yx
Family of t h e Week
BY
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Wnya OS, 1958
Howard L a n g f l t t
VIDEO
1,2 :?.5~1 sOO p�au
AUDIO
IMI
TO SAY I N THE VERY BEGINNING THAT I AM
SLIDE- RFD TELEVISIT MAILBOX
DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENT, TF.R. LOMINICK AND HOME DEMONSTRATION AGENT, SAMIE L . BRIGHT OF WARREN COUNTY FOR THEIR VERY WONDERFUL HELP IN SELECTING THE FAMILY WHICH WE SALUTE TODAY AND FOR GOING WITH ME TO THEIR FARM TO HELP ME OBTAIN THE STORY WHICH I AM N W GOING O SLIDE FARM-1 HOUSE TO TELLO THIS I S THE STORY OF MR. AND M S . LEROI
BUTSS WHO LIVE TEN MILES NORTH OF VICKSBURG, AT REDWOOD, M I S S I S S I P P I . THIS I S A FABULOUS STORY OF A MAN AND HIS LOVELY WIFE WHO WERE CAUGHT TO BE THRIFTY AT AN EARLY AGE AND HAVE ^LACTICED I T THROUGH THE YEARS AND MADE I T PAY P F F IN THE REALIZATION OF DREAMS AND THE HOPES
DF EVEN BETTER THINGS TO COME.
LET ME SAY RIGHT
HERE THEY ARE LIVING IN AN OLD HOME ON RENTED R 0 P E R T Y . . . A HOME THAT DOESN'T SHOW TOO WELL ON HE OUTSIDE BUT WHICH I S EVERYTHING ANY HOME OULD EVER BE ON THE INSIDE. OH, I DON'T MEAN
N PHYSICAL THINGS, THOUGH I T I S LOVELY...I MEAN I THE LOVE AND DEVOTION THAT I S SHARED IN THIS OME. TO KNOW THIS FAMILY YOU MUST KNOW SOME
IF THEIR HISTORY FOR I T ' S ON THE BASIS OF THIS I S TORY THAT THEIR PRESENT HOPES HAVE BEEN SLIDE FARM-2 COTTON ACCOMPLISHED, MRS. BUTTS GREW UP IN REDWOOD,
SHE SAYS AT AN EARLY AGE SHE WAS TAUGHT TO BE
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THRIFTY.
LEROY SAYS SHE HAS BEM THE BACKBONE 01
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SHE DESERVES 9 0 $ OF THE CREDIT FOR WHAT SUCCESS THEY HAVE HAD. SAYS SHE�S ONE IN A MILLION. HE
SHE HAS BELIEVED
I N HIS DREAMS AND HAS SHARED THEM AM) HELPED MAK1 THEM COME TRUE. LEROY BUTTS WAS RAISED ON A
FARM IN THE HILL SECTION OF WARREN COUNTY...ON [JHAT HE CALLED A ONE HORSE FARM FARMED IN PATCHEI I N THE OAKRIDGE COMMUNITY OF TEAT COUNTY. HE
S FROM THE TIME HE WAS 1 5 HE DID ANYTHING THAI AME ALONG THAT WOULD EARN HIM A DOLLAR. HE SAY!
HE FOUND OUT EARLY THAT I F HE WAS EVER GOING |T0 MAKE ANYTHING OF HIS LIFE HE HAD TO GET AWAY SLIDE FARMPROM PATCH FARMING. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT,
COTTON
HE AND HIS LOVELY WIFE WERE MARRIED IN 1 9 3 5 IN THE HEART OF THE DEPRESSION. IN 1933 HE HAD
BOUGHT 160 ACRES OF LAND IN THE OAKRIDGE COMMUNITY. HE HAD BUILT A LITTLE HOUSE ON I T IN THE
FOR $300 AND THAT I S WHERE THEY LIVED.
