creek, on Greasy Creek, in the Fuson Settlement on Little Clear Creek, the lower part of Big Clear Creek, and some parts of the two Straight Creeks. The district of South America is a kind of plateau region and was a good corn and grass section. In addition to these farm lands there was rich coves up in the mountains that afforded a good place for raising corn, or other crops; but most of this cove soil, where it was cleared off, has washed away and the land is growing up in timber.

        After the earliest pioneer period, the lumber business started in the mountains. The large poplar was brought out to the streams and floated down them to the mills, which were located far away, at first. The first mills were the Jones Lumber Company and the Kentucky Lumber Company, both located at Williamsburg, Kentucky. The logs were hauled out of the mountains with oxen, later with mules, branded and rolled into the streams, to be floated away to the mills when the tides came. These tides were usually in the fall and springThe logs were rolled into the stream-beds before the tides came, and, when the tide was on, men went along the banks of the streams with long poles and kept the logs afloat. At the mills long booms, logs connected with chains, were stretched across the river to hold the logs, so that they could be fed into the mills as needed.

        One of my first boyhood occupations was driving oxen in hauling out logs, big fine yellow poplar logs. One log, I remember, the tallest man could not look over the end of it. It must have been about eight feet through. I remember it had to be quartered up in order to get it out of the woods. Roads were made into the woods, mere trails where the bushes had been cut out, and the logs were hauled along these trails to the "dumps." On some of these trails, there were very steep places and the oxen knew these places as well as we did and kept out of the way of the logs when they slid down these places. On one occasion, my oxen started to run on one of these steep places and the log caught on a rock sticking up in the bed of the trail, and one oxen changed ends and lay on his doubled up neck. I yelled bloody murder, I was so scared, and themen ran to me, cut the bow from the yoke with an axe and the steer jumped up and ran off. It took some time to catch him because of his fright. I was sure he was dead while he lay there, but I was jubilant when he jumped up and ran off.

        Later, mules were used to haul logs from the hills, and, at the foot of the mountain, where the dump was, the logs were put on log wagons and hauled to mills in the local community. After the poplar and walnut were taken out, then mills came to almost every part of Bell County and sawed out the oak, what poplar was left, and other timbers.

           On this second invasion of the timber areas, T. J. Asher, of Wasioto, had the largest saw mill that was ever in the county. It was located at Wasioto, and brought logs from the upper Cumberland in Bell County, and from the three forks, Martin Fork, Clover Fork, and Poor Fork, of the Cumberland in Harlan County. This mill employed hundreds of men and had millions of feet of lumber on its yards over a period of twenty or twenty-five years. Somewhere around 1909 or 1910 Asher went out of the lumber business and went into the coal business. The large lumber period was over. What timber was left was just about sufficient to take care of the mining business. Since mining business began the small timber, as well as the large, is being cut down, and the forests now are beginning to look like brush mountains, the thick small growth is so thick and tangled up with the fallen tree tops.

        Jack Asher, brother of T. J. Asher, at one time, had one of the largest stave mills that was ever in the county. His dam was across the lower part of Straight Creek and staves were floated down the Left and Right Forks of Straight Creek to his mill. He obtained his staves from his extensive lands on the two Straight Creeks.

        In the later farming period, from 1840-1889, better houses, barns and out buildings were built. With the coming of saw mills, the old log house was torn down and plank houses, as they were then called, were built, or the old log houses were weather boarded on the outside and ceiled on the inside and an addition to it was built. Painted houses became more common in this period, and yet many tenant log houses remained and a few of them can be seen even today. The log barn gave away to spacious frame barns, with big halls running through them, with horse stalls on either side. Smoke houses were improved and the old ash-hopper, for making lye as an ingredient of soap, soon disappeared during this period, since stores began bringing in soap.

        Tobacco has never been raised in Bell County on a commercial scale. Nearly every farmer raised his tobacco, but it was for his own use. He tried to supply his own demand with his tobacco, allowing a sufficient amount for giving away a lot of it. There were professional tobacco beggars in those days. The fellow who was too lazy or indifferent to raise his tobacco always begged it, and he got by pretty well, since the average farmer was generous with these fellows.

