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MTH CEOLINA 72ITERS1 PROJECT
LIFE HISTORY
TITLE* JOHN B. CULBERTSON
Date of First rriting January 27, 1939
Name of Person Interviewed John B. Oulberton(lenito farrer and
landowner)
Fictitious Name Nome
Address Campobello, Route 2
Occupation Farmer
Name of 7riters R. V. Willis
Name of avviser State Office
John B. ClAtorteen
The immaculate white bungalow of the Culbertean family is situated
about thre.;, miler northwest of Campobello an a country road, and represents
the successful efforts of a ran who, like nany other farmers in the northern
section of Spartanburg County, has realised the value of diversification of
crops. He is John B. Culbertson, who was born September 27, 1890, on the same
farm which he now owns. "Count" is his niokname.
"I hod a rather tough boyhood," Lr. Culbertson said. "II nether died
when I was three years old. I don't remember here At :bat time, Dad's
sister, Aunt Emma Culbertson, livid with us. me lived in an old twe.story
frare house which is now a part of ry barn. Aunt 4mma tock oare of me after
my mother's death, and she is responsible fcr my nickname. 7;ben I was born,
she told everybody that I was the prettiest baby in the county, and, up until
the tile of her death, she often remarked that I was the prettiest baby that
she hod ever seen. Iar1y during my boyhood, my friends began to call ne
'County.' The nickname eventually chanod to 'Count,' and I doubt seriously
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if there is a half dosen neighbors of mine who know my real name. They
all call re Count.
Ny father was what you might call an ordinary farmer. He had been
born on a farm, and used the same methods in farming that his father had
taught him. He bought thirty acres of this tract b'fore I was born. And
one of ry earliest recollections is that of my father telling my aunt that
he didn't see how ho was going to be able to meet the interest an the mortgage.
"I don't remember what we got for farm products during my boyhood, but
I do know that it wasn't so much. I started to school when I was seven
yearn old, but as I grew older, there were many times that Dad kept me at
home to help out because he was unable to pay for help. As a result of
staying out of sdhool so much, I didn't reach the sixth grade until I was
sixteen years old. I kept on goimg to school until I was eighteen. Then
I had to quit because Dad was getting too old to do the work.
"I took almost complete charge of the farm in 1909. Dad VOA too
feeble to do any of the heavy work. e had two mules, a cow, and a couple
of hogs then. It took no from daylight to dark to get my work done. Cotton
was the money crop, and it began to go up. But we dicalt use the modern
methods of producing cotton then. I did very little terracing an the hill-
sides than, and fertiliser was almost unknown. I was lucky to get a bale
for every two acres. I made a little off of corn, but most the crop vent
to keep up the stock. I had to hire help to plant, hoe, and harvest my crop.
The first year that I had complete charge of the farm, I ended up with
seventrifive dollars in cash after I had paid the taxes, a small amount
on the principal of the mortgage, and the other expenses.
"Put despite the fact that the farm required most of my time, I did
find tiro to do sore courting. On Christmas Day, 1909, I married Lary
Rmammme. I'd known her almost all of my life. This Christmas will make
thirty years for us, and whatever I may be today, I owe any success that
I have had to Nary. She's the greatest will any man ever had.
"Lary took over the household as soon as we more married. Dad and
Aunt Emma were crazy about here, and she handled them like babies. Besides
looking after the house, she took charge of the garden, and, with what help
I could -lye hin4 we began to produce more things thane* could use. Her
father gave her two young heifers when we were married, and they were soon
giving milk. And she set. and looked after the chickens. On Saturdays
we would drive to Landrum or Tryon and sell our produce. It's about twenty
riles from the farm to Spextanburg and we rarely ever went there in those
days, for the roads were pretty bad. 7. bought supplies at Landrum or at
Tryon. And sometimes we wuuld send things in by neighbors to sell for us.
That extra money helped out lots.
"Dad died in 1911 after a short illness. Being the only child,
naturally I inherited the farm. and, I right say, also the mortgage.
Dad VMS sixtysmine when he died, and less then two months after his death,
Aunt Emma died. Dad left me a thousand dollars in insurance, but Aunt
had none. The oust of the burials made a big hole in the insurance money.
411000to John, Junior, was born in July, a month after Aunt Emma had
died. Bemis. of Nery's condition, our doctor advised um to have the baby
born in a hospital. That bill was no small amount. And I had to hire a
woman to stay at the house until Lary got well. The year 1911 took snow
Dad and Aunt ,Emma and gave we a farm and a mortgage.
"The next few years saw us gradually getting out of the hole. I learned
better methods of farming. I subscribed to several farm INWASiMAPO and studied
them at night. The Clemson College Extension Service sent we bulletins, and
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scanty agents began to come along .ith a lot of helpful advice. The family
grow, too. Thomas vas born in 19121 Lary in 1913, and Elisabeth in 1914.
By 1913, I had out down the mortgage from $2,000 in 1911 to $1,100. I
wasn't asking a fortune, but we were getting along, and managing to novo
a little.
