The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-09
TIVE BhNNER CoRNEtELD.
II IL Patch of 5000 Acres in Illinois and
Will Produce 600, 1000 Bushels.
From u, 81. Lou, Globe. Democrat.

From the 81. LouiI Globe Democrat
South OF Ava in southern Illinois. from the
brow OF one Of the KInkaid hills. can be seen
the most magnificent field OF corn upon which
the white mans vision has rested since the
time the Pilgrims landed and learned to know
the merits OF maize in hasty pudding. The
September sun is putting the golden color
upon 5000 acres OF corn In one great body.
This Is the banner cornleld OF the world. II
will give this year 900. 900 bushels Of corn. an
average OF 100 bushels to the acre. The state
ment will be questioned. And the people who
know most about corn outside OF the American
Bottom will be the frstto challenge. Even the
Egyptians OF Illinois look askant at such q
claim. But those who have seen the extraor-
binary spectacle agree that nowhere In the
world is there such a crop OF corn maturing on
the same ground space.
Even from the nearest hilltop this field APP
pears to be q solid mass AS far as the vision
reaches the corn extends without apparent
break. On closer approach the spectacle Is
even more impressive. The corn stands at an
even height OF fifteen feet. So heavy is IL that
a man four rows from the outer edge cannot be
seen. At a little distance the edge OF the great
body presents an unbroken line. Close view
shows an occasional dividing boundary in tho
form OF narrow road or lane. On either side
OF these lanes tho corn rises like wall high
above tho wagon. Having once entered the
turn around. Tho only thing to do is to drive
to the other aide OF the great field. Nobody
lions the estimate OF 100 bushels to the acre
And nobody who has visited the field since the
present crop began to mature t can remember
Even the cultivators OF this exceptional field
admit that they have never had such crop as
this years. To them there 10 nothing unusual
in a yield OF seventy Ave bushels to the acre
In nnlayorable seasons they can safely count
the entire tract ia the record breaker. A cap
ltaIist from the greatest orn-rslsng section
inc ~ o. ed st Ssss
He paid $4,000. A cash offer Of $3O.OOO for
1000 acres was refused. BY way Of interest
less than ten years ago the ground upon which
stands the banner corn crop OF tho banner corn
banner crop 10 dentng and hardening. within
half dozen years wild ducks had summer
FIJI bsn6er salned "e c the United
BIZ L1ks in the
haps two miles wide and four miles long In it's
largest measures. Long ago an abortive at
purpose Big Lake continued to furnish sport
5se dss eunG w %6.nv 81
reclamation. The fellow citizens OF Mr.. Gil
broth are now rather tt l9ath to 2, recall the
with Big Lake. They saw him put in To
owned thousands Of acres. They saw drain
age district formed. A steam dredEe out a
tho Mississippi River. This ditch ranges from
eight to thirty feet in depth. The citizens
sSmmG1sd .1Hrsa,tlcay and GOa VA hardly b
That time never came for them, The water
drained from the lake into the cut and passed
away. leaving in one body 5000 acres Of
almost Theoretically fertile land. And that Is
whore to-day ripens this mass OF corn which
boats the world.
Two other lakes have since been included in
the drainage district Canals nearly thirty tiles
IN al nave eeen dug. Where these other ia AXES
acres 10 extent. They will show yields proper
tionate to that of Big Lake. But there is only
bushels.