The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-23
BEATS THE WORLD.
The Largest Corn Crop Ever Produced on
One Acre-Raised by Il. j. Drake, OF
Marlboro County.
Especial to Charleston World. I

Special to Charleston World.
COLUMBIA, January 17.-Commis
sioner Butler has received official mott
fication from the American Agricultu
ralist that their grand prize of $500 il
gold for the largest yield Of corn on one
measured acre will be awarded to Mr.
Y. J. Drake, Of brakes Postoffice, Marl
boro County, S. c., thereby emitting
that gentleman to the duplicate prize
of $500 offered by the department.
The preliminary report of Mr.. Drake:
crop will appear editorially in the
American AgriculturiSt for February
and the full report in March, together
with the chemical analysis. Follow
ing is the February editorial, obtained
from an advance sheet:
THE WORLDS sRECoRD BROKEN.
"The crop of corn actually grown or
one acre, in the American Agricultu
rist prize crop competition for 1889
will alone amply repay us for all the
great expense and labor involved ir
the enterprise. 1t is worth $4,000 tc
demonstrate that such crops can be
really produced on one acre. X
The American Agriculturist grand
prize of $500 in gold will be awarded tc
Zachariah Jordan Drake of Marlboro
County South Carolina. He will also
receive a similar prize from the South
Carolina department of agriculture, a$
this enterprislng body offered to dupli
cate our prize if it was taken in that
State. Mr.. brakes crop of corn on
the ear from the exact contest acre
weighed l7,407 pounds. The average
of three tests, by as many witnesses
was that 100 pounds of this corn con
tained only eighteen pounds Of cob
Consequently, the gross weight named
contained 1928 pounds of shelled
corn. At fifty-six pounds to the bushel
the crop was within a fraction of -:
bushels of shelled corn on one acre.
'But this was the green weight, as
taken from the field. According tc
analyses made at the South Carolina
experiment station by Drs. w. B. Bur.
ney and J. B. McBryde, under the
supervision of the director, Prof. j.. NJ
McBryde, this crop was remarkably
dry, as were all the corn crops in South
Carolina. The shelled corn contained
only Is per cent. of water. We find
therefore, that the 255 bushels OF
shelled corn contained 2l7 bushels Of
actual dry matter in the kernels, with
out any water whatever. On the basi:
of 10 per cent. water for thoroughly
crib-cured old corn, or kiln-dried corn
the yield was 239 bushels of shellec
corn.
"The second largest crop was growr
by Alfred Rose, Yates & Co., New
York. The yield was ia bushels O
actual dry matter.
"The third largest crop was grown by
George Gardner, of Pawnee County
| Nebraska. The yield was l3S bushel:
of dry matter.
"These crops break the Worlds rec
ord. The largest yield previously rec
orded was 200 bushels of shelled corn
green weight, alleged to have beer
grown by DR.. J. G. Parker, not far from
Columbia, S. c., in 1857, and its accur
acy has been questioned. But there il
no doubt as to the complete honesty o
these crops in the American Agricult
urist prize crop competition. Judgmen
should be suspended by the unbelievinS
until they read in the American Agri
culturalist for March how these mos
unprecedented crops were taken t.
secure absolute honesty and faithful
accuracy.
"Certainly the complete summary O
the prize corn crops and the full aware
of premiums in the March number 0
the American Agriculturist will b.
awaited with intense interest. TIL,
considerable number Of crops in excess
of 100 bushels per acre with the practi
cal details of culture and the scientiti,
Investigations connected with the corr
class of the American Agriculturis
prize crop competition, must make th'
forthcoming issue of this magazine al
original contribution to progressive az
riculture that will be Of inestimabl
benefit to American farmers. The re
suits on the American Agriculturis
prize competition will never be equalet
so far as corn is concerned, but if il
lessons are made Use of, our corn pro
duct per acre will be very largely in
creased, and the farmers profits cor
respondinglv enhanced.
I've may add, also, that the superl
showing made by South Carolina viii
not be dimnled by the complete recor(
of her contest corn crops. She ha
shown what can be accomplished il
the agriculture of the New South
South Carolina's enterprise will no
only be rewarded many thousand fold
but she has encouraged her farmers f
make showing that will be wortl
veritable millions to her sister states.
| The Prize Acre of Corn