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The Farmer |
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Evaluations of Accomplishments |
THE STORY OF THE QUILT SQUARE, THE FARMER, BY THE
RAINBOW EXTENSION HOMEMAKERS CLUB FOR HARNETT COUNTY HISTORICAL QUILT,
1989 The Farmer The
appearance of much of the land in Western Harnett today is not what the
Scotch Settlers saw when they arrived in the early 1700's. Vast wooded
areas of long leaf pine and small streams suitable only for hunting,
fishing and cattle raising greeted their eyes. This setting amid the
rolling hills reminded them of their native homeland, the Highlands of
Scotland. Amid
these surroundings for many a year, they eked out an existence by
raising cattle, hunting, fishing and learning, later, the art of making
turpentine and pitch from the tall long leaf pines for sale to the Naval
Stores to aid their economy. Tobacco was not introduced until long after
the War Between the States. Cotton grew well in other parts of North
Carolina, but was not grown here, or after the war, or even today. Meanwhile
the soil was tilled to grow food crops for personal use, corn and silage
for cattle, and in so doing the settlers soon learned the fertile sandy
and well drained soil would grow most anything from vegetable, crops to
fruit trees, berries and grapes on a large scale. They knew they could
depend on enough rainfall, a long growing season, and a mean
temperature, one not too hot and one not too cold. (Today the Extension
Service reports the average mean temperature is 60.5 degrees; the
growing season has 210 days; and the average rainfall is 47.43 inches a
year.) In
this setting, over 130 years after Harnett County was formed in 1855,
the Rainbow Extension Homemakers Club, under the direction of Harnett
Extension Service, grew into an active organization. In choosing their
quilt subject for the 1989 Harnett County Historical Quilt, they not
only wanted their two historical land markers represented, Spout Springs
Presbyterian Church, and A. M. E. Zion Church, but their third square to
tell the story of what good farming over the years had done for their
livelihood, how soil improvement had increased the economic
opportunities for better living. Thus, the Quilt Square, The Farmer,
was chosen. In the lower right hand corner a farmer is shown with his
back to the viewer looking out over a field of recently plowed furrows,
ready for crop planting. In the distance a small wooded area is seen
bordering his field either depicting winter or early spring. The sun in
the background is either beginning to set or rise on the horizon just
above the distant tree tops. With one arm on his hip, his hat on the
back of his head, the farmer maybe planning his next crop or just
resting from a long day of plowing, perhaps not realizing! his skills
and those of other farmers have helped to make Harnett a top Agriculture
County. Harnett
today has a varied topography, plant and wildlife population. This is
because the county lies near the center of the state where the Piedmont,
Sandhills, and Coastal Plain Regions come together. The
farmer today realizes this well drained soil has potentials for both
agriculture and industrial expansion, that tributaries from the Cape
Fear River, that divide the county in half, provide large and almost
untouched water supply. He also knows that a mixture of agriculture and
industry has provided the county with a stable and strong economy. He
gives thanks especially to the coming of Bright Leaf Tobacco in recent
years for making it the county's main money crop. But
in 1989, as the farmer in Western Harnett looks out over the horizon, he
sees many changes that have come about in recent years: the greatest,
different land usage, such as trailer housing, new homes for retirees,
ex-service people and working people in nearby towns; big reforestation
projects to replace the long leaf pine with the loblolly pine for
pulpwood and timber; and lastly, numerous improvements in environmental
protection that have been initiated and guided by the Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service and its school affiliate, North Carolina
State University. With
this fine guidance, the farmer may see a still brighter future, but one
full of great challenges. Written by: Evelyn
Byrd, Summerville Club For: Rainbow: Extension Homemakers Club Source:
Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Quilt Square: Row
2 Number 12 Embroidery and
Applique by: Cleo Hardwick For: Rainbow Extension Homemakers Club |
