Agriculture: The Backbone of Progress during 100 Year History – Part II
By E.A. Spacek, County Agent, Wood County
(Ed. Note: It is believed that Ed Spacek wrote this article around 1947 or 1948. He served as Wood County Extension Agent until about 1970 after 20 years in that position. He passed away in January, 2001. Mr. Spacek’s daughter is the well-known actress and film star, Sissie Spacek, who grew up in Quitman.)
Ribbon cane, the crop that put this area on the map, was just in an introductory stage around 1874. Before that period, the syrup used locally was the old-time sorghum.
S.L. Shamburger of Pine Mills was one of the earliest growers of the new type ribbon cane syrup and O.F. Moody, who lived in the same community, was one of the outstanding syrup makers in the county.
Seventy-five years ago nearly every farm home grew its own fruit. There were no improved varieties and no budded or grafted fruit trees. All were of the seedling type. One big advantage of the early settlers was worm-free fruit and it wasn’t necessary to spray as is the custom today.
The Indian peach, as you might expect, was about the most popular peach grown at that time. Around 1900 to 1904, Wood County suddenly found itself to be an important peach growing area. Nearly a thousand acres of fruit trees were set out by a far-sighted gentleman named Ogburn. This huge peach orchard was planted in the extreme eastern part of the county. Shortly thereafter, an entirely new townsite was laid out in that vicinity and named Peach. The new town boasted a railroad link that allowed it to ship the fruit to market in carload lots.
Also, the new community had a canning plant that was large enough to take care of a goodly portion of the peach crop. The same individuals who operated the cannery at Peach owned another canning plant at Winnsboro. The venture was highly successful for a few years, but gradually, as insect and fruit pests came in increasing numbers, the fruit trees began to fail and eventually, the entire project was doomed. In the early 1920s, even the railroad was abandoned and the rails were taken up.
Cotton, for many years the crop which dominated the agricultural economy of Wood County, had many ups and downs. Today, it is no longer “King Cotton” but just another crop that fits into a well-balanced and diversified farm program.
As far back as 1870, a lot of cotton was grown in this county. At the time, there were several gins in the area. Some were water-powered while others were powered by workstock. There was the Warlick gin east of Quitman and several others, including the old grist and flour mill and gin, owned and operated by Col. Stinson, the father-in-law of Governor Hogg.
Early records show that in 1899, nearly 16,000 bales of cotton were harvested. In 1904, production went up to 28,000 bales. But the next year, the boll weevils literally ate the crop and the farmers were left with just 7,200 bales. Such crop failures brought many hardships, since farmers depended almost entirely on cotton for their yearly dividends.
Despite a few more setbacks, cotton production continued on a gradual increase. More than 29,000 bales were gathered in 1911. In 1912, 31,000 were harvested. The peak was reached in 1925 with a crop of 38,524 bales recorded.
After that it was never the same. Price troubles, insect pests and acreage controls, coupled with a new interest in other cash crops caused the staple to decline in favor. In 1935, farmers raised 15,400 bales. In 1942, just 8,700 were gathered and 1945 saw a new low with only 455 bales harvested. In 1913, 41 gins were operating in Wood County. By 1947, there were only six.
Other crops that have meant much to local farmers in building a solid farm economy included sweet potatoes and peas. Yams were produced at the rate of around 26,000 bushels in 1900. Good returns from this crop caused it to grow in popularity until, in 1945, more than 170,000 bushels were grown. Since that time, with the coming of good local markets in Mineola and Winnsboro, sweet potato interest has continued to grow.
Dairying and beef cattle production in recent years have made wide inroads into the farm picture of the county. Farmers have built and improved pastures and meadows and have proven that East Texas generally has a fine opportunity as a cattle region.
Much of the increase in the per-acre production of the various crops, including melons and corn, has been the result of wise land use and fertilizers. Even as far back as 1875 many farmers used barnlot fertilizer along with cottonseed that could be obtained free from the big accumulated piles at the gins.
Tom Parks, who lives a short distance north of Mineola, was one of the earliest farmers to turn to the terrace as an aid in holding soil fertility. Parks read and studied all he could about how they should be constructed, then set to work with a home-made affair that employed a spirit level.
He laid off the terrace lines and built the terraces more than 40 years ago. Today, many of the original terraces are still being used satisfactorily on his farm.
Lonnie Cade, a Yantis farmer, is still using a system of terracing that was laid out in 1913 by John R. Edmonds, the first resident county agent of Wood County.
Sam Binford recently pointed to a field that he said had been in continuous cultivation for nearly 30 years and making more per-acre of corn than it ever made. Just how far production has been raised, through good agricultural practices may be cited by the 142 bushels of corn raised last year on one acre by H.L. Bridges of Forest Hill.
Many improvements have come to the farms and homes through the years. Most of them have been changes that brought more efficiency, convenience and labor-saving methods.
Electricity has been a big factor in this improvement. Farm homes equipped with electricity as recently as 1930 numbered just 84. According to V.B. Shaw, manager of the Wood County Electric Coop, the firm that has brought this service to the rural areas, more than 90 percent of farm homes now have electricity.
In 1925, only 40 radios could be found in the 4,188 farm homes in the county. These operated from dry cell or storage batteries. Today, where you find electricity, you find radios. Also in 1925, there were only six tractors on the 4,188 farms. Today, many of the farms have been combined and only around 2,500 separate units exist, but tractors have become very common on most farms.
Today, Wood County can be proud of its improved pastures, its fine dairy and beef cattle, its broiler industry, its truck and melon markets and its excellent system of farm-to-market roads.
But, above all, Wood County should be most proud of the pioneers who established the county and who had vision and faith in its future.
