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Farm Family of the Week Howard Langfltt
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. July 7. 1961
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CAMFRA OH LANGFITT
I WANT TO SAY IN THE VERY BEGINNING THAT I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO MR, BELTON BERRY, COUNTY
AGENT OF CHOCTAW COUNTY AND MR. JIM MCMIM, WORK UNIT CONSERVATIONIST OF THE SOIL CONSERVAT: SERVICE IN CHOCTAW COUNTY FOR THEIR VERY FINE HELP IN SELECTING THE FAMILY WHICH WE SALUTE TODAY AND FOR GOING WITH ME TO THIS FAMILY'S FARM TO HELP HE OBTAIN THE STORY I AM NCN' GOING TO TELL. THIS IS THE STORY OF MR. AND MRS. SLIDF FARM-1 MAILBOX ROBERT H. SMITH AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN, Ik YEAR OLD BOBBY AND NINE YEAR OLD ANN. MR. AND MRS. SMITH LIVE IN THE LAGRANGE COMMUNITY OP CHOCTAW COUNTY ABOUT 16 MILES NORTH OF ACKERMAN. THEIR
FARM IS LOCATED ON HIGHWAY NINE AND IT'S ONLY SLIDE FARM-2 FAMILY 34- MILES SOUTH OF EUPORA. ROBERT SMITH GREW UP
IN THIS SAME COMMUNITY, ABOUT A HALF MILE AWAY FROM THEIR HSISENT HOME. MRS. SMITH GREW UP IK THE PROGRESS COMMUNITY OF CHOCTAW COUNTY, ABOUT FIVE M I E S AWAY. SSI ATTENDED WOOD COLLEGE AND DELTA STATE COLLEGE AND WAS TEACHING SCHOOL WHES SHE AND ROBERT MET. SHE GAVE UP TEACHING WHEN
T H W MARRIED APRIL 13, 19^6. AT TH1 TIME ROBERT WAS FARMING AND S1WMILLING. BE HAD BOUGHT THE SLIDE FARMHGuS 80 ACRES OF LAND WHERE THEIR HOME SETS IN 1927. HE AND HIS FATHER HAD BOUGHT 160 ACRES TOGETHER.
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ROBERT WAS RAISING COTTON AND CORK AMD A PEW CATTLE STRICTLY FOR HOME USE. WHEN HE MARRIED HE RECALLS THAT HE MADE THE STATEMENT HE WOULD SEVER MILK COWS FOR A LIVING. WELL, AGTUALLY
HE DOESN'T, BUT DAIRYING IS A PART OF THE FARM
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OLD HOUSE
PROGRAM OF THE SMITH FAMILY.
IN THE EARLY YEARS
OF MARRIED LIFE THE SMITH'S LIVED IN THIS HOUSE JUST UP THE ROAD UNTIL THEXK BUILT THEIR PRISEN1
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FARM�
HOUSE
LONELY LITTLE COUNTRY HOME IN LATE 1950 AND EARI I MENTIONED TWO CHILDRE, BOBBY AND ANH. HASANOTHER OLDER MARRIED DAUGHTER. HIS FIRST WIFE mSSED AWAY DURING CHILDBIRTH OF THAT DAUGHTER. WHEN ROBERT MARRIED IN 19M> HE
WAS JUST FINISHING UP SAWMILLING. HE HAD SOLD THE MILL. AT THE TIME HE HAD QUITE A LOT OF LABOR ON THE PLACE AND THEY'D QUIT SAWMILLING LONG ENOUGH TO GROW A CROP AND THSM GO BACK TO SLIDE FARM-6 CATTLE IT. BUT EVEN BEF�E HE QUIT MILLING ROBERT
SAYS THAT JIM MCMINN OF THE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE HAD GOTTEN WITH HIM AND THEY HAD TERRACE THE LAND TO KEEP IT FROM WaSHIMG AWAY. ROBERT ROW CROPPED WITH TENNANT LABOR UNTIL 19�l WHEN HE QUIT THE TENNANT IABOR PROGRAM. HIS IA ST BIG CROP WAS IN 19lj.8. ROBERT SMITH QUIT ROW CROP FARMING BECAUSE HE HAD GOTTEN A START IN LIVESTOCK AND TOO, LABOR HAD BECOME TO BIG A
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PROBLEM. AT ONI TIME ROBERT RAISED AS MUCH AS 50 ACRES OF COTTON. HE USED A TRACTCR TO BREM THR GROUND AND FAILED WITH MULES. ROBERT SAYS HE QUIT COTTON BECAUSE HI SAW HE COULD HANDLE CATTLE EASIER WITH LESS LABOR AND WITH ALL TEE PROBLEMS HE HAD BEEN FIGHTING HE FIGURED IT WOULD BE MORE BOPITABLE, ROBERT RECALLS THAT SLIDE FARMCATT H E STARTED BIHF CATTLE BY GOING TO SALES AND BUYING WSS JERSEY HEIFERS. HE WOULD GROW THEM UP TO MILK COWS AND BREED THEM TO A GOOD I1GIST1RED HEREFORD BULL* IT WAS IN 1939 THAT IN 19k2
HE STARTED WITH THE JERSEY HIIPERS.