        In the early days in Bell County, cotton was grown, together with some hemp. Sheep were kept for the wool, and the household garments were made from the cotton, wool, and flax. These were spun and woven in each home, and the clothes made from them for the family. I must have been fourteen or fifteen years of age before I ever wore any "store" clothes. We wore our jeans and cotton made at home. Our shoes were also made from leather we tanned with oak bark in troughs, or vats. The farms were sufficient unto themselves in those days. They supplied the needs of the family for food and clothing.

        I remember an incident in this connection, showing the reliability of the mountain farmer on his own products and the effect it has when he does not have a farm that will produce these. One of our native boys left Browney's Creek and went to Texas. The one crop was cotton where he was. He bought his food and clothing on the credit and paid for them when he sold his cotton crop. After about three years of this he came back to his old home place. He was asked why he came back, and his reply was "I am tired of living out of a poke." In Bell County a paper bag is called a poke. What he meant was this, that he was tired of living on a farm where he could not raise a diversified crop for his own use. In this he was true to the nature of his Bell County people. The centuries of his inheritance could not be changed in a few years. He came back to his own,

and his own received him gladly.

        Some of the leading farmers in the county, in the most active farm period from 1840 to 1889, were Little Clear Creek: William K. Evans, Shelton Partin, Wesley King, J. J. Evans, Mose Lake, James Mason, Silas Miracle, John Evans, Robin G. Evans, Ingram Evans, Peter Evans, John Evans (son of John Evans), W. L. Fuson, James Robinson Fuson, Sr., Mathew Fuson, Millard Fuson, James Robinson Fuson, Jr., Elijah Smith, Judge Beth Ann Fuson, Henry Jefferson Fuson, John Thomas Fuson. James Arthur Fuson, Shelton Evans, Enoch Smith, Andrew Smith, Calvin Smith, and some of the Hendricksons near the Moss farm, between the Moss farm and Smith Hill.

        Big Clear Creek: Rufus Moss, J. M. C. Davis, Lovell near the Shelton farm, Sheltons on the Shelton farm, Bratcher Mason, Philip Lee, Rife Mason, Martin Head, Tom Fuson, Alvis Partin, James Henderson.

        In the district known as South America, a district cut off from Whitley County and added to Bell, some of the farmers were I. A. Overton, John Partin, Shelton Madon, Bill Madon, Scott Partin, James Madon, Beth Fuson, who lived near the Whitley-Bell County line, and Davis.

        On Greasy Creek, the farmers were Judge John Goodin, Bill J. Goodin, W. H. Dean, Dan Dean, Will Dean, Bill Tinsley, the McGaffeys, Ebenezer Bronster Goodin, and his father John (Jack) Goodin, Thomas Goodin, father of John (Jack) Goodin, Rev. Ebenezer Ingram, Thomas Ingram, John Fuson, Thomas H. Fuson, Will Fuson, John Fuson at head of the creek, James Robinson Fuson, Hard Goodin, the Begleys, the Goldens, John Faulkner, Joe Faulkner, the Thompsons, the Collins, and the Goins family.

        On Red Bird there were two prominent farmers, Rev. Wilk Asher and Bill Knuckles.

        The two Straight creeks had a large farming population and some of the farmers were Berry Howard, W. P. Slusher, John Lock, Henry Broughton, P. W. Woollum, A. J. Bailey, John R. Howard, Jim Howard, Jack Asher, Isreal Woollum, the Saylors, Jasper Howard, the Elliotts, the Burns, and others.

        Up Cumberland River from Wasioto to the Harlan County line there were T. J. Asher, Bird at the mouth of Bird Branch near Wasioto, Hugh Browning, Levi Hoskins, Joe Parsons, Lewis Green, Nute Hoskins, Nute Creech, James Kirby, Blind John Taylor, Hamp Lewis, the Taylors, Dan Collett, Skelt Collett, Jahu Collett, Mount Pursifull, Gilmore Cox, and others.

        On Browney's Creek and leading farmers were Robert Wilson, Bob (Red Bob) Wilson, J. M. Wilder, John B. Cox, Joe Lee, Levi Lee, John Lee, James Hoskins, Mose Wilder, Jeff Wilder, Bill Wilder, Nute Wilder, John (Er John) Lee, and others.

