The Ocala evening star., 1908-12-10
CULTIVATION OF CORN

OOGIIbHbtoU VI OOuN
cHAMsLIss OFFERS A PREMIUM
And Professor Rolls of the Expert
ment Station Makes Some Perth ent
Suggestions as to the Manner of
Its Award
Ocala, Fla, Nov. q, 1908.
Prof. P. H. Rolls, Gainesville, Fla:
Dear Sir-Perhaps you have seen
that We are going to have a Marion
county fair. | want to offer a special
corn premium of. say $25, for the best
fifty ears, judged by the score card
used in corn contests in the corn belt.
In other words, want to educate our
home people as to what good seed
corn is. Please do me the kindness
to lay out the plans and specifications
for this prize contest, and write ME if
you will kindly Judge it. Any sugges-
tons made will be appreciated.
Yours truly,
z. c. CHAMBLISS,
Vice President.
Gainesville, Fla, Nov. so, 1908.
Mr.. z. C. Chambliss, Ocala, Fla:
Dear Mr.. Chambliss-Your letter of
the 9th is at hand.
The subject you have opened is
one of intense interest to me; that is,
the raising of better corn.
One who has not been through the
work cannot realize how much good
a small premium such as you are
;.bout to offer will improve the gen.
cral corn crop in the section. Statis-
tics show us that the average corn
crop for Florida is about bushels to
the acre. We must raise at least Is
bushels of corn, or it's equivalent, to
come out even. Consequently, if we
raise crop of 80 bushels. we are
making 100 per cent. on our invest
ment. But the present corn crop is
an expense to us, rather than a orof-
1t, when we take the state as a whole
Now as to the possibility of educat-
ing the farmers of central Florida to
the point of growing better corn. let
me cite the illustration of Walton
county, where the conditions are lit
tie more severe. if any different, than
in Marion county. Four years ago a
premium was offered for the best
corn. Among the competitors was a
Mr.. Lowe, a farmer of many years
standing in that section. He was "A
years old, and thought he was raising
the best CO. in west Florida il not in
the whole state. He entered the COM
petition, and failed to get even "fa-
vorable mention This aroused the
old gentleman. He sought out the
corn Judge, and a parleJ ensued, in
which the corn judge went over the
points one at a time. The old gentle
man was fair-minded, and did not be-
come disgruntled, and exhibited corn
the next year, taking first premium.
Not only taking first premium, but
largely increasing the average yield
of his field. And since that time he
has not failed to get premium on
corn. In addition to this, he has in
creased the yield of his corn at least
so per cent. without any extra out
lay, except she selecting of better
seed. Last year Mr.. Smith, a dairy
man not far from DeFuniak, raised
500 bushels of corn on 20 acres. thus
averaging 40 bushels TO the acre.
Last fall THE Breeze" of DeFuniak
announced that a premium of $50
would be given for the best acre of
measured corn, the results to be de-
termined by weighing the grain. A
the premium. The three judges, ap-
pointed to measure the land and
weigh the corn, awarded the first pre-
MUM to the acre that produced so IA
bushels. There. was at least one 9TH
er field in the vicinity, which did not
enter for the premium. but would
have approximated to this yield.
| have cited these illustrations at
length, because they are right at
home. and it does not refer to some
thing away of in Iowa or Wisconsin,
and it also shows that il is not neces-