The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1909-12-16
MARLBORO BOY Wins
CORN CROP Prize.
H.AD OfI7 PRODUCED over $50 BUSHELS
ON one o2E-JR0P
NETfED $685..

county boy who produced 1872!
tbushels Of corn on one acre OF land.
was awarded the first prize for
South Carolina in the national
BOYS corn contest, which Is held
under Inc auspices of the Federal
farm demonstration office. He
will spend naxt week in Washing
ton as the guest of the Govern
ment. The crop was sold for $3.50.
The State contest has not rs vet
been decided ,aud he will in AL prob
ability win this, as there has
been no greater yield reported to
the commissioners. Usher has also
won the first prize for Marlboro
county. Farm demonstration WORKERS
are of the opinion that he VIII win
the first prize in the national c9n-
test, as no greater yield has been
reported for the season. the
champion corn producer Of The
State is only Il years of age and
the methods he used in producing
the phenomenal yield prove very
interesting.
At the request of the United
States farm demonstration office Il
committee of State Superintendent
of Education Swearingen, A u
Smith, of the bureau of plant n
dustry, D n Barrow of Clemson
college, Ira W Williams, who has
charge of the farm demonstration
work in this State, and Com
missioner Watson examined the re,
cords of Usher and awarded him
the first prize. The committee ad-
dressed the following letter to DR.
S A Knapp, special agent of the
farm demonstration work IN
Washington: "This is to certify
that the undersigned, constituting
a committee, as requested by o B
Martin, has met and carefully ex-
rcnined all the records filed blythe
contestants in the boys corn grow
ing contests in this State, that
we have found that the contest has
been VOL by A Bascomb Usher of
Marlboro county, who made 1924
bushels on one acre, keeping COM
plete and detailed sworn records
as to planting, cultivation, harvest
ing and marketing; wherefore we
hereby award the first prize in this
contest 10 A Bascomb Usher"
Some time Was spent yesterday by
the committee in going over the
records of the boy which were
very neatly and accurately kept.
All of the papers submitted were
characterized by system and it
was a very excellent example OF
farming on paper. The feat of the
young boy also shows just what
can be done with land in South
Carolina by intelligent application.
From the records he had evidently
planned every step of the work.
The 1921 bushels produced by
the young farmer will be sold to
sffhe government for seed purposes.
The price to be paid is 81 per
bushel. The sum of $305 will be
received for the seed alone. One
and one-half tons of fodder were
produced, which sold at $40 per
ton, netting $50, bringing the total
amount received from the acre to
S335.
-, The land on which the corn was
produced is in Brightsville town.
ship, IN Marlboro county, and ls
a sandy loan soil. There was a
subsoil of 10 inches. The land
sloped to the southeast. The land
was 6rst cleared in 1907 and
was planted in corn and peas.
The same crop was planted in
1908 and 65 bushels of corn was
produced. Prior to the large yield
cotton seed meal and 100 pounds of
nitrate soda were used.
PREPARING THE LAND.
MI ... x,,o, xuatl fortiIIzod