ROBERT HIT DOWN HIS FIRST IERMANENT mSTURS... 8 ACRES OP IT. IN 19M> HE HAD ACCUMULATED 16 HEAD OP GRADE COWS, RID POLLS AND JERSEYS, HE BOUGHT A FEW OCCASIONALLY BUT SINCE 19^5 HE HAS SLIDE FARM-8 CATTLE RAISED ALL HIS HSRD REPLACEMENTS. HE HAS SAVED
HIS BEST HEIFERS AND IS SAVING SEVER THIS YEAR. TODAY THERE ARE 1 8 BROOD COWS IN THE HERD AND ^ HE HAS 105 HEAD OP CATTLE ON THE PLACE. HE FOLLOWS A COMMERCIAL COW AND CALF PROGRAM SBLLIU THE CALVES MILK PAT OFF THE COV, ROBERT GETS NEARLY A 100$ CALF CROP AND HE CALFHOOD VAGGINAT . IN PACT HI VACCINATES HIS LIVESTOCK FOR JUST
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SLIDE CALVES ABOUT EVERYTHING. UNLESS HET GETS MORE LAND HE HAS ABOUT ALL THE CATTLE HE CAN HANDLE, ROBERT
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SMITH CREEP FEEDS ALL HIS CALVES AND USES BACK RTJBS IN THE PASTURES FOR INSECT AND PARASITE CONTROL. AS I SAID, DAIRYING 18 AN IMPORTANT
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PART OF THE SMITH FAMILY PROGRAM. IN FAGT THEY HAVE 20 GROWN COWS AND ARE MILKING 1$. THEY ACTUALLY GOT STARTED DAIRYING BECAUSE THEY HAD FOUR COWS THAT THE CALVES COULDN'T TAKE ALL THE MILK FROM. THAT WAS IN 1952. THEY BEGAN TO SELL THE SURPLUS AS MANUFACTURING MILK. ROBERT SAYS THEY GOT TO GETTING A LITTLE MONEY TO SPEND AND LIKED IT SO WELL THEY BEGAN TO EXPAND*
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FARM-11 DAIRY CATTLE
THEY STARTED OUT MILKING BY HAND BUT NOW USE A PORTABLE COW TO CAN MILKER. MRS. SMITH AND ANN AND BOBBY HANDLE MOST OF THE DAIRYING AND ROBERT GROWS THE FEED FOR THE CATTLE AND HANDLES THE BEEF PROGRAM. ROBERT LOOKS AT HIS DAIRY PROGRAM IN THIS WAY. HE FEELS I�*S EASIER ON HIS WIFE TO BE MILKING A FEW COWS TO ADD TO THE FAMILY INCOME THAN TO BE OFF WORKING ALL DAY IN A FACTORY TRYING TO HELP MAKE ENDS MEET.
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FARH-12 POND
WATER FOR LIVESTOCK IS SUPPLIED FROM STOCKPONDS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. THAT'S SOIL CONSERVATION WORK UNIT CONSERVATIONIST JIM MCMINN WITH ROBERT ROBERT USES ALL HIS A.S.C. 2XXKSN2X ASSISTANCE AND THEN DOES A LOT MORE ON HIS OWN IN BUILDING
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THE FERTILITY OF H I S SOIL AND IN KEEPING I T GOOD GROfING CONDITION. PERMANENT B STURE
IE
C O N S I S T S OP 1 0 0 ACRES DALLIS AND BERMUDA GRASS, F E S C U E , BAHAIA GRASS, WHITE DUTCH CLOVER AND SOME SERECIA LESPEDEZA. BAHAIA AND SBRECIA ON
MOST OF THE SLOPES WITH DALLIS �ND BERMUDAIN
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FARM-lk PASTURE
THE BOTTOMS.
