HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday. Dcmbei 29. 1966
Africa Calling
A REPORT FROM THE NEAR EAST
By NELS ANDERSON
(Written December 11, 1966)
Best Wishes tor a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New
Year come from the Anderson
family in Africa!
It is that time of year al
ready and while it doesn't seem
"Christmasy" here, the calendar
savs it is. It also reminds us
that it has been a long time
since we have written "Africa
Calling" column, and if you
will bear with me, I'll relate
some of the happenings since
I wrote last.
I might say this inspiration
came from our first Christmas
cards from home that have been
arriving: lately the first one
from the Frank Hamlins with
a nice newsy letter from Hazel
that we thoroughly enjoyed.
After a short month of vaca
tion in July and August, visit
ing eleven European countries,
which we enjoyed much, we
returned to the regular "grind"
again. My six method -result
demonstrations were harvested
and exceeded my fondest wish
es. I worked hard on them, vis
iting the six 90 times in seed
ing, cultivating, fertilizing and
applying insecticides before har
vest." These were all planted in
straight rows, unheard of in this
country, to be able to cultivate
them "with animal-drawn culti-
ators.
Yields Orer Twice Average
Bv proper spacing, cultivation
by donkey and horse single
sweep cultivators, fertilizing
and applying insecticides, my
yields were from two to 2'
times the normal yields. While
average yields of check plots
were 1000 to 1200 pounds per
acre, mine ranged from a high
of 3140 to a low of 2360 pounds
per acre. My cooperators, who
had no experience with any of
the several practices (modern! I
I used, were quite impressed
with the yield. While they don't
know what an acre or an hec
tare is, they still know what
the yield has been on each field
over the years.
Now all I have to do is sit
back and wait to see how many
follow these methods next year!
One thing I can say I had a
lot better turnout at my dem
onstrations here than I ever had
in Morrow county. It was not
uncommon to have 125 men,
women and boys (naked) out
to the field each time I came.
I think I can compare it to the
old thought I always expressed,
though, that people come out
when a new agent comes to the
county to see what he looks like
and how he acts. I was the first
white man a lot of these peo
ple had ever seen. Anyway, ev
en though it was real discour
aging at times I felt real good
at harvest time when the chiefs
of each of the villages I work
ed in came with gifts ranging
from a big sheep buck down
to chickens, guinea and eggs.
Work Changes ...
My work changed abruptly
quite soon after returning from
Europe when I was put in
charge of a young farmers'
training center which was sched
uled to be built about 25 kil
ometers out of Niamey in the
Niger River Valley. This proj
ect, the second to be built in
this country through the coop
erative efforts of the Niger gov
ernment and USAID, Is aimed
at enrolling young unmarried
farmers in a practical farming
experience at the center. These
young farmers come from their
farms, staying at the center for
one crop season learning to use
animals and animal-d r a w n
equipment, and otherwise fol
lowing improved farming prac
tices suitable to their farms. At
their "graduation" they are giv
en credit to purchase a team of
oxen, a tool bar with plow,
sweeps and lister type attach
ments, yoke and cart which
they will use on their ' farms,
paying for it in five yearly installments.
The first of these training
centers has been in operation
for almost four years and is
auite successful. It is located
across country from Niamey and
has the Hausa farm boys en
rolled, real farmers compared to
the Djerma which are the tribe
of Western Niger.
200 Acres in Center
The training center consists
of 200 acres of dryland and ir
rigated cropland, about evenly
divided. The land was condemn
ed by the government and put
together from small private
fields. Since taking over, I have
had an average of 45 laborers
at work building fences, dormi
tories for the young farmers,
kitchen, housing for. the staff,
and the digging of a well for
a water suddIy. We have pour
ed over 1500 reinforced concrete
fence Dosts, 50,000 concrete
blocks for eight 30x15 foot dor
mitories, a kitchen-storeroom, a
two apartment county agent's
home, a house for six Peace
Corps volunteers, put up almost
five miles of boundary ana
cross fences (woven with two
barb wires), etc. and etc.
