SCENES IN TENNESSEE VALLEY

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 74, Issue 1, 15 January 1947, Page 74

SCENES IN TENNESSEE VALLEY

services, designed to arrest and reverse the trends of soil fertility loss and erosion that were already in evidence in the region to an advanced degree.

In later articles it is hoped to describe some of the methods that were employed, in particular the part played by phosphates in making possible the radical changes in farming practices and management methods which were necessary to restore stability to agriculture, but before doing so some understanding is necessary of the kind of farming carried on in this area of the U.S.A.

The figures quoted in. this article are for the State of Tennessee, as, although the TVA boundaries extend into about half a dozen States, Tennessee itself is reasonably typical and is also a convenient unit in respect to statistics available.

Climate of Tennessee

The climate of Tennessee is very warm and humid in summer, with frosts and some light snowfalls in most winters. The rainfall of about 50in. annually is fairly well distributed except during mid- and late summer, when dry periods of a few weeks may occur with sufficient frequency to justify consideration of supplemental irrigation. Irrigation is not, however, widely employed, and generally most crops are grown satisfactorily without its aid. The soils are reddish brown and the topography generally is rolling two factors which reminded a New Zealand visitor somewhat of the South Auckland Province. The soils appear to be particularly subject to erosion, and this, combined with a high-intensity rainfall, with brief torrential downpours the rule rather than the exception, makes this problem a very severe one in this area.

Again as in the Auckland Province, most Tennessee soils, with certain definite exceptions, appear to be seriously phosphate deficient and incapable of maintaining good pasture without phosphate topdressing, which is not yet by any means the standard practice that it is in this country.

Mostly Arable Farming

In New Zealand a traveller on country roads is not really conscious of the fact that the road is invariably bounded on each side by stock-proof fences, as these are so familiar a feature of the landscape that they are taken for granted. The frequent absence of fences bounding the roads of Tennessee was therefore one of the first things that caught the eye of a New Zealander, as not infrequently cultivation of corn, wheat, tobacco, or lucerne was proceeding right up to the edge of the road without there being any permanent fence line between.

This at once draws attention to one of the major differences between our farm economy and that of, the Tennessee Valley, and for that matter many other parts of the U.S.A. The explanation is simply that, whereas in New Zealand “farming” almost invariably means “livestock farming,” in Tennessee livestock products, other than poultry and “hogs,” often do not play a prominent part in farm returns. In other words, the relative absence of grazing animals, in the paddocks or travelling the roads, makes it less necessary to provide a stock-proof barrier along the farm boundary, and quite . commonly this is not done. Statistics indicate that about 40 per cent, of the total 18 million acres in the State of Tennessee is in crop, and since over 25 per cent, of the State is described as “woodland” or “woodland pasture,” it is evident that the agriculture of this area is essentially an arable one. The remainder of the farm land of the State, rather less than 40 per cent, of the total farm land, is described as “pasture,” a term which it was found is used with rather more elasticity than we would accept in New Zealand; much of it would be better described as “rough grazing” or even “light scrub country,” and is often composed of a variety of rubbish of which pasture grasses are only a small proportion. Pasture is, in fact, commonly relegated to that part of the farm that is considered too poor for anything else, and while this attitude prevails it is not surprising that pasture management is generally of a low standard.

In a later article the work of TVA agriculturists will be discussed, which aims at encouraging an increased appreciation of the value of topdressed and well-managed pasture both -as a profitable source of farm income and as a valuable soil-conservation practice.

The Main Crops

At least until the efforts of TVA and other conservationists began to have effect, the main income of Tennessee farmers was derived from row cropseither cash crops such as cotton and tobacco, or cereals used partly to feed pigs and poultry on the farm and partly sold for cash.

Corn (maize) was easily the most popular crop and probably accounted for nearly half of the total crop area. The bulk of the corn is used for feeding on the farm to pigs and poultry with some made into silage for larger livestock, and-some, of course, used for human consumption.

Cotton has been the most important cash crop with tobacco also very prominentthe two together accounting for two -thirds of the crop income.

■ The remainder of the list of crops includes potatoes (sweet and ordinary), vegetables, wheat, and other cereals with a few minor items such as fruit, strawberries, peanuts, etc.