        On Hances Creek there were farmers Rev. John C. Buell, Rev. Henry Calvin Miracle, Rev. Abraham Miracle, Henry Risner, Feeling Risner, James Durham, Chesley Thompson, John Durham, Jerry Pittman and others.

        On Yellow Creek, including Stony Fork, the farmers were William H. Baughman, Jeff Henderson, Rev. J. C. Colson, J. C. Colson, the Marsees and Turners, others.

        On Puckett's Creek some of the farmers were Bob Howard, Big Bill Howard, the farmer of Frank Creech, Brit Lee, Brit Howard, David Lee, and others. 

        On Cannon Creek sane of the farmers were Simon Peace, T. J. Kellems, J. E. Kirby's father, Alex Givens, Granvel Givens, and others.

        On Cumberland River below Pineville, the farmers were Silas Woodson, who later became Governor of Missouri, Roberts, his father-in-law, who lived near the mouth of Greasy Creek, Frank Hendrickson, Judge John Goodin, Bill J. Goodin, later Frank Creech, Gillis Hendrickson, Allen Gibson on Turkey Creek, Grant Brown at Wallsend, and others.

II. PRESENT STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

IN BELL COUNTY

A. SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

        The approach to the economic problem in Bell County in 1938 was largely influenced by a general five-point program adopted the first part of the year, at which time Bruce Poundstone, Field Agent in Farm Management, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky, met with a group of farm leaders from different sections in the county.

        The 1938 Bell County Agricultural extension five-point program adopted was as follows:

    1. Live-at-home gardens

    2. Thirty "Four H" clubs in 30 communities

    3. Soil conservation

    4. Forestry management

    5. Co-operation with the Agricultural Conservation Program

     The things actually done in Bell County in 1938 were...

     1. 161 families took part in a garden contest sponsored by the Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce.

     2. 22 Four-H. clubs were organized in 22 communities.

        (a) 566 club members completed 628 farm projects valued at $15,686.

             (1) 438 boys enrolled and completed 489 farm projects, and 128 girls did likewise with 139 farm projects.

             (2) 256 boys and 17 girls enrolled and completed 273 corn projects. 141 of this number grew one acre, each, to Johnson County white corn. The remainder grew one acre, each, native corn.

             (3) 58 boys and 34 girls set 10,375 strawberry plants to finish 92 small fruit projects.

             (4) Other 4-H club projects enrolled and completed: 41 boys in the big project; 11 boys in the Irish potato project; 25 boys in the woodwork project; 93 boys and 88 girls in the garden project (None of these were among the families taking part in the adult garden projects contest); 3 boys in the poultry project; and 2 boys in miscellaneous projects.

             (5) 100% of the number enrolled finished.

     3. Soil conservation work.

          (a) 612 soil building and conservation practices adopted by 524 farmers as follows:

             (1) 176 farmers sowed 13,083 pounds of rye grass seed on 872 acres.

             (2) 115 farmers spread 1687 tons agricultural limestone on about 325 acres.

             (3) 130 farmers used 12,800 pounds (64.4 tons) TVA superphosphate on about 644 acres grass and clover lands.

             (4) 94 farmers sowed 6,082 pounds Crimson clover on 606 acres corn and soybean land.

             (5) About 100 farmers sowed other clovers, timothy, redtop, orchard grass, and turned under crops of rye, crimson clover and

soybean land.

     4. Forestry management.

     Three farmers planted a quantity of black locust seed in May for the purpose of distributing seedlings in November to 4-H club boys (Quantity planted was about 60 pounds of unhulled seeds).

     The Asher heirs reported they have 20,000 acres cut-over forest lands which they have fire protection for with the State Forestry Service.

     5. Cooperation with the Agricultural Conservation program.

     Forty-one days were spent by the County Agent in working with ACP Bell County Committee in holding meetings and acquainting farmers with their rights and duties as described in the Agricultural Conservation Act.

     The fine work of the Executive Field Clerk, who usually spent seven days per month in the county, and the Bell county ACP Clerks, made it unnecessary to use more than 41 days in promoting ACP in detail.

