SEGMENT: ENVIRONMENT, FARM ORGANIZATIONS, & FARMING METHODS

Bert Aikman>UIS Collection A's>UIS Collection, Segment 10

SEGMENT: ENVIRONMENT, FARM ORGANIZATIONS, & FARMING METHODS,

duration 13:20
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ENVIRONMENT
Describes tornado that passed through during harvest. Tore through wheat bundles, trees, etc. Mentions number of large trees blown away & pulling limbs out of pasture. One limb shot through house window. No real crop damage due to rainfall. Retells story of cinch bug destroying wheat & corn crop. "Never shucked an ear of corn that year."
FARM ORGANIZATIONS
Tell story of culling Bert's hens again. Story about calling Farm Bureau agent about what to do with some rough ground & how agent handled situation. Agent gave examples of solutions, but did not tell Bert what to do.
FARMING METHODS
Tells of some fields being hard to work because clods would not break up without a roller.
FARM ORGANIZATIONS
Bert was one of first Farm Bureau members in the county. Story of "Wallace Farmer" Magazine & how it convinced Bert to become member of Farm Bureau. Bert was Farm Bureau member for his entire career (except 1 yr he sold out (quit farming) & traveled around). Regular meetings to elect officers. Women had their own organization. "It was very educational!" Sam Sorrels heart & soul of Farm Bureau. Called "Mr. Farm Bureau". Sam Sorrels "converted" many farmers to Farm Bureau because he was "an honest Christian man."
FARMING METHODS
Sorrels had 220 acre farm. Showed Bert his sweet clover, first grown in the area because ground was sour. Mr. Sorrel plowed clover under for "green manure." To enhance sale of seed, Mr. Sorrels built (from an old binder) a seed-gathering machine that stripped seed. Mr. Sorrel made his own threshing machine. Mr. Sorrel brought sweet clover to area. Sweet clover "inoculated" land (increases nitrogen) so alfalfa could be grown. Bert thinks new methods took about 5 yrs before farmers would accept them. "Farmers were a very cautious people."