LEROY MEASURED COTTON IN THE DELTA AND IN E WINTER HE DROVE A SCHOOL BUS. HE DID THIS
[ND OF WORK AND FARMED HIS 160 ACRES UNTIL THE SPRING OF 1 9 4 1 WHEN HE TOOK A JOB AS SHIPPING :LKRK WITH ANDERS ON- TULLY IN THEIR LUMBER ESTT. HE WORKED THERE UNTIL THE FALL OF
L942 AND HAD GOTTEN UP TO AS HIGH AS 4 5 ^ AND H0U1
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I N PAY,
IN THE SPRING OF THAT YEAR HE HAD BOUG T OF
A. SECOND HAND TRACTOR AND RENTED 27 ACRES DELTA COTTON LAND,
HE FARMED AFTER HOURS AND
MADE A CROP WHILE WORKING FOR ANDERS ON-TULLY. SLIDE FARM-4 MEN & COTTON tfHEN PICKING TIME CAME HE HAD TO QUIT HIS JOB TO HARVEST HIS CROP. 2 7 ACRES, HE MADE 18 BALES OFF THE
THAT WINTER A FRIEND LOANED HIM $300
TO BUY HOGS AND HE STARTED BUYING HOGS ABD FEED AND DID THAT ALL WINTER, HE SAID WITH HOG PRICES IN THE
GOING UP HE COULD MAKE A LITTLE PROFIT.
SPRING OF 1943 HE RECALLS THAT HE RENTED 50 ACRES OF COTTON IAND AND THAT YEAR MADE 65 B A L E S . . . , S T I L L RAISING A FEW HOGS, WHICH HE CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. IN 1944 LEROY BUTTS RENTED ENOUGH
LAND TO MAKE 140 ACRES OF COTTON ON WHICH HE KADE 165 BALES. SLIDE FARM-5 COTTON IN 1 9 4 5 HE RENTED MORE LAND THAT WAS THE
AND PLANTED 325 ACRES IN COTTON, Y M R OF THE FLOOD.
HE ONLY MADE 65 BALES. BY
THE END OF 1 9 4 4 , THOUGH HE HAD MADE ENOUGH TO SEE HIM THROUGH THE BAD YEARS OF 1945 AND
f
46.
ALSO IN THE FALL OF 1 9 4 5 HE MOVED TO VALLEY PARK AND BOUGHT A STORE AND I T ' S A GOOD THING HE DID BECHUSE IN 1946 325 ACRES AGAIN ONLY MADE 65 BALES. THE STORE WAS WHAT SAVED HIM, IN 1947
LEROY HAD 3 7 5 ACRES IN COTTON AND MADE 450 BALES ON RENTED LAND, IN THE FALL OF 1947 HE GOT A
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CHANCE TO BUY 1 0 2 5 ACRES ON EAGLE LAKE,
IN
1 9 4 8 HE PLANTED 650 ACRES TO COTTON ON OWNED AND RENTED LAND AND IN THAT YEAR HE ALS 0 BOUGHT 2 5 7 ACRES NEAR REDWOOD, WHICH INCLUDED THE FIRST LAND HE HAD RENTED IN THE DEHA. THAT YEAR HE IN 1949
MADE NEARLY A THOUSAND BALES OF COTTON. LEROY BUTTS RENTED SOME LAND AT TALLULAH,
M I S S I S S I P P I AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE HIS COTTON SLIDE FARM-6 COTTOF ACRESGE. THAT YEAR HE HAD 1 0 5 0 ACRES AND MADE THAT
ONLY 4 8 0 BALES DUE TO ANOTHER BAD YEAR.
(WAS ALSO THE YEAR HE HAD THE FEELING THAT THE COTTON BUSINESS WAS GOING BAD SO HE STARTED A J CATTLE PROGRAM,...BUT I ' L L TELL YOU ABOUT THAT LATER, IN 1 9 5 0 HE LEASED REDWOOD PLANTATION WITH 5 0 0 ACRES IN CULTIVATION. ALL THIS TIME HE WAS
BUILDING UP HIS INVENTORY OF MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT AND FARM KNOW-HOW. OF COURSE, I T WAS
HEN THAT ACREAGE CONTROLS CAME INTO BEING AND SLIDE FARM-7 COTTON YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO COTTON IN THE YEARS felNCE. THIS YEAR HE HAD 248 ACRES IN COTTON
SflTH AN AVERAGE YIELD OF ABOUT A BALE TO THE CRE. UNTIL THIS YEAR HE PICKED MOST OF HIS THIS YEAR
&ECHAINICALLY WITH HIS TWO PICKERS. I E HAS HAD TO PICK MORE BY HAND. BASICALLY A DAY CROP SITUATION. SLIDE FARM-8 VETCH
HIS PROGRAM \ LEROY BUTTS
(ROTATES HIS COTTON LAND AND LETS SOME OF IT LAY
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IDLE FOR A YEAR OR TWO, BEFORE GOING BACK TO COTTON. HER BELIEVES IN HEAVY FERTILIZATION ANR THIS IDLE
FOLLOWS IT ON HIS CROPS AND PASTURE.