     6. Other agricultural extension activities actually performed:

          (a) Approved feeding practices carried out by 41 flock owners of 3475 laying hens.

               (1) 16 houses with additions were built.

               (2) 900 birds vaccinated against colds, etc., by six flock owners.

               (3) 312 laying birds blood-tested by a local hatcheryman for pullorum. These seven flock owners were the first to ever do this type of work in the county.

               (4) 74 flock owners have housing facilities for 10,225 birds. Toward the latter part of the year three of this number quit... sold their

laying birds.

               (5) There is one local hatcheryman in the county and located in Middlesboro. According to his report he hatched and sold 70,000 baby chicks this spring ranging in price from $6 to $9 per hundred. The hatching eggs came from seven flock owners in Tennessee and Virginia. Bulk of his eggs came from Tennessee Flocks.

               (6) 1200 house-wives in Pineville and Middlesboro were circularized with monthly letters, beginning in June and running through

September, calling attention to the appetizing edibility of infertile eggs over other eggs in warm weather. Results were fairly good. The 34 flock owners of 3,160 laying birds of infertile eggs were unable to supply the demand. Prices received by these producers were above market price for other eggs.

               (7) Roy Asher, Poultry 4-H boy, bought 185 White Leghorn baby chicks in the spring. November 30, this year, he had 103 laying pullets. His expenditure amounted to $106.68. His cash receipts for sale of eggs and fryers (counting what the family used at market price) came to $115.20.

               (8) A total of $12,890 worth of poultry and eggs reported sold by 41 flock owners and one hatcheryman.

               (9) Eleven dairymen sold $10,640 worth of milk from 113 cows. One dairyman with 21 cows ranging on 42 acres of pasture land sold $4,332 worth of milk. The feed bill, labor (excluding his labor) miscellaneous, and delivery costs, came to $2,782. Eighteen of his cows were in production throughout the year.

               (10) Twelve farmers planted 10 1/2 acres of Hybrid seed corn. One of this number planted nearly 3/4 acres to Kentucky varieties of Hybrid corn on steep land. His claim, along with the other eleven, is that hybrid corn failed. The other eleven planted out of state varieties and they are positive it has no place in crop growing in Bell County.

               (11) UPTOPIA WORK

                    (a) Seventeen young men and 4 young women enrolled and completed their projects.

                         (1) Ten boys and three girls planted 13 1/2 acres of Johnson White seed corn. Three boys planted an acre, each, to native corn. Five Utopians set 700 aroma strawberry plants. One young lady planted an acre to nine varieties Hybird seed corn, furnished by W. C. Johnson, Field agent in Agronomy, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky. The so-called Ky-69 showed 37 1/2% increase in yield over the native variety planted in the same field.

               (12) Twenty-six rural leaders cooperated in the 4-H program in 22 communities.

               (13) Adult leaders aided in promoting the Agricultural Extension program in 30 communities. Twenty-one men and 3 women took part in this work.

               (14) Three poultry judging teams were trained.

               (15) Seven farm practice demonstration teams, two members each, were trained.

               (16) State fair.

                    (a) Poultry judging team--No placing

                    (b) Secretary's record book, 6th place.

                    (c) Potato record book, first place.

                    (d) Poultry record book, second place.

                    (e) Potato exhibit, 4th place.

                    (f) Strawberry record book, 4th place.

                    (g) Seven communities were represented at the state fair with a poultry judging team and 10 exhibits.

               (17) Twenty-six farmers grew about 12 acres of burley tobacco.

               (18) Five farmers grew about 35 acres to Johnson County white corn.

               (19) Three hundred eighteen farmers were visited 1,214 times.

               (20) Fifteen method demonstrations, with an attendance of 220 were held.

               (21) Sixteen boys and one leader attended the 4-H club camp in August.

               (22) Two leaders attend the 4-H club leaders' conference at Quicksand, Ky., in June.

               (23) Three garden tours, with 15 in attendance, were made. Also, two tours and eleven in attendance, visiting the pig and strawberry projects.

               (24) One hundred seven meetings were held with 3,427 in attendance. Also, 54 meetings by 4-H club leaders were held

with 1,059 attending.