ROBERT CLIPS H I S W STURFS FOR
WEED CONTROL AND LIMES AND FERTILIZES THEM TOO. I N THE PALL ROBERT PUTS f$ ACRES OP OATS I N H I S HE PUTS ALL H I S
PASTURES WITH A PASTURE DREAM.
ROW CROP LAND TO OATS FOR WINTER GRAZING TOO.
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FARM-15 HAY MACHINERY
HE PUTS OUT ANOTHER 1 2 ACRES FOR HAY.
THIS
YEAR ROBERT SMITH HAS THREE ACRES OP MILLET FOR THE DAIRY CATTLE AND TURNED I N ON I T FOR THE F I R S T TIME LAST SATURDAY WHILE I WAS V I S I T I N G THE M R M . HAY. HE AB 0 HAS k ACRES 07 LESPEDEZA FOE
ALL TOLD ROBIBT PUTS UP THREE OR FOUR
T H O U S ^ D BALES OP HAY EACH Y E A R . . . O A T S , GRASS AND SOYBEANS. HE I S COMPLETELY MECHANIZED WITH
TWO TRACTCRS, A COMBINE, HAY BALER AND ALL OTHUi NEEDED EQUIPMENT TO CARRY ON H I S FARMIN- PROGRAM
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PARM-16
C0RN LAND
I N FACT HE DCF'S SOME CUSTOM HARVESTING AND PASTURE DREAM WORK. ROBERT HAS 2 5 ACRES I N CORI IT YIELDS AN AVERAGE OF
HE PLANTS HYBRID S E E D ,
BUSHELS TOTTHE ACRE AND HE FEEDS I T ALL AND
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AHD BUYS SOME. ROBERT CRUSHES HIS OWN GRAIN PO] PEED FOR BOTH THE DAIRY CATTLE AND FOR USE IN THE CREEP. HE HOIES TO AVERAGE f$ BUSHELS TO THE ACRE ON CORN THIS YEAR AND EXPECTS TO DO IT THROUGH HEAVIER THAN t S J L FERTILIZATION. JtA
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MENTIONED THAT ROBERT PUTS UP SOYBEANS FOR HAY. HE HAS 35 ACRES IN BEANS AND WILL PUT IT ALL UP AS HAY. ROBERT'S BEANS ARE GRASSY BUT THEY ABE
THAT WAY ON PURPOSE. HE LIKES A GOOD GRASS MIXTURE WITH BEANS FOR HAY. HE SAYS IT CURES
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BFfTER, HOLDS THE LEAVES BITTER AND MAKES A BETTER GRADE HAY. THE BEAHS WE SAM A MOMENT AGO WITH BOBBY STANDING IN THEM ARE BEHIND OATS. ROBERT PUTS UP 12 ACRES THIS WAY. THESE, OF COURSE ARE EARLIER SOYBEANS. ROBERT SMITH ALSO HE IS
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FARM-X9 TIMBER
HAS ABOUT U6 ACRES IN PINE TIMBER.
