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Host Os Awards Won Since 1937
Perry High FFA Tops
In Student Agriculture
The Future Farmers of
America is the national
organization for students of
vocational agriculture The
Perry Chapter of the FFA was
organized in March 1937, with
Cohen Walker advisor,
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Former Perry High FFA Advisor . . .
. . . Karl Cheek Now Retired
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|l’» '/ The Perry Chamber Os Commerce
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Remus Williams - president,
Harris Chapman vice
president, J. D. Stembridge -
secretary, and G. W. Hicks -
treasurer.
John Etheridge was advisor
lor three years succeeding
Walker. The advisor’s
responsibility is to leach boys
the aims and objectives of
FFA.
Etheridge was lollowed by
Dewey Whiddon as advisor for
seven years. Whiddon said
that during his years as ad
visor, the Perry FFA's chief
interest was in raising of
swine, although there was also
keen interest in shop work
Earl H, Cheek succeeded
Whiddon as advisor in 1955.
Under his leadership, the
organization’s membership
increased from under 40 to
over 100 in 1971. The Perry
Vocational Agriculture
department now operates two
greenhouses, an jFFA farm,
and a 20-acre forestry plot.
Cheek was selected as
Georgia Vocational Teacher
of the Year in 1968. Under his
leadership, the Perry High
FFA has risen to be con
sidered one of the top chapters
in the nation. From 1955
through 1971. the PHS chapter
won a National Gold Emblem
nine times and a silver em
blem once.
Current FFA advisor at
Perry High is Roy Peterson.
Peterson announced recently
that this fall Perry High will
offer two horticulture courses.
The courses are concerned
with basic greenhouse
management and with bed
ding plant production.
The new courses being of
fered are Basic Electricity
and Natural Resources. The
Natural Resources class will
learn to identify trees, to
estimate standing pulpwood,
logscaling, land use and other
useful information related to
conserving and using natural
focniirpps
PEANUTS One Os County’s Many Crops
Versatility Marks Acreage
Houston County - The
Best Farming In Ga.
By Emmett V. Whelchel, Jr.
Houston County Agent
Houston County is located a
few miles south of the
geographic center of the state
of Georgia. The topography
varies from large level areas
to steep rolling hills. It has a
fertile soil and a mild climate
which makes it possible to
grow a wide range of
agricultural crops. Rainfall
averages 48 inches per year.
Houston County yearly
average temperature is 65.5
degrees. This ranges from a
low of 45 degrees in February
to a high of 90 degrees in July.
The growing season averages
240 days without frost.
The total land area in"
Houston County is ap
proximately 242,560 acres.
This makes the county 6th in
size in the state. The total
farm acreage is 130,844 acres.
On this acreage is 300 com
mercial farms averaging 450
acres in size. In 1959, the
average was 309 acres.
The population of Houston
County is approximately
72,000 people. Os this, Warner
Robins is the largest con
centration of people with
about 40,000 residents. Perry,
the county seat, has a
population of about 8,800.
There is one small in
corporated town in the county,
Centerville, with a population
of about 2,000.
The 300 farms in Houston
County require an average
investment of $195,000 per
farm. The largest acreage
utilization is for soybeans with
approximately 35,000 acres
being used for this crop.
Peanut acreage is ap
proximately 6,000 acres.
Planting of cotton consumes
3,100 acres and corn about
11,000 acres. There are about
.38,000 pecan trees.
The gross agricultural in
come for the county was about
sl2 million dollars last year.
About two million of this was
derived from beef cattle
businesses. There are ten
dairies producing an annual
income of about $750,000.
Truck crop farming is
located mainly in the southern
area of Houston County due to
the proximity to the frozen
food processing plant at
Montezuma. These farms are
usually managed by an in
dividual with a large supply of
family labor.
In addition to the above,
Houston County has a number
of swine producers and
poultrymen. Also, at the
present time, there are many
pleasure horse owners in the
county, with a total of
than 2,500 horses.