               (25) 11,473 miles were traveled in promoting the     agricultural extension program.

              (26) 664 individual letters were written; 44 circular letters; and 102 news articles, relating to the agricultural extension program, were sent.

               (27) Weights from seven 4-H club members growing one acre, each, to Johnson County white corn, and Tennessee red cob corn, showed an average yield of 49.7 bushels per acre.

B. COUNTY PLANNING

        Bruce Poundstone, Field Agent, Farm Management, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky, met with twenty-one farm leaders, December 3, 1937, in Pineville. At this meeting a five-point approach for promoting that phase of economic life relating to the farm was planned as follows: (See the five points set out at the beginning of this paper). How well this five-point farm program was carried out in Bell County will be partly told in the rest of this report.

C. THE LIVE-AT-HOME GARDEN PROGRAM

        The Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce became interested in this portion of the five-point agricultural extension program relating to the growing of vegetables for family use. A committee was selected to work with the county agent and arrange for a contest. Prizes to be awarded to the gardeners growing the greatest number of varieties of crops in the garden.

        Visitations, letters, and new articles, resulted in 161 families taking part, and much interest was shown. The contest was county wide, and two tours by the committee were made in every community where the garden work was being done. The rainy season came along, and for the first time in a generation more rain fell through May to August than was ever known. This discouraged every one to such an extent that few records of accomplishments were reported. One gardener reported the selling of $141.00 worth of green onions and cash expenditures of $33.00. Another gardener reported the harvesting of twenty-four bushels Irish potatoes from the planting of two hundred pounds of cobblers after

his family of eight used from the crop two months.

        Many of these gardeners are asking if there will be a 1939 garden test, thereby indicating their willingness to try it again. The Chamber of Commerce is willing and so the same thing will be repeated next year.

D. 4-H CLUB WORK

        Although the 1938 program called for thirty 4-H clubs in the county, one in each of thirty communities, twenty-two were organized with a total of 966 boys and girls enrolled in 1,146 farm and home projects. Nine hundred forty-nine club members completed 1076 projects.

        Statistical review of club work in the county: Members competing: 1930, 33; 1931, 139; 1932, 276, 1933, 488; 1934, 687; 1935, 682; 1936, 944; 1937, 889; 1938, 949. Organized clubs: 1930, 1; 1931, 7; 1932, 11; 1933, 14; 1934, 21; 1935, 28; 1936, 30; 1937, 32; 1938, 22. Leaders: 1930, 3; 1931, 3; 1932, 15; 1933, 19; 1934, 24; 1935, 26; 1936, 58; 1937, 59; 1938, 53. Projects: 1930, 42; 1931, 142; 1932, 302; 1933, 596; 1934, 741; 1935, 956; 1936, 1147; 1937, 1196; 1938, 1076. Estimated value: 1930, $210.00; 1931, $568.00; 1932, $906.00; 1933, $2394.00; 1934, $2964.00; 1935, $7624.00; 1936, $11470.00; 1937, $12896.00; 1938, $15686.00. Corn project members competing: 1936, 36; 1937, 127; 1938, 273; Garden project members competing: 1936, 453; 1937, 262; 1938, 181; Poultry project members competing: 1936, 24; 1937, 8; 1938, 3; Pig project members competing: 1936, 30; 1937, 6; 1938, 41; Small fruits project members competing: 1936, 9; 1937, 10; 1938, 92; Woodwork project members competing: 1938, 25; Miscellaneous project members competing: 1938, 4; Irish potato project members competing: 1938, 11. For the year 1938, 438 boys and 128 girls enrolled in 628

projects, and finished the same number.

E. THE SMALL FRUITS PROJECT

        The two Kiwanis clubs in Pineville and Middlesborough distributed 10,375 Aroma strawberry plants to 92 club members. Certain Kiwanians have the name of one or more 4-H club members. The club member will pay his or her Kiwanian sponsor for the plants by returning one half gallon berries at picking time for each 100 plants received, and the plants become the property of the club member at the end of the berry season in 1939. Club members in nine communities received plants.