LAND I S ROWED UP AND PLANTED TO VETCH WHICH WILL BE TURNED UNDER AS A COVER CROP WHEN HE GOES BACK TO COTTON ON I T . SLIDE FARM-9 IRRIGATION PUMP LEROY I S ALSO EQUIPPED HIS
TO IRRIGATE HIS COTTON AND PASTURE LAND,
SOURCE OF WATER I S THE YAZOO RIVER SiiEN HERE IN THE BACKGROUND. THIS YEAR HE IRRIGATED A 40
ACRE BLOCK OF COTTON THREE TIMES AND 65 ACRES OF PASTURE. SLIDE FARM-10 IRRIGATION PIPE YEARSo HE HAS BEM IR1IGATING FOR THREE
HE USES GATED PIPE ON THE ROW CROPS AND
SPRINKLER IRRIGATION IN THE PASTURE LAND. BESIDE* F E R T I L I Z I N G HEAVY FOR HIMSELF AFTER SOIL TESTING TO DETERMINE NEEDS HE ALSO DOES SOME CUSTOM ANHYDROUS APPLICATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I SAID, LEROY BUTTS COULD SEE LESS AND LESS FUTURE FOR COTTON BACK IN 1949 SO HE STARTED AS
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FARM-11 CATTLE
ADDING LIVESTOCK.
MRS. BUTTS HAD 7 HEAD
OF
CATTLE HER FATHER HAD GIVE HER MEN SHE MARRIED AND LEROY BOUGHT ABOUT 65 HEAD. COMMERCIAL CATTLE. THEY WERE GRADE
OVER THE YEARS HE HAS BOUGHT
A FEW ALONG AND HAS SAVED HIS BEST HEIFERS FOR ERD REPLACEMENT. TODAY HE HAS 650 HEAD OF HE CARRIES
A T T L E . . . . . 4 0 0 OF THEM BROOD COWS.
[THEM IN TWO HERDS...ONE AT EAGLE LAKE AND ONE AT
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SLIDE
FARM-12 CATTLE
REDWOOD.
HE SELLS ALL HIS GOOD CALVES MILK FAT MOST OF THESE ANIMALS WE SEE HERE
OFF THE COW.
GRAZING OATS ARE REGISTERED HEREFORDS AND HE USES ONLY REGISTERED BULLS ON THE WHOLE HERD. HE HAS
2 0 REGISTERED BULLS, BOTH POLLED AM) HORNED HEREFORDS AND A COUPLE OF SHORTHORN BULLS, LER01
SAYS BY NATURE HE I S A COTTON FARMER AND I S HAVI3 TO WORK INTO THE CATTLE BUSINESS A LITTLE ALONG AS HE LEARNS ABOUT THEM. TO HAVE 1000 BROOD COWS. SLIDE FARM-13 TATTLE HE HOPES EVENTUALLY IN 1953 IER0Y STARTED
FEEDING HIS LATE CALVES AND ANY OTHERS THAT NEEDED IT TO GET THE PROPER FINISH. UNTIL THEN
HE HAD SOLD EVERYTHING MILK-FAT OFF THE COW. THAT YEAR HE FED ABOUT 100 HEAD. RIGHT NOW HE
HAS 150 HEAD ON FEED AND FEEDS ABOUT 200 HEAD A YEAR. HE FEEDS THROUGH THE FALL AND WINTER HE CALFHOOD VACCINATES
AND SELLS IN THE SPRING.
FOR BANGS AND SPRAYS HIS CATTLE EVERY TWO WEEKS HE RAISES 20 TO 25 THOUSAND BUSHELS OF CORN ON 5 0 0 ACRES AND FEEDS IT ALL EITHER TO CATTLE OR SLIDE FASM-14 PASTURE HOGS. PERMANENT PASTU2E CONSISTS OF 400 ACRES
ALL IMPROVED CONSISTING OF DALLIS AND BERMUDA GRASS, WHITE DUTCH CLOVER AND FESCUE. HIS
TEMPORARY WINTER GRAZING CONSISTS OF 400 ACRES I I OATS AND WHEAT. HE SAVES ENOUGH FOR THE SEED
HE NEEDS AND GRAZES THE REST OF IT DOWN.
