Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-09-16
aa(istellantors &eaaiag.
THE BANNER CORNFIELD.

THE BANNER CORNFlELD.
1t Is a Patch of 5000 Acres In Illinois ant
Will Produce 100000 Bushels.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
South of Ava, in southern Illinois
from the brow of one of the Kinkalo
hills. can be seen the most magnlhcen'
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 put
ting the golden color upon 5000 acres
of corn in one great body. This is
the banner cornfeld of the world. Ii
will give this year 100000 bushels o.
corn, an average of 100 bushels to the
acre. The statement will be question
ed. And the people who know most
about corn outside of the American
bottom will be the first to challenge
Even the Egyptians, of Illinois, look
askant at such a claim. But those
who have seen the extraordinary spec.
tacle 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 appears to be solid mass. AS
far as the vision reaches the corn ex'
tends without apparent break. On
closer approach the spectacle is even
more impressive. The corn stands al
an even height of Is feet. So heavy
| is it that man four rows from the
outer edge cannot be seen. AT little
distance the edge of the great body
presents an unbroken line. Close view
shows an occasional dividing boundary
in the form of narrow road or lane
On either side of these lanes the corn
rises like a wall high above the wagon
Having once entered the lane, the
traveller finds it impracticable to turn
around. The only thing to do is to
drive to the other side of the great
field. Nobody who has ridden through
the 5000 acres questions the estimate
of 100 bushels to the acre. And no.
body who has visited the field since
the present crop began to mature can
remember to have seen the like OF ii
before.
Even the cultivators of this excep'
tional field admit that they have never
had such a crop as this years: To
them there is nothing unusual in a
yield of rs bushels to the acre. In un'
favorable seasons they can safely count
on so to 60 bushels. But 100 bushels
for the entire tract is the record break
er. A capitalist from the greatest
corn-raising section of Illinois, the
vicinity of Springfield, last week
bought 600 acres of this banner held
of corn. He paid $4,000. A cash
offer of $4,000 for 1000 acres was re-
fused. By way of interesting con
trast, it may be stated right here that
less than 10 years ago the ground upon
which stands the banner corn crop Of
the banner corn year changed hands
at 81 an acre. Where the banner crop
is denting and hardening, within hall
a dozen years wild ducks had sum.
mer nesting and Matching place.
The banner cornfeld of the United
States occupies what was recently Big
Lake, in the American Bottom. Wa
ter stood at depth of two feet over
an irregularly formed tract, perhaps
two miles wide and four miles long in
it's largest measures. Long ago an
abortive attempt at draining was made,
but it failed of its purpose. Big Lake
confined to furnish sport to the duck
hunters; but was worthless in all other
respects. Mr.. Whitney Gilbreth, OF
Ava, began to speculate upon the pos
sibilities of reclamation. The fellow
citizens of Mr.. Gilbreth are now rath-
er loath to recall the uncomplimentary
things they said about his want OF
sound sense in wasting his time with
Big Lake. They saw him put into
the overaowed land his money until
he owned thousands of acres. They
saw a drainage district formed, A
steam dredge cut channel 25 feet
wide from the lake to the Mississippi
river. This ditch ranges from to 80
feet in depth. The citizens commented
sarcastically and could hardly be pa
tient until the time to say, II told you
So" 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 in
conceivably fertile land. And that is
where today ripens this mass of corn
which beats the world.
Two other lakes have since been in
cluded in the drainage district. Ca
nails nearly 80 miles in all have been
dug. Where these other lakes were
are other bodies of corn 1000 and g.,
900 acres in extent. They will sho"
yields proportionate to that OF Big
Lake. But there is only one body o1
5000 acres which will give 6OO,OOC
bushels.
IN COUNTIES ADJOINING.