The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-28
Charles r. Phillips Wins First Coru
Prize-HOw the Work Was Done.
tBy S. T. La Ssiter. !

(By S. T. Lassiter.)
The average yield per acre of corn
in North Carolina is fifteen bushels
Perhaps the average in Randolph
county is q little better. This is due
TO the fact that Whcatmore and
Uwharrie sections are the great corn
and wheat sections Of the county and
make much greater yield than the
average for the State. But then. the
best titled acres Of our best dunghili
and bottom lands IN the above sec
tiors yield very small amount per
acre when compared with the three
best yields made in the State Boys
Contest -hich has just closed. Deep
plowng, thorough cultivation, the in
.tell4sent use Of high grade commercial
fertilizers and q prolific variety Of corn
have been the road to success.
The three largest yields in this con-
test which covered the entire State
are as follows: First prize yield was
made by Chos. i. Phillips OF Fullers
this county, one hundred and thirty
five bushels on one acre. Second prize
yield was made By Dudley Robbins,
OF Wake county one hundred and
twenty-five and one-half bushels.
Third prize yield was made by James
Musgraye, of Wayne county, one hun
dred and thirteen bushels.
The conditions Of the contest were
rs fOlOwSl: Every participant must be
between the ages Of twelve and seven
teen. and use not more than ten dol
lars worth of commercial fertilizers.
IT might be said in the beginning
that Chas F. Phillips is only fourteen
years of age and Is a OF DIR. Chas.
Phillips, OF Fullers. a practicing ply
sician OF Randolph and adjoining
counties.
The following is = iull and COM
2,?ete statement OF the methods OF cul-
tiVation, fertilizers used. CITE:
The set for this
acre contest was average low bottom
land subject to the overflow Of the
1wharrie river in times Of only mod
crate freshet. The bottom had been
III corn successfully FOR several years
and was in a fairly pulverized condi-
ton. The land was broken ten inches
deep the second day Of last April 1t
then lay until the fifteenth when It
was thoroughly narrowed with two
horse harrow. On the following day
there were scattered on the acre, one
thousand pounds of shell line and
we'll worked in with a double p1oW. The
ground lay in this condition eight days
when It was dragged with & halt-log
s7ra~ On Aprii twenty-scVenth the
rows were run of with q straight
shovel Dlow four and one-half fee,
apart and planted the same day, ten
inches in the drill applying one hun
dred pounds OF S-3-3 guano, manufac-
tured by the S thcrn Cotton Oil Com
Dany OF CIttriOttc, N. - iie coli II
used was Coke'S prolific variety having
Grom two to four ears per stalk. On
April the tnirtieth there came heavy
rainfall which caused the land to
bake so that it had to be planted
again. This was done on May the
eighth by running the planter IN the
same furrow without further running
off In a Jew days there came an
other freshet that so baked the land
that it had to be plowed with q n
gle plow the fifteenth. Al this piow-
ing the corn was just coming up On
MAY the twentieth there came third
freshet which necessitated the ploW-
ing again with a single plOW, which,
on account of the daily dOWn-pOuf or
rain, could not be done until the TWEEN
ty-eighth. Owing to these excessive
rains the corn was worked at the 1oi-
lCwin~ IRREGULAR intervals: Proved
With walking cultivator June the four
tecnth at which time the fertilizers
were applied by side application to the
extent Of ten dollars worth including
all former applications. Plowed again
June the nineteenth. also the twenty
eighth. then again July the fiIth, MAX
ing q total of six plowingS.
The corn was gathered in the old
fashion way without the removal or
any fodder. Was shuckcd and meas
ured In the barrel, several of when
were measured to ascertain tne
amount III SIeiieO podii"7' ~
bein~ 1850 pounds or one hundred
and thirty-five bushels. This was ac-
cording to the rules and regulations
Of the State Board Of Agriculture.
The total cost OF above acre includ-
ing all blowing, harvesting at 1aborers
wages and all fertilizers was $500
being about twenty cents per bushei
Counting the corn at ninety cents per
buShel the ace Was worth S121.5o.
Deduction of the cost $3.50 leaves &
net profit OF $500.
The land on both sides OF this acre
lot was the same grade of land, plant
20 in the same kind of corn, titled In