F. THE CORN PROJECT

      Boys and girls, to the number of 273, in 20 out of 22 clubs, planted one acre each to corn. Of this number 141 planted Johnson County white seed corn. The corn for 139 out of the 141 was donated by two banks and two wholesale grocery companies in Pineville and Middlesborough. Each club member receiving this corn will return, and is now returning, 20 ears to the donors as payment for seed. The corn received will be stored and redistributed to another group of club members next spring. The Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce offered its second annual award of $25.00 to the club members growing the most corn per acre. It almost appears the award will go begging this year as the yields are very, very disappointing to all concerned. Reports from seven club members show production varying from 32.1 bushels per acre to 74.4. Average yield, 49.7 bushels per acre. Top yield of 74.4 bushels was by a boy growing the Tennessee red cob variety. Last year, the highest yield was 132.7 bushels, Johnson County white.

       This was the worst season for corn, garden, small fruits, and orchards, for a generation or more. Many club members and farmers were forced to plant their entire corn crop in June. Those that planted earlier were unable to cultivate their crop. It was just an all-round bad season. No corn show this year.

G. POULTRY 4-H PROJECT

        Three boys enrolled in the poultry project. One bought 185 white leghorn baby chicks. His expenditures to November 30, amounted to $106.68. His assets on that date were, cash receipts for sale of birds and eggs, $115,20; and 103 laying pullets. Another boy bought 300 Rhode Island Red baby chicks. His project is a practical loss. Less than half of his 100 pullets are laying. The third boy started out with 190 yearling hens. A report from him the first of July, 1938, shows that he made a profit of $1.59 1/2 per bird above feed cost the first six months of the year.

H. WOODWORK PROJECT 4-H

        Twenty~five boys were enrolled in this project which is handled by a young farmer in Middlesborough. The boys made one article each. Things made were: tie racks, hat racks, broom holders, and row boats. Six of the latter were made and sold by two boys. This is our first year to take this work seriously. It is hoped the work will spread to other communities and that the number in the Middlesborough 4-H club will be more than doubled the coming year.

I. THE 4-H PIG PROJECT

       R. T. Kincaid, a Kentucky-Virginia farmer, living in Middlesborough and owning a small farm of 26 acres in Bell County, conceived an idea of giving a number of pure bred Poland-China gilt pigs to boys near Middlesborough. These boys were to feed and care for the pig, and at farrowing time, pay for their pig by returning to him half of the first litter. Five pigs were placed on this plan. Six boys are in the breeding project, and 35 in the fat pig project.

J. OTHER 4-H CLUB ACTIVITIES

        Seven communities were represented in the county contest by two club members from each club in the seven communities. The winning team was composed of two boys who demonstrated the building of a row boat. This team represented Bell County in the district contest for farm practice demonstrations, held in London, Kentucky, the last week of May, prior to Junior Week, in Lexington, the first part of June. It was the first time a farm practice team had ever used a practice other than some straight farm practice.

        Sixteen boys and one club leader attended the Junior Camp Week in August. Two men leaders attended the 4-H Club Leaders' and Officers' Conference at Quicksand, Kentucky, in June.

        Three poultry judging teams, composed of three members each, were trained to take part in the county contest. Winning team to represent Bell County in the state meet in Louisville at the state fair the second week in September. The team failed to place.

        For the first time 4-H exhibits entered in the state fair took first place. This achievement was a first placing on a crop record book, and second placing on a poultry record book. A 4th placing was won by a potato exhibit. Altogether, seven clubs were represented at the state fair by a poultry judging team and 10 exhibits.

        Two community corn shows were held, and prizes of a merchandising nature were awarded the winners. These prizes were given by a local wholesale grocery company in Pineville.

K. SOIL CONSERVATION

        Bell County figures show approximately 15,000 acres planted to cultivated and summer legume crops, annually, for the past five years. These deserted looking fields take on a grim picture as winter approaches. There they lie, bare and naked. The winter rains and freezes taking a heavy toll. One eminent authority on agriculture said to a group of 4-H club members a few years ago in the county, "many of these fields should never have been de-forested, much less, planted to cultivatable crops, but they have been, and here they are. It's up to us to do the best we can."