Luckily our 200 acres 'are on
the headgate of the mam irri
gation canal so we have first
use of the water and are free
of drainage water problems
from the neighbors. The largest
field is five acres so we have
a lot of "piddling" to do and
as soon as possible will rear
ranee the whole system to make
it more efficient. We have dug
main canals, cleaned and de
velopod leader and laterals,
poured concrete headgates and
are now In the process of plow
ing, leveling and getting our
first crops in. This is a long,
slow process by oxen.
Must Haul Water
We are training oxen and now
have six pairs that arc "broke"
to pull the plows' sweeps, har
rows and the float 1 built for
land leveling. We have to haul
all our water about 1 mile by
oxen cart and two 55 gallon
barrels.
Originally a well was start
ed at "headquarters" but after
CO feet of digging and concret
ing up through mostly solid
rock, it was abandoned. Since
August, we have drilled 16 four
inch holes and finally f.mnd a
ouree of supply about 2tX feet
from the buildings. We diil'et'
four holes and are pumping
from all four holes icach 18
foot deep with a windmill In
the center. We have to ptirao
it up a 56-foot elevation so will
install a second windmill to
tko it by steps.
We hope soon to have water
into the buildings for the stu
dents and the three houses we
are building for housing the
American director, and two Ni
gerian counterparts. Our house
will be done in a couple more
months and we can move out
from town. It H a real nicely
planned three bedroom ranch
style home. Right now I have
to go out every morning at 6:30
and don't get home until six
or seven at night, but I have a:i
"office" set up so I can do a
'ot of my business right there.
To Train 65 Per Year
The firt 20 of 65 young farm
ers we will train each year came
on November 1. so we have fin
ished our first month of
"school." We will eventually
have the Co when everything
Tets finished, and especially af
ter we have a water system.
Thev will stay a whole year as
we have both irrigated and dry
land crops, the irrigation sea
son from November through
March, and the dryland from
May through October. We hope
to be ready for the rest of the
farmers by the time we start
getting our land prepared for
the dryland crops, millet sorg
hum, peanuts and green ma
nure rotations. We have plant
ed now broom corn, corn, rice.
wheat and manioc. We have an
orchard of pineapple, coconuts,
dates, cashew nuts, papaya,
grapefruit, lemons and limes, as
well as gardens for each stu
dent. We will spend most of
this season just plowing and
leveling the rest of the irrigated
land.
Helping me are six Peace
Corps volunteers, five of whom
have never seen a farm before
coming here. One is an archi
tect, one an artist, one a grad-
ft
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MRS. NELSON C ANDERSON (center), wifj of Near Eat Foundation agricultural advisor and
formeriv of HcDDner. toaether with Mrs. Robert I. Ryan (rlqht), wlio of the U. S. ambauador
to Niger, Africa, and hospital attendant (letlt), oto shown at Niamey, Niger, with two native
children attired in new kunona type hospital qewns. s.xty ot tne gowns were made ana ao
nated to the Niamey hospital by the American Women's group there. Crib sheets and coven
were also given to the pediatrics ward. Children wcro extremely pleased with their "robes",
probably the first they had ever worn, as moat children of Niger are naked. Although healthy
lookinci. both are sutlerincr from nephritis, an lucurable kidney disease, and their "plumpness"
is actually a swollen condition from the poison in their systems. Hospital attendants Informed
the ladles that both are expected to die in a low waeki. The necklace on the little boy it an
African (rood health charm called "grt-grt . In his caso it has not proven lucky. Mrs. Ander
son's husband, formerly Morrow county agent. U extension advicor and team leader employed
by the tiiat East Foundation, a non-profit or tails ttion devotlna its efforts to "helping people
to hclD themselves" overseas. He tells mora about his work in "Africa Calling" appearing on
this page.
Rockhound
Comer
By RUBY MILLER
Just eleven venrs so a group
of rockhound cot touether at
the lli'ppner llolei to organize
the Morrow County Gem and
Mineral Society. Of thut Rroup,
only four have remained mem.
ber throUKhout: Mr. and Mrs.
Walt Kdger, Ceorge Miller and
t'aul Miller.
At first, Ihe monthly meet
ing were held In the hotel, then
In John Newmun's garage, and
later In the homes of the mem
bers. Now. for I lie past ttU
yearn, the old library buililliiti
has been the meeting place.