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SLIDE
FARM-15 BATSFIELD
TEMPORARY SUMMER GRAZING CONSISTS OF SWE^T SUDAN GRASS AND JOHNSON GRASS....ABOUT 200 ACRES OF I T AND THE SURPLUS IS CUT FOR HAY. EACH YEAR
LEROY BUTTS PUTS UP ABOUT 1 0 , 0 0 0 BALES OF HAY WHICH I S FED TO THE CATTLE FREE CHOICE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, AS A 4-H CLUB BOY LEROY
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FARM-16
HOGS
HAD A PIG CLUB PROJECT AND HE'S BEEN RAISING HOGS OFF AND ON EVER SINCE. HOWEVER, BACK IN
1 9 5 4 WHEN THE HOG MARKET FELL OFF HE QUIT FARROWING HIS O N PIGS AND HAS BEEN BUYING FEEDER W P I G S EVER SINCE. THIS YEAR HE HAS FINISHED
1 , 5 0 0 HMD OF HOGS AND THAT HAS BEEN HIS AVERAGE [FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. SLIDE FARM-17 HE TRIES TO HIT THE HIS HOG
MAY MARKET WITH THE BULK OF HIS HOGS. ^PROGRAM DEPENDS ON HIS CORN CROP.
H7JE3
WHEN HE
OESN'T HAVE ENOUGH CATTLE TO EAT HIS CORN HE BU? OGS TO FINISH IT OUT. WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL
INCREASE HIS HOG PR0GRM DEPENDS ON HIS GRAIN PRODUCTION. THE HOGS ARE KEPT ON FULL FEED AT
ALL TIMES AND THEY ARE RUH SEPERATE FROM THE
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FARM*-18 bTORAGE BINS
CATTLE,
LEROY BUTTS SHELLS ALL HIS CORN AND
STORES IT IN THESE GRAIN BINS RIGHT ON THE FARM. BE FED THE LAST OF LAST YEAR�S CORN THREE WEEKS GO AND I S READY TO START ON THIS YEAR'S CROP. OST OF LEROY'S LAND I S FENCED AND CROSS FENCED ND 500 ACRES OF HIS EAGLE LAKE LAND I S
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HOG TIGHT AND 700 ACRES AT REDWOOD PLANTATION WHERE THEY LIVE. SLIDE FARM-19 TRACTORS LEROY BUTTS IS A COMPLETELY
MECHANIZED FARMER. BESIDES THE WO MECHANICAL COTTON PICKERS MICH I MENTIONED HE HAS A CRAWLER TYPE TRACT�, 12 FIELD TRACTORS AND A ROAD PATROL, THREE/SELF PROPELLED COMBINES AND
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FARM-20
A COMPLETE FARM WORKSHOP WHERE THEY DO MOST OF THEIR O N WORKo IN FACT, LEROY'S BROTHER, SAM, W W.M. BUTTS, DOES THE FARM REPAIR AND OVERHAUL WORK, IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE OTHER THINGS I
MN A
HAVE MENTIONED LEROY BUTTS HAS 160 ACRES OF HARDWOOD TIMBER WHICH HE MANAGES. HE ROTATES
H I S CROPS FROM PASTURE TO COTTON OR CORN AND BACI SLIDE FARM-21 FREEZER TO PASTURE. LEROY SAYS MRS. BUTTS KNOWS AS HER
MUCH ABOUT THE FARM OPERATION AS HE DOES.
GARDEN I S HER HOBBY AND SHE LOVES TO WORK IN IT. THEY HAVE ONE ACRE OF GARDEN AND THE USUAL FROM HER GARDEN AND MEAT SUPPLY SHE
PATCHES.
FREEZES ABOUT 1,200 POUNDS OF FOOD EACH YEAR AND CANS ANOTHER 100 QUARTS IN JARS. SHE PUTS 40
FRYERS IN THE FREEZER AND EVEN FREEZES EGGS, SLIDE FARM*-22 KITCHEN SHE LOVES TO COOK AND I S A GOOD ONE. SHE RECALLS
THAT DURING THOSE FIRST YEARS OF MARRIAGE DURING THE DEPRESSION THE LEROY HUNTED FOR MUCH OF TfiEU MEAT AND $ 1 0 . 0 0 A MONTH BOUGHT WHAT GROCERIES THEY NEEDED. THEY USED TO PUT THEIR FOOD UP IN
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CANS AND FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS THEY SAVED THE SAME CANS AND RE-SEALED THEM EACH YEAR. THROUGH
THE HELP GIVER HER BY MAMIE BRIGHT, THEHOME DEMONSTRATION AGENT, MRS. BUTTS HAS LEARNED TO SLIDE FARM-2 TWO wo; R E - F I N I S H FURNITURE AND LOVES TO WORK ON SUCH THINGS AS THIS LOVELY ANTIQUE. 3R O N INTERIOR DECORAT1ING I D W PAINTS AND DOES A BEAUTIFUL JOB, TOO WAS IN 4-H CLUB WORK. SHE ALSO DOES PAPAERS AND AS A GIRL SHE
OF ALL THEIR HOPES
AND DREAMS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS I THINK THESE TWO SLIDE FARM-24 TWO WOMEN & CHILDREN HILDREN REPRESENT WHAT MR. AND MRS. LEROY BUTTS TRULY ARE. YOU SEE, THEY ARE FOSTER CHILDREN.
