The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-06-04
SUMTER WINS OATS CONTEST.
Second Prize Will Probably be
Awarded E. q. Haynes
worth.


1t willy be recalled that in the
worlds contest for the best yield Of
corn on one acre during the year 1906
South Carolina farmer was victor
ious. During the same period the ma
tional con test for the growing Of
oats per acre, under the same auspic-
es as the corn contest, was in pro-
gress. There was, however, no state
contest for oats.
Owing to the fire which destroyed
the plant and records Of The Ameri.
can Agricultu1ist there has been
great delay i'm announcing final
awards in the oats contest, and the
matter is not finally settled yet. Tt
has been determined finally that the
first prize was won by a Montana
farmer, who made 130 bushels to
the acre. So far as Commissioner
Watson is advised the second prize
will probably be awarded to Mr.. E..
G. Haynesworth of Sumter county,
who entered the contest with a 16-
acre field.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Haynes
worth's crop was damaged by rain
and weighed light, his crop netted
108 bushels by weight and 124 by
measure. This is unquestionably the
second ranking yield. There has
been some difficulty about Mr.. Hay
nesworth getting his official award,
however, as the claim was made that
his report was received too late.
Prof. Thomas Shaw, who had
charge of the contest, says in the is
sue Of The American Agriculturist
Of May 18:
"The particulars regarding this
great crop of oats were mot forward
ed by the grower, MI" e. G. Haynes
worth Of Sumter, S. c., until April
19, after the list of contestants had
been made out. The grower of this
crop is certainly entitled to at least
favorable notice, although it is un-
fortunate that the details were not
forwarded sooner.
"This crop Of Texas red rust proof
oats was grown on a sandy loan soil
unederlaid with open clay. The land
had originally produced a growth, it
is supposed of pine, oak, hickory and
dogwood. The soil is gray in color
and is naturally we'll drained. In
1908 cotton was grown On the land,
in 1904 cotton, which gave nearly
seven-eigths Of bale per acre, and
in 1905 spring sown oats, which
yielded about so bushels per acre
= ov"Pust 1r1ry -rulluwcu~ u~tne sune~ sea-
son, which yielded about two tons
per acre. In addition was a large
amount of fallen vines which could
{ not be cut by the mower, and this
was plowed under when preparing
the land for the oats.
"For this crop of 1905 the land
was plowed in October to the depth
of 12 inches, and for the crop Of 1906
to the depth Of inches. The former
was done by four horses, the latter
by two. The seed was sown late in
October. The disking was done with
the seed drill while applying the fer
tilizer used previous to sowing the
grain. The fertilizers comprised 100
pounds cotton seed meal, 100 pounds
kainit and 200 pouds acid phosphate.
Toward the end Of arch 125 pounds
nitrate Of soda were sown by hand
on the growing crop. The cost Of the
fertilizer used was $5.14. Two bush
els of seed we're sown with the grain
drill crossing at right angles the drill
marks made while sowing the ferti-
lizers. No narrowing followed the
sowing, as the ridges between the
burrows in which the grain was de-
posted arc considered an advantage
in furnishing winter protection. Mr.
Hayneswol'th states that it is the
common practice to cultivate with
the weed after applying the nitrate
but this was not done in the present
instance, because of unfavorablc
weather conditions.
"The grain was harvested June /
when fully if not over ripe. On June
2 heavy and repeated showers fell
and subsequently, so that to dry the
crop the shcaves had to be turned
three times. The rain to some ex.
tent damaged the crop. The winter
was rather wet for the oats, but the
temperature was favorable and the
growth from the first was vigorous.
FThe total Weld of clean orair