"Contrary to you mi,ht think, the war, and the boom days that
followed it didn't help ne out so much. I got lots more for my crops,
but they were rather poor during those roars. And it was almost impossible
to biro help. That help you could get cost so nuoh that it vas almost
prohibitive to env.,loy anyone.
almost wont broke in 1920 and '21. The boll weevil. didn't
know haw to fight it than, anll it was heart -breaking to sec, a good crop
go down. Sox e of my neighbors just gave up and moved away. You could
get farm land for almost nothing. It VOA impossible for me to meet my
notes, but the bank was kind enough to let no get by with just the interest,
And I had to scrape to do that.
"County Agent Carnes had been preaching diversification of crops to
me, but my ears were filled with cotton. About 1922, he urged me to plant
a few acres of peaches for commercial purposes. I couldn't see it.
a murber of other farmors, he took us over to Gramling to look at the email
orchard Ben Gremlin, had planted. Ir. 4110maing hadn't been so optiriEtio
about the poach idea either, but he and a few of his neighbors had planted
small orchards a year or two before. They had changed their ninds when we
maths ota tour. The trees were growing rapidly, and sturdy and strong. All
of us except a few old dieohards were impressed.
"At home, I talked the situation over with Nary. It seems funny now,
but it was a serious problem thou. It meant giving up *ores of land that
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I had been using for cotton, my money crop, for five or six year*, with
no return from the land and a lot of expense in tiking oars of the trees.
We discussed it for days, and I talked it over with other farmers in my
section. Finally. I decided to make the plunge. In the fall of 1923, I
planted ten acres in peach trees. Then, I worried myself almost to death
for a year, wondering if I hadn't made a mistake. But I was determined to
go through with it. Lots of neighbors were doing the same thing as I mes,
and we were all going to sink or swim together. Some. of our friends who
didn't plant trees gave us plenty of kidding. They would say that we were
tying up "money" land for five years for nothing; that we didn't know
whether or not peaches for commercial purposes could be grown in this
county; and we had no market for our product, and that the Georgia market
was so large that we mould never be able to sell our peaches at a profit
even if our trees did produce marketable peaches. And about all we could
say to them was 'just wait and see.'
"I vas forced to go further in debt the next year when I planted
about ten more acres in peaches. I read everything I could get about
peaches. 1e had books from the County Agent's offioe, and from other
agricultural departments. Then, several of us made trips to Georgia to
study the methods they used. In the daytime, I lived peanhes, and at
night I dreamed peaches. Z.ometimes, I felt that I had made a great mistake.
The kids were groping up, and expenses were higher.
"Whim Ben Growling and his friends shipped their first peaehes-•t
think it vas in 1925-•I sure did feel relieved. I think they got two
dollars a bushel that year. And their orchards demonstrated the fact
that peaches grown here come in Just after the Georgia season is over and
just before the Eastern North Carolina season opens. I immediately went
further in debt by planting more trees.
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"Wy first big orop cane in 1929. It yea a good year and we got an
average of two dollars and a half a bushel. since that time, I've been
a Aoach man, but it's not so easy as it sounds. Mare has been good years
and bad years since that time, and the cost of production goes an regard
lass of what happens to your crop.
"Tha growing of mochas for oommercial purposes is a garble. In
the filet place, commercial peach orchards require yeari.around attention,
and that is no small item. Then a frost night get you when the tress are
in bloom, and that means no peaches. Or it night rain and from the water
in the buds, and that means no peaches. And some insect that ve never heard
of before oames along about every other yearkm-it seems to noss—that es have to
fight to Save our crop. Then 11141, may have an early crop that pill come in just
when the Georgia crop is in season, which means a low price. Or a late crop
that conflicts with the North Carolina market. Or a hail storm that leaves
bruised spots and makes the peach unfit for shipping bemuse the spots turn
into rot before the roach is ready to be shipped. To sea it all up, this
business of growing peaches is one big headache. But I love it."
lir. *portion built his bungalow in 1936. Hi moved the former house
into the back, enlarged it, and converted it into a barn. A white gravel
path leads from the road up to the cottage, which is furnished with all modern
convenienoors.
and Liss. Culbortsan are fond of their children. Jahn, JUnior,
finished r;Offord College in 1933; took a °our** in law at the University of
North Carolina, and is now practicing at Lenoir, N. C. Thomas finished
Clemson College in 1936, and is now assisting his father in managing the
farm. 1Sry married Ur. John Staton, and they, with their baby girl, reside
with the Culbertsons, Mr. Staten taking part in caring for the farm.
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Elisabcth, unmarried, also lives with the family.
"I have about sixty acres in the home tract," Fr. Culbertson said,
"and I awn half.interest in a twenty.acre tract near Landrum. I'm still
in debt, but there's nothing pushing me. About half of this tract is in
peaches. -e grow some cotton' —.about tan aores...and some corn, irith and
sweet potatoes, and, I guess, about anything else that will grow in this
county. e have two mules, a tractor, and the usual farm equipment. John,
Junior, me rvul my daughter's husband have oars.
"I have just about turned every -thin over to the boys, but there is
always plenty for me to do. As far as that is concerned, you just have
to keep busy when you are ,rowin44. peaches.
"I spend most of my spare time readini,-. I have always regretted
the fact that I was unable to 6o to college, but I have read lots.
especially durini., the past few years.
"That's about all I can say, except I'm hopint; for my bigLest peach
crop next year. I have about ten acres that are coming in for the first
time."