When his father died, Fred Latham came home from Bethel Academy at age 17, to take over the responsibility of his mother, a younger sister and a brother. Four years later, he married Eva Johnson. At the time of his marriage, his personal and real property was valued on the tax books at $700.00. The years between 1890 and 1905 were hard and he struggled to keep the small farm and expanding family together. There was no job too small, and he tried whatever was available. He hauled mill timber, took sportsmen into his home during the winter months, trained and boarded hunting dogs, and there were many additional odd jobs.

In his own words: "When I tell you that the grocery bill for the entire family was less than $100.00 per year, you will understand that we took a post-graduate course in money stretching. We were producing on the farm all the substantials that went on our table, which has always carried home-grown ham and eggs, dairy products, vegetables and fruits."

With cotton selling for four to six cents per pound, and other farm products likewise low, it looked like the star of southern agriculture had gone down forever. However, he was determined not to abandon the soil of the old farm where he was born, and kept plugging along.

In the fall of 1902, Mr. Latham began the most absorbing, and eventually, the most rewarding project of his career. This was the development, through rigid field selection, of a corn variety which would produce uniformly two good-sized ears to each stalk - where the fertility of the soil would permit. The perfection of this open-pollinated corn strain took many years, but became marketable around 1920 with the brand names of "Latham's Double" and "Latham's Yellow Cross", and it's popularity continued until the advent of hybrid corn in the early 1950's.

What showed a promise of a bountiful harvest in June of 1906 became one of the most serious crop failures known after the area was inundated with torrential rains. The 1907 season brought similar disaster to many sections of the county. It became evident to Mr. Latham that the great potential of this part of North Carolina wound never be realized without drainage. Located between two sounds, the Albemarle on the north and the Pamlico on the south, there is a rimming of higher ground that is generally in the center. This has caused a one time great basin to fill with humus and drift from a higher county, with hand shovels the only drainage tool. In 1908 he was a candidate for, and was elected to, the North Carolina Senate. His main purpose was to have a "drainage bill" passed. Along with his counterpart from New Bern, a drainage bill was enacted that was the beginning of the reclamation on the "bread box" of North Carolina - the east. By 1924 there had been approximately 100 drainage districts formed in the state, comprising some 600,000 acres of land, adding in material wealth some fifty million dollars to the state's wealth.

Cotton was the major crop grown in the early 1900's, and many farmers depended on this for their annual income. After reading of the havoc caused by the boll weevil in Mexico, Mr. Latham began steadily decreasing his cotton acreage, replacing cotton with peanuts. By 1925 he was completely out of the cotton business. A new legume, the soybean, began to attract attention around 1905. After researching this new product, he began using the soybean for cover crop for corn, which led to another opportunity - hogs. This sideline continued to be a part of the farm operation, along with a herd of beef cattle which he added later.

Mr. Latham worked as a consultant to the New Holland Corporation of New York. At the time, they owned Mattamuskeet Lake and were farming its reclaimed soil bed. In 1931 they named Fred Latham as superintendent of their farming operations. He held this responsibility until the corporation discontinued operation in the fall of 1932 when a decision was made to sell the property. He then took over the responsibility of closing out this immense project of keeping the lake drained and the lake returned to its normal water level.

Fred Latham was a consistent supporter of education in any form - from building a one room school house near his home (and boarding the teacher), to working for tax increases for school funding. Although he had limited formal training, he was a voracious reader, a prolific writer, and a popular speaker throughout eastern North Carolina. Whether he was addressing farm, civic, or business groups, his message was the same: Take pride in your home and in your family; keep your buildings in good repair, plant a garden and flowers around the house, keep plenty of livestock to furnish meat, eggs and dairy products.

Any man who takes these items to heart, and works hard, will survive.

There is unmistakable evidence on every hand that the general methods of preparation for, and subsequent cultivation of, the stated crops are undergoing an evolution, and too, with gratifying results.