        In addition to these 15,000 acres of cultivatable crops there are probably that many acres or more given over to pasture lands. These being either too steep, or completely worn out fields and unfit for crop production on many farms. Cover crops for the cultivated crop lands, lime and phosphate added. It was no trouble to show the farmer how his farm was wasting away. He knew that already and for the past 25 years had been making some sort of a living for his family from sources other than the farm. (There are probably 1800 farmers in Bell County, and there are less than 100 who are able to secure two-thirds of their living from the farm). At one time, and that was a generation ago, practically every

farm provided a living for the family on it in Bell County.

        This was the picture of our situation when we met in December, 1937, and planned out five-point program to help the farmer help himself. The farm leaders knew what we were up against, and they knew that there was nothing to do but to tackle the job.

        Some, over 1200 farmers were in the Agricultural Conservation Program, and it was hoped this would be an incentive for the farmers to use practices that would build and conserve the soil. The triple AAA began with 18 farmers in 1934 receiving benefit payments; 32 farmers in 1935; 133 in 1936; and 349 in 1937. By the middle of summer, this year, it became apparent there would be a slight increase in the number of farmers adopting soil building practices over previous years. A study of the situation showed the greatest increases in 1937 and 1938 in soil building practices in Bell County were among the farmers who used TVA superphosphate on assignments. Local merchants turned thumbs down on

accepting assignments for grass and clover seed.

        Late in the season, and only with a few days to go, W. C. Wilson, Assistant State Agent for this part of the state, came to the county and suggested one more attempt to persuade some merchant to accept seed assignments. The merchant was found and 176 farmers, who would not have adopted any soil conserving practices this year in time to qualify  for benefit payments under the Agricultural Conservation Act, seeded 20,337 pounds of a mixture of rye grass, orchard grass, red top, and timothy, on 872 acres of crop land. Much of this seeding, 13,183 pounds, was rye grass. Our first experiment with this cover crop. Reports are coming to the County Agent, showing enthusiasm for this new

cover crop, and best of all, keen interest in the Agricultural Conservation Program.

        Prior to finding the merchant who would agree to take seed assignments, a local man had been located who agreed to accept assignments from farmers for agricultural limestone. Forty nine farmers, who would not have accepted a single practice in time to qualify for benefit payment under the Act, gave assignments to the local limestone dealer for 641 tons of limestone which was spread on nearly 200 acres of crop land.

        Farmers receiving limestone: 50, 651 tons; 65, 1036 tons. Farmers receiving TVA superphosphate 130, 64.4 tons. Farmers receiving grass seeds: 176, 20,337 pounds; 125, 8,000 pounds. Farmers turning up soiling crops: 75. Total number of farmers: 356 assignments. Total number of farmers not making assignments 265. Total practices adopted by both groups: 621. 96% of those making assignments would not have qualified for benefit payments under the 1938 Act. Applied farm practices on 1666 acres crop land by assignment farmers. Applied farm practices on 1275 acres crop land by non-assignment farmers. Three, and sometimes four, practices were applied on a single acre by farmer in both groups.

        Our chief concern is to cover the cultivated lands in 1939 with a growing crop. We hope to have found a way to encourage our farmers to protect their farms.

L. CRIMSON CLOVER

        Our second year for growing crimson clover found this cover crop increasing in favor with the farmers. Ninety-four farmers seeded 6,082 pounds on 606 acres. It is estimated, 40 farmers seeded 120 acres to crimson clover in 1937. When crimson clover was turned under in the spring of this year and planted to corn, chiefly, no production records were obtained in the fall, but by observation it was noted that crops growing on such fields were better than usual.

M. VETCH

        Last year three farmers planted 3 1/2 acres to hairy vetch. This year 6 farmers report the seeding of 200 pounds on 14 acres. This cover crop has received attention from too few to draw any conclusion as to its place as a cover crop in Bell County. When grown with small grain it has done much better and so has the grain crop.

N. FORESTRY MANAGEMENT

        Our forest lands are so close to us that we have not taken them seriously, and will not until our state Legislature takes a more definite hand

in the way of appropriation for a Forester in each county.

