Daily Republican., 1882-05-01
4 woRD rOrHE FARMER BOYS,

- -
A WORD TO THE FARMER BOYS.
Misund erss 30 diugs COrreeted.-
What the Boys " Pennsylvania
aad Maine have DOne-what
Prof q. Z. Bessey Of lows ssys.
Frnm the Newark Ledger.
AGRICULTURAL Dept.
Delaware College,
NEWARK, Del, April "a. 1889.
The following IS copy of letter re-
ceived few days since:
Prot. j. A R,inhart,
Dsar Sir: Iwrite to have my name
entered as competitor for the General
Delaware College Prizes for raising
corn. My age Is Is years and live in
Mill Greek Hundred. Please let me
know what is req uired of competitors
and the Committee of my Hundred.
This letter illustrates we'll What in
forma ion the cOntestan should give
his name, age and the Hundred In
which he lives. This contestant was
told to measure off his land him self,
and to 20 right ahead and that the
committee of his hundred would be up.
pointed in due time. Another contes
tant writes that in his case the ground
! which he intends to use was manured
several weeks ago, before he knew any
thing of the prizes offered, and, in
view of the rule which says all fertil
izing, must be done by contestant, he
asks for instructions. But such a con-
diton of affairs shall not effect the
rights Of any competitor. Special note
may be made of such matters in the re-
port sent to this department.
2. Mistake corrected. The rules re.
quire that each contestant shall deposit
Que bushel, 60 lbs } only of the ears, to
be the property ofthe College, and not
his whols crop % as one would be
competitor supposes. The Delaware
Division IT P. Il. II. will deliver for
contestants, these single bushels of
corn from points along their line to
Newark free OF charge Corn to be se
curely bagged and shipped on or before
Nov. LIST.
3. The May numt er Of tue American
who will send me his address. The
editor tells the boys that under the
rules there will be the least waste
border in a plot nearest square. "5 b.
8 rods ia a quarter acre exactly. 81
rods by 6 rods and y, feet is a quarter
acre lacking 49, SO. feet 100 feet wide
by 1903 $40 feet long make quarter acre
plots, exactly" On the advertising
pages Of the May Agriculturist is an
account of some remarkable yields of
corn in New York and Connecticut.
The proprietors of the Mapes Corn
Manure state that by using their ferLi-
lizer, 500 lbs. per acre, (4OO lbs. har-
rowed in and 100 lbs. put around the
hills at second hoeing) the variety of
corn called Blount's Prolific, yielded
for Mr.. s. r. Wells of We'herstield,
Conn, 1856 bushels of ears to the acre
6 bushels of ears Smelling 2 bushels q
quarts shellel corn.) Reference is
made in same advertisement to the
"Rural Farm" Crop of 1880. There
were FIVE acres in the field, four planted
in Chester County Mammoth, aud one
in Blount's Prolific
An account of this crop was given to
the Rural New Yorker for Jan. l, 1881,
The best acre of the Chester Mammoth
vie 'ded 1874 bushels of sheled corn,
the average Tor the four acres was 1l2A
bushels Of sheled corn per acre. The
part of the field planted in Blount corn
actually yielded :34l5 bushels of shelled
corn per acre. No farm manure was
used he only fertilizer being the Mape'
Corn Manure $50 lbs. to the acre sown
broadcast before last narrowing. A
pamphlet giving full particulars Of this
crop, containing the account just pub
lished in thA Rural New Yorker will be
s4nt..t any address by this Department.
Charles V. Mapes, Esq, Genera mana
ger of the Peruvian Guano Company,
1863 Front st. New York, writes me by
yesterdays mail that he will favor the
bows of the state by preparing the
freight in single bags of the Mapes Corn
Manure from New York City to points
in Delaware and selling bags at ton
rates, that is . IS 90 per bog, the price
beng $50 per ton. This company has
no agency in our state, but this arrange
ment will enable any boy who chooses,
to get bag without any charge OF
freight.
The Blount corn or the Mammoth
Chester county can be obtained of Peter
Henderson ~ Co., 81 COurlandt street,
New York, or Bliss q Sons, "a Barclay
street, game city, at 81 per peck. Three
quarts would plant a quarter acre. 1t
Is to be understood that the College re-
commends no particular fertilizer, and
10 variety of corn. Each contestant
must decide all these things for him
al VA -; Nv lyn "a
and to arouse il terest.
1. Ought the Delaware Farmer boys
to enter into this contest? We do not
expect our contestants to make such
large yields as are noted above; we sim
ply ask them to do what they can to
raise just as nnchas the pecnliariJles of
soil, season and facilities for fertilizing
will allow, to enter upon generous
rivalry for the entira thirty eight |
prizes offered. Shall we be slow to
strive, to investigate, to experiment, to
ennoble our calling when others are so |
quick to enter upon the great opp0rtu |
mites for learning and knowing? When
these prizes were announced at public
meetiDg few days since, gentleman
stated that similar enterprise in New
resulted the following year
in an increase of the corn crop in par
ticular county of more than 20 per cent.
For the Allen prizes in YORK County,
NJ sine, there were 133 contestant Is rails
ing upon an average 1917 bushels upon
one-eighth acre Goo bushels shelled
corn per acre. while the highest yield
upon one-eighth acre was 20 bushels.
For the Haz lrd Prizes. West Chester,
Penna., there were At contestants rails
ing upon an average 1887 bushels Per
acre. We repeat we do not desire or
expect extraordinary yields, but simply /
that the experiment should be tried an
that by contestants from every part of
;he state. Prof. G. Il. Bessey of the
Iowa State Agricultural College writes:
Accept thanks for papers from your de-
,art nent just received. They are very
interesting and show that you are NOV
ng in the direction. j. f. Powell, ia
\ 90 a ir "a