Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1908-05-16
BIT Il. II. BLAKEsLEE. Jackson.


most entirely new in the State OF Mis-
sissippi, is bearing fruit. There is an
abundance OF reasons why we should at
least produce the corn we consume, and
the number who do this, and even bet
ter, is increasing reasonably fast. Last
year saw the first competitive corn
growing contest inaugurated among the
boys OF the public schools, and this year
more than twenty counties have taken
up tie work. If those who contended
that the average yield in Mississippi
was approximately twelve bushels to
the acre few years ago were correct,
the increase already shown is salts
factory. Statistics gathered last year
by this department proved it to be six
teen bushels then. Shall we allow the
good work to stop or shall it be prose-
cuted with renewed vigor?
Although we have never been recog-
nized as corn State, there are those
who are beginning to cast their eyes in
this direction, attracted by the result
of efforts to improve the yield. Capt.
J. F. Merry, who has long been con-
nected with the Illinois Central rail-
road and is we'll known to scores OF our
people, writes the department OF agri-
culture ANA commerce asking that Mis-
sissipp., IRON the abundance OF SPLEEN
did corn tnat will be shown by our
school boys this fall, select q compre-
hensive exhibit and place it on display
at the Omaha Corn Show to be held in
December. He has Roted our accom-
plishment and feels sure that Missis-
sippi can show alongside the banner
corn States of the Union.
The suggestion is we'll worthy of con-
sideration, and had your commissioner
the funds for defraying the expense OF
such an exhibit, it would be made.
There should be no fear that Missis-
sippi might not show we'll in COMPARE
son with Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and
Illinois. The corn shown at the State
fair last fall, judged by the Holden
method or any other, was as good as
could be produced anywhere in the
world. There is an ear in this office
now that will judge fully "a per cent,
according to the Holden score card.
We produce multiplied thousands oil
such ears every year, and the only
thing necessary is to take care in the
selection and select only the best. II
is likely that this proposition of Capt
Merry-will be. acted upon, hpd' that
when the gates'of this great snow With
its $4,000 in prizes opens this winter
q Southern State will be there to COM
pete for the prizes offered. If Missis-
sippi could only win honorable mention
in a contest where the hardest compe-
tition in the world is to be encounter
ed, there is plenty in that to compen.
safe for the time and slight expense.
Corn is the crop of second importance
in Mississippi, and the legend of its
creation points to this as the location
of its birth. 1t is said that Mondamin
the friend of man, and sent by Gitchie
the Mighty, came down to earth one
| sunny and beautiful afternoon, shaking
his fair yellow hair and gently rustling
his willowy green garments. He, Hia'
watha wrestled, but did not conquer
For four days at twilight came Mon
DAMN and defiantly challenged Hia
watha. On the fourth day he was
| thrown and conquered.
Hiawatha covered the body of his
vanquished foe with bort and mold II
the fertile field alongside forest ant
near to a flowing stream. Then he sal
vigil over the grave, as Gitchie Mani
tou had said.
When the warm spring rains hat
come and moistened the earth and the
SUMS rays had kissed the ground, there
peeped from the mold of the grave
some bright green blades as of grass
All summer long Hiawatha watched
beside them as they grew and unfoldet
into the royal plant.
And when autumn breathed hi
frosty breath upon the forest and grow
ing plants, there on the grave of Mon
DAMN stood golden corn.
1t was the gift that Gitchie Manitou
the Father of Life, had promised Hia
watha's people if he should throw
Mondamin.
This was countless hundreds OF moon
ago. Each autumn since the Indian
have wrestled with Mondamin-strip
ped the corn of it's husks and silks ant
carried the golden grain to their wig
vans.
For three hundred years the whit
men have wrestled with Mondamin
For nigh on to one hundred years tn,
people of Mississippi have wrestlet
with him.
This wrestling is the farmers eter
nal problem. How to make two grain
Of corn grow where only one was won
to grow before, and thus to get tn,
best of Manitou's bounty is the ques
tion that concerns him always.
Last year Mississippi gathered ap
proximately forty million bushels o
corn from Mondamin's grave. A grail
OF corn is little thing, but If only on,
grain could have been added to eacl