The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-09-15
THE BANNER CORN.IELD.
1t Is Patch of 5000 Acres in Illinois
and VIII Produce GOO, 900 Bushels.

1t Is II Patch of 5000 Acres in Illinois
and VIII Produce GOO, 900 Bushels.
South of Ava, in Southern Illinois,
from the brow of one of the Kinkaid
hills, can be seen the most magnlfi-
cent field OF corn upon which the
white mans vision has rested since
the time the Pilgrims landed and
learnt d to know The merits of maize
III hasty pudding. The Septem er
sun is putting the golden color upon
5000 acres Of corn in one great body.
TINS is the banner cornfieid of the
world. 1t will give this year 800, 900.
bushels of corn, an average of 100
bushels to the acre. The statement
Will be questioned. And the people
who know moss about corn outside
of the American Bottom will be the
first to challenge. Even the Egyp-
tlans of Illinois look askant at such
a claim. But those who have seen
the extraordinary spectacle agree
that nowhere in the world is there
such a crop Of corn m iturlng on the
same ground space.
Even from the nearest hilltop this
field appears to be d solid mass. AS
far as the vision reaches the corn
extends without apparent break. o.
closer approach the ~p cGacle is even
more impressive. Toe corn stands
a. an even height of l5 feet. s.
h 9avy /. 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 occa-
sional dividing boundary in the
form of narrow road or lane. Ga
either side of these lanes the corn
rises like a wall high above the
wagon. Having once entered the
lane, the traveller finds it impracti-
cable 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 ques-
tions the estimate of 100 bushels to
the acre. And nobody who has
visited the field since the present
crop began to mature can remember
to have seen the like of it before.
Even the cultivato.s of this ex-
ceptional field admit that they have
never had such a crop as this years.
70 them there is nothing unusual in
d lolu VI 10 UuSutlS W Vic dClo. III
unfavorable seasons they can safely
count on fifty or sixty bushels. But
! 100 bushels tor the entire tract is the
record-breaker. A capitalist from
the greatest contrasting section of
Illinois, the vicinity of Springfield,
last week bought 600 acres of this
banner field of corn. He paid $l8,-
900. A cash offer of $50, 900 for 1000
acres was refused. By way of inter-
esting contrast, it may be stated
right here that less than ten years
ago the ground upon which sands
the banner corn crop of the banner
corn year changed hands at 81 an
acre. Where the banner crop is
denting and hardening, within half
a dozen years wild ducks had sum-
mer nesting and Matching place.
! The banner corn field of the Unit
ed States occupies what was recent
| ly Big Lake, in the American Bot
tom. Water stood at depth OF two
feet over an irregularly formed tract,
perhaps two miles wide and four
miles long in its largest measures.
Long ago an abOrtive attempt at
draining was made, but it failed of
] lIS purpose. Dig lIdh6 COuIltlu6u 10
! furnish sport TO the duck hunters,
: but was worthless in all other re-
spects. Whitney Gllbreth, of Ava,
/ began to speculate upon the posi-
/ bilities of reclamation. The fellow
citizens of Mr.. Gilbreth are now
/ rather loath to recall the uncOmpli-
mentary things they said about his
want of sound sense in wasting his
! time with Big Lake. They saw him
put into the overlooked land his
money until he owned thousands of
acres. They saw drainage district
formed. A steam dredge cut a chan
mel twenty-five feet wide from the
lake TO the Mississippi River. This
ditch ranges from eight to thirty feet
in depth. The citizens commented
sarcastically and could hardly be pa
F.; tient until the time to say Il told
! you So" That time never came for
| them. The water drained from the
! lake into the cut and passed away,
/ leaving i'm one body 5000 acres OF
/ almost incOnc eivably fertile land.
| Aud that is where ripens today this
/ mass of corn which beats the world.
Two other lakes have since been
included in the drainage distric'
] Canals nearly thirty miles in all
have been dug. Where these other