Ten years ago this state was struggling along with a little mule and plow to match, maintaining  twenty-second place in point of production. About that time the change to heavier team, bigger plows, and wider harrows began to be noticeable from this train as one passed through the state, resulting in great improvement in the preparation of plant beds.

The increased crop production instilled confidence in our farm folks and they hooked the old state in "high gear" and with a scream of confidence, shouted to those ahead that it was to be a real race for first place from then on. 1919 left only three states yet to beat and we are going stronger.

This result was brought about not by a single factor, but by that trinity of forces; a more comprehensive understanding of plant life and its requirements, a steadily diminishing supply of man-power, and a reasonable assurance of fair compensation for effort.

The first of these forces taught us that the fundamental foundation for maximum production was the thorough preparation of a well pulverized seed bed. This accomplishes a two-fold purpose, that of aerating the soil, thereby encouraging bacterial activity, and regulating soil moisture where the tiny rootlets can penetrate and absorb food for plant building.

The second force entering this equation would lead to disaster were it not for the stimulating effect of the latter, which awakens thought, the latent power of man. This points the way for the human unit to direct a multiple of power units, thereby substituting brains for brawn, and turning two or more furrows where one was turned before, and turning them deeper and better.

The third force is the underlying incentive to human activity in all lines, and has made the field attractive to men of vision who are capable of analyzing results and simplifying the whys and wherefores of natures action in the production of a plant life, enabling the busy layman to grasp a fact for a reason, and not guess for speculation.

A brief summary of methods employed on Circle Grove Farm may suggest some thought to others which could be coupled with some operation of their own advantageously.

The writer has found little difference in the essential requirements of proper preparation of the soil for either cotton or corn, both require the same thorough job to make a full success possible.

If there is to be vegetable matter or a crusty soil to be reckoned with, my preference is four good mules and a sharp disk-harrow to precede the breaking, which is done with two or more team to each implement and about as deep as I have power to go comfortably, usually eight to ten inches deep. This is followed, while the soil is yet moist from breaking, with a four section spike tooth harrow and four mules, covering twenty acres in half day, or going twice over ten in same time. When this has been thoroughly done, the land is ready for spacing, which is accomplished by putting shovels on riding cultivator beams the distance apart that rows are desired, bracing them with a cross bar, laying off two rows at a go.

Then follows the fertilizer drill. For this purpose I use an eight foot lime drill with all holes closed except those over the rows (usually two on each side) which enables the operator to distribute two rows at a time, and works well if goods are dry, and in good mechanical condition, but gives trouble, as all others, if wet and gummy.

Next operation is bedding (slightly) with a reversed disk cultivator extending from alley to alley, covering fertilizer and completing a row each go. This operation should be completed several days before planting if possible, allowing the seed bed to settle and to germinate as many of the grass and weed seed near the immediate surface as possible, which are easily and thoroughly destroyed by the two or four section smoothing harrow just ahead of planter, at the same time putting the final touch on an ideal seed bed.

As soon as plants are up I run a set of weeder gangs attached to a riding cultivator over crop. This works admirably, the entire surface from the plants to the center of alley making an exceedingly fine mulch and destroying practically all fine grass. After the next rain, or within a week the eight foot, one horse weeder is run crosswise and at right angles to former work, both can safely be repeated with corn, but is seldom advisable to cross cotton twice on well prepared land.

By this time the plants should be of suitable size to admit the use of the wide shallow cultivating shovels attached to the same riding cultivator. These can be relied upon to keep the top soil fine and free from grass by going one trip to the row once a week or ten days, during the growing season.

With corn at the last working I seed one and one quarter bushels of soy beans to acre as cover crop and for supply of hog feed after corn is gathered.

With cotton it is my custom to seed crimson or burr clover, oats or rye, depending on the density of growth. This is utilized for either early spring grazing or as a follow crop for corn to be planted late in May or early June.