Walter Kdger was the first
president. Sur-edlng him were
John Newman. Hubert Wilson,
Kandalt Peterson. Kuby Miller
iitul Kilnioiul Ciontv. Avery Tay
lor has Uh'i elected to serve
tills coming year.
Kaeh year Ihe flub has had
a display boolh at the county
f:ilr other displays for the pub
lie enjoyment were In Peterson's
Jewelers and nt the courthouse.
The club has participated nt
every Sidewalk llazanr In llopp
nor. The club Is working on two
projects: 1 saving ami turning
In Hetty Crocker coupons which
mav be redeemed for Sc each,
to he applied to n scholarship
fund for any eligible young or
sun studying earth science. 2.
sax lug and turning In cam elled
postage stamps for fund for
hungry children.
Every year the members gath
er nt a Christmas hanmict and
exchange rock gifts. This year
we met at the Wagon Wheel on
Iiecemlier 17 At a short meet
ing some unfinished business
xv as taken care of, and oltlcers
were elected for the coming
year.
llesides the new president,
Avery Taylor, they include
Eleanor (Unity, vice president,
ami Johanna Taylor, secretary-treasurer.
Sheriff Asks Care
From Motorists
"The tragic death of a seven-year-old
school boy In southern
Oregon Is a grim reminder to
all Oregon motorists to be extra
alert for children ttlonu our
highways," Morrow County
Sheriff C. J. U. limiman snld
last week.
The youngster was lilt by a
truck as he waited In front of
his home for the school bus.
Sheriff Bauman urged Morrow
county residents to caution their
children to wait for school bus
ses a safe distance from the
highway.
He reminded driver that
children don't drive, so they
don't know the dangers Involv
ed In Ntoiiplng a car In time to
save h lite.
"The responsibility Is yours
n parents and motorists," said
Sheriff Puiiman.
"Drive carefully during the
holidays," he added.
BOWLING
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Team W
Crisp 10
MCCG 3M
Idetmann's 3'J
Car 31
Central M
Mel's 2t
Gardner's 22
Pensl 21
High Ind. Game Al hetseh,
Art Dvck. Don Ball. 212; High
Ind. Scries Art Dvck, Ml; High
Team Game Hletmann's, 1011;
High Team Series Hletmann's,
21K5.
I.
20
22
2H
29
30
34
3H
3'.
TYPING PAPKK. Mlnieograpn
pawr and other office sup
plies for sate at the Gazette
Times office.
COXS ELECTRIC 1
Motor Rewinding
INDUSTRIAL - COMMKRCIAL
Penrtli-ton 27B-T7B1 1
I
I
I
ways enjoy seeing the bartering
for cattle, donkeys, camels, etc.
by the Tuaregs and Bouzas. We
want to get out to some other
markets while the weather is
cool and hope things let up a
bit during the holidays for this.
The Niger Independence Day Is
December 18 and is a real col
orful event. Last year it was
combined with the Internation
al Fair, a 10-day affair, but
this year it will be celebrated
for the three day week-end.
They are having drills and oth
er activities every night so I
think they have some big exents
uate of philosophy, one a trav- I ,tnolr beeves.
e!cr, one a Keed college stu
dent, one unknown background,
the other an Indiana farm boy.
I think thev take more of ray
time than the 20 students, but
they are good workers and try'
hard. One is catching on quite
well as an oxen trainer, one
has taken charge of the orchard
garden and goes about with a
book of Hardening in his hand
all day. The architect is becom
Did you get out once to shoot
a wild pig. The millet fields
were full of them, doing much
damage, so got a special per
mit to shoot some to protect my
millet demonstration. Got a real
nice gilt that was the best eat
ing pork I have ever tasted.
Some of us would like to get
after some more, hut the coun
try is real gun shy and doesn't
allow any hunting except on
ing quite a mason and builder, . special occasion. Hope we can
two are well diggers and one
operates a welder and is a fix
it man. So we do all right. Four
of the six were trained to dig
wells so will be leaving soon
after the first of the year when
their supplies for well digging
get here from the states.