A fair proportion of the cropping area, probably about one-fifth, in any one year is devoted to hay crops which consist of various legumes—lespedeza, red and crimson clover, alsike, lucerne, etc. —with some timothy and oats.

Amazingly Diversified

It will be apparent that farming in this region is, by our standards, amazingly diversified, and a typical Tennesseean farmer will derive income from many sources. In a census of 1930 farms were grouped according to the major item of income and placed under a certain classification if 40 per cent, or more of the farm income was derived from the source described by the classification. According to classifications made on this basis about a quarter of farms were “cotton farms,” a quarter were “general,” and another quarter were “small general” farms. By “general” is meant farms whose source of income was so diversified that no particular item featured largely enough for them to be placed in a named group. The classification ‘'‘small general” is very significant, as it refers to “farms” whose production, while very diversified in nature, was consumed largely on the premisesup to two-thirds of the total production being consumed by the occupier and his family. Onjy about 8 per cent, of farms were described ,as depending on livestock production, apart from poultry, for more than 40 per cent, oi the total farm income. In other words, only about 8 per cent, of Tennesseean farms at that time even . slightly resembled typical New Zealand animal production farms. .

The high degree of diversification of production was distinctly noticeable and each farm appeared to have its few acres of, tobacco, a few acres of corn, a few acres of wheat, probably an acre or so of tomatoes, potatoes, etc. The reason given for this was that in the past prices have fluctuated widely from year to year and further that the majority 02 farmers had insufficient financial mar gin in cash or credit to be able tc risk the possibility of low price seasons coinciding with their con centrating on one or two crops. Theii only hope of carrying on was to spreac their risks over a variety of forms o production.

Small Farms Preponderate

As the above details indicate, mos farms are small and the State average is probably less than. 70 acres, with r

fair range about the average, from the relatively large livestock farms of over 200 acres down to Vegetable and poultry lots of a few acres.

It is considered that in some sections of the State farms are uneconomically small, with the result that in an effort to extract a living from the soil a very intensive cropping system had been followed, with consequent serious depletion and erosion. It is this trend that the TVA agriculturists, in cooperation with other services, have set out to correct. Fertility-building and soil-protective practices had to be substituted for the disastrously destructive methods commonly practised. In practice this meant the encouragement of rotations, that included a higher proportion of fertility-building crops, the extended , use of good pasture, and the adoption of cultural practices such as contour tillage.

"Test-Demonstration" Farms

The methods and practices advocated had to be profitable to the individual farmer and finally their value had to be demonstrable to the farmers in a practical way. The educational method adopted by the TVA workers centred largely around “test-demon-stration” farms. Under this arrangement a farmer, often nominated by other farmers in his locality, would enter into an agreement with the TVA. and other interested institutions, which bound him to follow what was, in effect, a plan of farming based upon conservation principles, while in return all the advice and assistance that TVA could provide was made available to him together with free fertiliser for trial purposes on a farm scale.

Invariably the success of these

test-demonstration farms had a widespread influence on farm practice in the immediate vicinity, as farmers could see for them-

selves the practical results being achieved by their neighbour under TVA direction. As a consequence, these farms have become the centres of test-demonstration communities where not only all aspects of farm management, but rural domestic and social amenities are discussed and considered to the advantage of the community as a whole.

"Final Crop" Built Up As a consequence, the health, prosperity, and morale of the people—“the final crop of any land” —have been built up. Individual farmers no longer feel they are helpless to correct the steady deterioration of their lands but feel they have not only stability, but an expanding future.

Butter, cream, cheese, and eggs are appearing on farm tables that in the past saw too much of corn mush and salt pork. Washing machines, refrigerators, and a variety of electrical gadgets are being bought and operated cheaply on the cheap and abundant power generated from TVA dams. With confidence in their future, communities are co-operating in building social halls, new school houses, and churches. And so TVA reaps the “final crop of the land.” Their land and farm management improvement programme is of particular interest from a technical point of view, as their achievements and intentions, particularly in respect to phosphate use, so closely resemble our own experience in New Zealanda point of which they are, incidentally, aware and which makes New Zealand of particular interest to them. On the other hand, although one’s attention tends to focus on the technical agricultural aspect, this is only a part of the story, and to appreciate that part in full one must also be able to see its relation to the whole and appreciate the basic TVA philosophy which makes soil conservation not only a technical problem, but also a real contribution to community welfare.

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