PROTECTING IT FROM FIRE, DOING A LITTLE WEEDING OF UNDESIR BL1 HARDWOODS AND SAVING IT FOR A RAINY DAY. HE BUILT THE FOUNDATIONS, SUB-FLOOR AND SIDING OB THEIR HOME FROM HIS TIMBER. MOSTL*
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FAHM-20 TIMB1B
HE USES THE TIMBER NOW AS SHEEPER FOR HIS LIVESTOCK AND REALLY THINKS IT DOES A GREAT JOB. ROBERT HAS CLEAREDM MOST ALL HIS LAND. HE CLFJLNED UP I. ACRES OUT OF RAW WOODS AND SOME j0 PROM SECOJD GROWTH BUSHES AND BRIARS.. HE CUTS HIS OWN FENCE POSTS AND ALL HIS LAND IS FENCED
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AMD GROSS FENCED. ROBERT HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED WATERWAYS AHD PILLED IH SOHS OLD DITCHES AND STRAIGHTKNED OTHERS. THIS IS VERY MUCH A LIVE SLIDE FARM-21
(JAMDKS
AT HOME FAMILY AHD THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PRODUCE THE FOOD FOR THE FAMILY* S NEEDS. THEY HAVE ABOUT AH ACRE AND A HALF OF GARDEN INCLUDII THS TRUCK PATCHES, ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AH ACHE OF IT IS YEAR ROUND GARDEN WHICH � E SEE HERE. SPEAKING OF FOOD, ROBERT EVEN PLANTS PEA PATCHES FOR THE GAME BIRDS HE LOVES TO HUNT, FROM THE
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FARM-22 FREEZER
FAMILY FOOD SUPPLY MRS. SMITH EACH YEAR FREEZES ABOUT 1,800 POUNDS OF FOOD IN THE FAMILY UPRIGHT FREEZER, IN ADDITION TO WHAT SHE FREEZES SHE
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FARM-2 CANNED POOD
ALSO CANS ANOTHER 300 JABS OF FOOD.,..SUCH THING ASJAMS, JELLIES, PICKLES, PEACHES BEANS, TOMATOES AND SO FORTH. IN ADDITION TO THEIR
GARDEN THEY ALSO HAVE A FEWffiACHTREES, WHEN I ASKED MRS, SMITH IF SHI LIKED TO COOK SHE SAID I RECKON SO, IT�S A NECESSITY. SLIDE SEWING SHE ALSO DOES
QUITE A BIT OF SEWING BOTH FOR HERSELF AND FOR DAUGHTER ANN. I FOUND HER WORKING ON A DANCE COSTUME FOR ANN, ANN PERFORMS TAP AND BALLET DANCING. SHE ALSO MAKES HER OWN CURTAINS AHD DRAPERIES. MRS. SMITH ALSO LOVES FLOWERS BOTH SHE SAYS HER HOBBY
IN DOORS AND OUT OF DOORS. IS HAULING THE CHILDREN.
SHE THIES TO HELP THEM
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DO THE THINGS THEY WANT TO DO. MR. AND MRS. SMITH AND THEIR CHILDREN BELONG TO THE LAGRANGE SLIDE FARM -25 tRM 3BURCH METHODIST CHURCH VSERE ROBERT IS A STEWARD AND CHURCH SECRETARY AND WH1RB MRS. SMITH TEACHES Tl THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS.. MRS. SMITH IS ALSO PRESIDENT OP THE LAGRANGE HOME CAMERA OH FAMILY DEMONSTRATION CLUB AND SHE AND ANN WON THE FAMILY GROUP DIVISION OF THE COUNTY STYLE SHOW THIS YEAR. ROBERT IS A SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT COMMISSIONER AND FARM BUREAU DIRECT�. HE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CHOCTAW COUNTY FARMER'S HOME ADMINISTRATION COUNTY COMMITTEE. HE SAYS HE RELIES HEAVILY ON COUNTY AGENT BELTO1 BERRY AND SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE TECHNICIAN JIM MCMINN FOR ADVICE IN CARRYING OUT HIS FARM PROGRAM. BOBBY IS A l . H CLUB MEMBER. jIN SCHOOI
HE PLAYS BASEBALL AND BASKETBALL AND ILSO RUNS THE kkO9 880 AND IS ON THE MILE RELAY TEAM IN TRACK. HE LIKES TO FARM AND CAN DO MOST AJfYTHIN THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, ANN IS IN THE FOURTH GRADE. SHE GATHERS THE 1GGS AND MILKS WHEN SHE IS NEEDED, THIS IS A FINE LIVE AT HOME FARM FAMILY AND IN THE TIME THAT REMAINS I WANT YOU TO MEET THEM, 1. WHAT ARE YOUR HOIES FOR THE FUTURE? 8, HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE YOU WITH COTTON?
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3. HOW MUCH LAND DO YOU OWN...H0M MUCH DO YOU FARM? ko DO YOU TURN YOUR CATTLE IN OH CORN FIELDS?
5. MRS, SMITH, WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE CHILDREN? 6. DO YOU PLAN ANY ADDITIONS TO YOUR H O W ?
7. WOULD YOU RATHER WORK INSIDE OR OUTSIDSt 8# 9� BOBBY, WHAT IS YOUR k-H CLUB PROJECT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO VJHEM YOU FINISH HIGH SCHOOL? 10, 11. ANN, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEKN DANCING? WHO PLAYS THE PIANO I SAW IN THE LIVING. ROOM? 12, DO YOU LIKE LIVING OH A FARM?