        Three farmers were given about 60 pounds of black locust seeds unhulled. About 30 pounds came from a cultivated locust planting over in Whitley County. These seeds were hulled by two farmers who prepared a seed bed and sowed the seed the first part of May. Five seedlings were observed in July in one of the two beds by the County Agent and the farmer. None in the other bed. About 30 pounds of unhulled black locust seed were obtained by the County Agent from trees growing along the highway on top of Log Mountain, this county, and these were given to a farmer in South America section of Bell County on the Whitley line. The farmer didn't want to hull the seed and so he sowed them in the pod or hull the latter part of May. When inspected by the County Agent in July it appeared most of the seed were good, for numerous seedlings were found in the plant bed. The bed has not been observed since.

        The Asher heirs reported the placing of 20,000 acres of cut-over timber under fire prevention with the State Forestry Service.

O. AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM

        Of the 1800 farmers in Bell County 1219 are in the agricultural conservation work. About 23,000 acres of crop land are in these ACP farms. It is estimated that about 500 farmers will receive benefit payments for this year's work.

P. THE UTOPIA PROGRAM

        This year 17 boys and four girls enrolled in utopia work. Three boys and one girl set 500 Aroma strawberry plants in the spring. The four girls and 14 boys grew 18 1/2 acres to corn this year.

Q. OUT OF STATE HYBRID SEED CORN

        Eleven farmers planted hybrid seed corn on about 10 acres. Another farmer planted one half acre in yellow hybrid seed corn. The corn turned out less than the poorest corn in the county.

R. TOBACCO

        It is estimated 26 farmers are growing 12 acres to Burley tobacco. Two tobacco grading demonstrations were held in the county in October to show the growers how to strip, grade, and prepare tobacco for the market. Audrey Waits, Kentucky farmer and special agent for grading demonstrations; which were attended by nearly all the tobacco growers in the county. Bell County tobacco is usually sold on the Tazewell, Tennessee, market where prices have been regarded as the highest for Burley tobacco over a period of years.

S. POULTRY

        There were 74 known poultry flock owners with more than 10,000 laying birds, at the beginning of the year in Bell County, independent of the various flocks owned all over the county by farmers. One flock owner with 275 laying birds had a profit of 70 cents per bird over feed cost from November 1, 1937, to October 31, 1938. Another poultryman with 150 laying birds sold clean eggs and had a profit of $2.20 per bird.

       A local seed and feed merchant in Middlesborough has 27,000 egg incubator in the rear of his store. This year he bloodtested 18 poultry flocks for pullorum in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

T. DAIRY PRODUCTS

        Very little work has been done among dairymen in the county because of two factors. one is the presence of a local milk concern which ships into the county about 70% of the milk sold annually. Seven years ago, a check of the milk business showed 76% of the whole milk sold in Bell County came from outside the county. Today, the percentage is somewhat lower.

        There are same 10 or 12 dairymen with about 200 cows who sell milk the year round in Pineville and Middlesborough. They are local Bell County men who run these.

U. ORCHARD MANAGEMENT

        Nineteen farm owners have around 400 acres growing standard fruit trees. We were in a big way for a good fruit year when along came the late spring freezes and destroyed everything but a few pears.

        Black berries, red and black and purple raspberries, dewberries, boysenberries, strawberries, and some others are grown in the county, or grow wild.

V. LOOKING AHEAD IN BELL COUNTY

        It appears the following item should be given more than passing thoughts in helping some of the Bell County people to become a little more farm minded:

          1. Promote the Agricultural Conservation Program.

          2. Save our soil

               (a) Cover crops on all cultivated lands and summer legume fields.

               (b) Lime and superphosphate on 600 farms.

               (c) Fire protection for all woodland owners.

          3. Grow our own food.

               (a) Develop the home garden

               (b) 200 for 1939

          4. Eligible boys and girls enrolled in 4-H club work

               (a) Urge local civic leaders' co-operation with soil conservation service for construction of commodious buildings on government project for housing of large numbers of 4-H club members in their summer camps.

               (b) Chief objects: corn and small fruits. Minor projects: Poultry, pig, potato, garden, and woodwork.

          5. Find farm facts

               (a) Annual cost and income data on the better farms.