Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
FOR BETTER FARMS
Scientific and Old Time Meth
DDS Compared.
EDUCATION OF THE BOYS
Competition in the South Productive
of Good Results.
PRIZES FOR CORN GROWING
System introduced in a Single Coun-
ty Spreads Over Large Area.
It's Effect.
PRIZES FOR CORN GROWING
RY WILLIAM f.. CJ.RTIS.

"Iilteu ioI 1uc anu Tue SHNdSo ASceoiu-
Herald.
You doubtless saw paragraph in the
newspapers the other day about a pres
entation Of prizes to four boys in the
south by Secretary Wilson for raising
the best crops of corn. 1t was an inter-
esting incident and much more important
and significant than the current accounts
In the newspapers represented. 1t was
the result of a contest between more
than twelve thousand boys between the
ages Of ten and sixteen years throughout
eleven states of the Union to see which
could produce the best crop of corn upon
one acre of ground cultivated accarding
partment of Agriculture at Washington.
The contest. naturally, interested their
neighbors and friends, numbering hun
reds of thousands of farmers, every one
of whom must have profited more or less
by the examples and experiments.
This contest is becoming regular thing
and the number of boys who participate
In it is rapidly increasing 1t was first
proposed three years ago in Holmes
county. Miss. by a Mr.. Smith, superin-
tendent Of schools, who had been invited
to act as an agent Of the Department Of
Agriculture at Washington in educating
the farmers to adopt better methods and
better tools in preparing and cultivating
their crops. knowing the disposition of
the southern farmer to adhere to the he
reditary habits of his section, his preju-
dice against innovations. and his con-
tempt for hook farming which have
been the greatest obstacles in promoting
the prosperity of the south, Mr.. Smith
decided that it was better to commence
with the boys. and educate the coming
rather than try to uplift the present
generation. He enlisted the assistance of
the rural school teachers under his charge
and through them In 1907 induced go
boys between the ages of ten and six
teen in Holmes county to compete for
prizes in growing corn.
Exaction Of Pledges.
The first step was to get their pledges
to study and carry out strictly the in
structions of the Department of Agri-
culture in the preparation of the ground,
the selection of the seeds and cultivation
of the crops. and most of them did SO
in conscientious and painstaking man
ner, even in cases where their parents
objected or ridiculed them. They in
sisted that their honor was at stage, and
stuck to the rules because they had
agreed to do so.
The next step. after the crops were
growing. was for Mr.. Smith to hold field
meetings at the competing acres, where
to inspect one dnother's success and to
hear the advantages of such cultivation
explained. These field meetings attracted
attention and brought together many
farmers who became interested in study
ing the methods and watching the re-
suits. The general public became interest
ed, Also and merchants and bankers put
up money as additional prizes to inspire
the contestants. Finally the entire pop
ulatiOn of Holmes county became excited
nv the and circus fair ever
drew together SO many people as assem-
bled when the samples and reports OF
the crops were submitted, and the prizes
were awarded by a committee of judges.
one of whom represented the Department
of Agriculture at Washington and an
other the agricultural board of the state.
Progress the Next Year.
The next year Q9OS) other sections
took 1t up, and this year, with the rap
idly increasing interest, local prizes were
offered in more than 200 counties in the
south, and state prizes in Arkansas. mis-
sissippi, South Carolina and Virginia.
which included a trip to Washington,
wit weeks stay at a first-class hotel,
for the winners. There were 1850 COM
petitOrs, representing every corner of
those states, and while the winners were
here Secretary Wilson made them a
speech and gave them handsomely en-
crossed diplomas to testify that these
four boys are the champion corn raIsers
of the south: Elmer Halter. Conway,
Ark; Dewitte Lundy. Lexington. Miss;
BascOm Usher, Bennettsville, S. c., and
Ralph Bellwood. Manchester. va.
This unique contest has naturally Great
ed great deal of excitement among the
farmers in the ne.ghborhood where the
contestants live, not only because OF
their sporting instincts, but because OF
the pecuniary profit that is involved.
They have learned by these demonstra-
tons that the careful cultivation of the
soil according to scientific rules will pro-
duce larger crops of cotton and corn than
careless farming. and that the difference
is SO great as to make it profitable to
adopt the better way. No form of in
StructiOn has SO much force as a success
full example.
Awakens Interest in Education.
Another consequence is an awakened
interest in agricultural education; the
desire to know how to do better; how to
get the largest results from labor: what
seeds and what tools are the most effec-
tive. 1t has also encouraged the teach
ing of the simple sciences in the pri-
mary schools of North Carolina, Geor-
gia. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Arkansas, and the educational authorities
of those states have invited DIR. Knapp,
culture, in charge of experimental sta
tions in the south, to prepare text books
and rules and instructions. He is now CO.
operating with the agricultural colleges
and the boards of agriculture in these
states to superintend the work, as far as
possible. and he believes it will soon
spread over the entire south
The competitions among the boys will
undoubtedly. next year, engage twenty
five thousand between ten and sixteen
years of age If not double that number
of contestants, and will be conducted
upon a uniform, definite plan in every
same kind of seed in the same section,
the same methods of preparing the soil.
the same kind and the same amount of
fertilizer, and the same kind of TOOLS SO
that no one competitor will have any ad-
vantage over another, and each of them
will demonstrate the pecuniary advan-
tage of intelligent farming and Of fol-
lowing the methods approved by the Agri-
cultural Department the best.
Dr. Knapp believes that the competi-
tons among the boys are doing more
agricultural methods, which have been
deplorable in the south. He has been
himself working for seven years for the
same results, and has an organization
uuder Secretary Wilson for the purpose.
as he explains, 'of carrying the best
practical methods of farming directly to
the farmer and inducing him to try
them"
Under a General Director.
ITO do this" continued Dr. Knapp I've
have one general director, with an Office
force here in Washington; a superin-