THEY ARE GEBHGE ALLEN, AGE FIVE AND KATHY, AGE FOUR AND THEY HAVE BEEN WITH LEROY AND DOROTHY BUTTS F(R TWO YEARS. M S . BUTTS MOTHER WORKS FOI
THE WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND SHE ASKED THEM TO TAJS3 THESE WO YOUNGSTERS FROM A BROKEN HOME. MRS.
BUTTS SAYS SHE THOUGH ABOUT IT FOR A WEEK AND COULDN'T STAND I T ANY LONGER. SHE FELT THE
YOUNGSTERS NEEDED THEM AND THEY NEEDED THE YOUNGSTERS SO THEY TOOK THEM.. .AND THEY'VE BEEN A SOURCE OF JOY EVER SINCE. SHE SAYS AFTER THE
F I R S T WEEK WITH THEM SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW SHE AD GOTTEN ALONG WITHOUT THEM. I COULD HAVE JUS1
TOLD YOU ABOUT THESE YOUNGSTERS AND THE STORY W O WOULD HAVE BEEN A SUCCESS IN ITSELF, BUT THERE'S
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MORE THAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT THIS FAMILY* CAMERA ON FAMILY MRS. BUTTS HOBBY I S HER COMMUNITY... .HER CHURCH F I R S T AND HER CLUB WORK SECOND. THEY ATTEND THE
REDWOOD METHODIST CHURCH WHERE MRS. BUTTS TEACHES JUNIOR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS, I S PRESIDENT OF W . S . C . S . AND PIANO PLAYER FOR THE CHURCH. S . BUTTS HAS BELONGED TO VARIOUS HOME DEMONSTR ATI ON CLUBS OVER THE YEARS AND HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE REDWOOD HOME DEMONSTRATION CLUB SINCE Tfl THEY MOVED TO THEIR PRESENT HOME IN 1 9 5 1 * I S PRESENTLY SECRETARY OF THE PAST PRESIDENT. SHE
CLUB AND I S A
SHE I S SERVING HER SECOND YEAR
AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTY HOME DEMONSTRATION OUNCIL AND WAS SECRETARY OF THAT ORGANIZATION FOR TWO YEARS. HOME DEMONSTRATION AGENT, MAMIE
BRIGHT SAYS SHE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE COUNTY LMDEB THAT ALWAYS DOES A FIRST CLASS JOB. THEY BELONG
TO THE REDWOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CLUB AND THE FARM BUREAU OF WHICH LEROY I S A DIRECT� � LEROY I S ALSO A FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION OMMITTEEMAN, MEMBER OF THE DELTA COUNCIL, M I S S I S S I P P I CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION AND WARREN COUNTY LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION. HE I S A MEMBER
|OF THEAGRICULTURE COMMITTEE OF THE tflCKSBURG HAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEIR BIGGEST HOPE I S THE
OPSSED NEW HOME.. .ALL THEIR LAND I B DEBT FREE.
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OH, THERE'S SO MUCH TO TELL AND SO LITTLE TIME IN WHICH TO TELL I T .
RIGHT NOW I WANT YOU TO
MEET THEM, AT IEAST IN THE TIME THAT R M A I N S . AND HERE I S FORREST COX TO ASK THEM A FEW QUESTIONS.
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1.
2.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR A NEW HOME? LEROY, WHAT HAS SPURRED YOU ON MOST OF ALL?
3 . WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO A YOUNG MAN
STARTING OUT? MRS. BUTTS, LOOKING BACK OVER THE PAST, WHAT HAS BEEN MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING I T ALLPOSSIBLE?
4.
5. 6.
GEORGE ALLEN, WHAT DO YOU LIKE LIVING ON THE FARM?
MOST ABOUT
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KATHY, WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF YOUR DOG AND KITTENS?
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7.
MRS. BRIGHT, WHAT HAS THIS FAMILY MEANT TO YOU IN YOUR WORK?