Potience Needed
I will tiain three extensiu-.
agents as we go along and they
will have- the main responsibil
ity of working with the young
farmers. It is a real interesting
experience, and if I can just be
patient with the slowness of ev
erything, I think ft will come
out as a fine project. I am look
ing forward to putting some of
the techniques I learned this
summer into practice on the
120 acres of dryland crops we
will have next summer.
This is the cool season. It is
real comfortable all day and
get;; chilly at night. I believe
the temperature has gone down
into the low fifties already
some nights. It is hard to get
the students out of their warm
beds these cold mornings. We
have moved into a new house
and are enjoying the neighbor
hood. It is next to the ambas
sador's house and near more
Americans. Rick has six or sev
en boys his age to play with
now so he is happy. The Amer
ican community has more than
doubled since we came to Nia
mey as well as the Peace Corps
being a third larger. People
come and go so we are now "old
timers" with-only-three famil
ies here now that were here
when we arrived.
Go on Giraffe Hunt
With the busy schedule of
getting the farm center opened,
it has been impossible to spend
much time doing other things.
We enjoyed a Sunday outing a
few weeks ago with "Mr. and
Mrs. Ambassador" and two oth
er couples on a giraffe hunting
trip and a picnic. We saw 22
giraffes, the largest ever seen
in Niger. Hope our pictures
come out good. One old bull
looked like he would weigh two
tons. We have been to the cam
el and livestock market. I al
convince some of the powers.
that-be that it is necessary for
our work. Maybe they will come
in and start rooting up my rice
so I can have an excuse!
Last G-T's Arrive Sept 15
Well, I guess I have rambled
on long enough. Hope all of
our friends are well and ha.e
a good Christmas. We don't get
the Gazette-Times too prompt
ly. We are now up to Septem
ber 15, but hear some of the
news from the kids. They all
got together for Thanksgiving
at Connie's in Milwaukie and
seemed to enjoy the visit and
getting acquainted with the
new additions. Esther can hard
ly wait until school is out so
she and Rick can get back to
see our new granddaughters
and catch up on all of her vis
iting with friends in Oregon and
Washington.
By the wav. did you know
that: Africa is the world's sec
ond largest continent and the
only continent that lies in both
temperate zones as well as the
tropic zone? Africa has the long
est river, the Nile, and also the
largest desert, the Sahara, of
any continent? Africa's Lake
Victoria is the world's second
largest fresh water lake, and
it's tallest mountain, Kiliman
jaro, rises 19.56-1 feet above sea
level? Africa numbers nearly
320 million people and Nigeria
with 56 million has the biggest
population of any African coun
try? Africa now has more inde
pendent nations than any other
continent? Africa produces 80
percent of the world's cocoa and
75 percent of its palm oil and
palm kernels? Africa ranks as
the leading exporter of peanuts
and the second largest exporter
of oranges and tangerines? Af
rica mines over W) percent of
the xvorld s diamonds?
Quite a country, isn't it?
whatever In th)
world yotfr j
looking for.
Boardman News
By MART LEC MARLOW
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Dono
van and daughter Sharon vl.sit
td Sunday In Pendleton at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Bell.
Mr. and Mrs. Ilarley Hand and
children Cynthia and Ilarley, '
Jr. of Lentervllle, Wash, were
Saturday visitors at the home of
Mrs. Leo Root.
Mr. and Mrs. Truman Messen
ger of The Dalles visited Sun
day at the home of Mrs. Mes
senger's brother-in-law anil sis
ter, Mr. and Mrs, Zearl Gilles
pie. They also visited with
another brother-in-law and sis
ter, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ball.
For Fast And Dependable
Freight Service
With Doily Overnight
Scrvico From Portland
Including Saturdays
SHIP
E
F,
ASTERN WREGON I REIGHT
Served By
Flatt's Truck Service
CALL GENE ORWICK
989-8420
ANYTIME
Gazette-Times
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Happy
New Year
As we enter into the New Year
1967 . . . May each of us in our own
individual way so rededicate our
lives that brotherhood of man will
become a reality, and that the true
meaning of Christmas will be felt
everywhere and for all time to
come.
- ' ft
. . . Working Together V. . Sharing Together . .
Morrow County
Grain Growers, Inc.