The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1909-10-21

IL mas DSGu Vcly SAdlttyluB 10 NE
during the past season to note from
time to time the enthusiasm of the
different members of the Boys
Corn Club. l want to express my
appreciation to the boys for their
cooperation and for their strict ad-
herence to the instructions issued
and to the rules of the organization.
I cannot help feeling that the eff
forts of the boys during this year
will bear much fruit for years to
come.
The purpose Of the Boys Corn
Club as I have said before, is pri-
marily to train the farmers of the
next generation. 1t is contrary to
the logical sequence of things to
say that IL is plenty of time for a
boy to learn to farm after he Is
ready to start out for himself.
The same reasoning will apply to
this as to any other phase of educa-
ton. It pays to begin at the ear
liest time possible to train the
minds of children though being
careful at all times not to give
more than can be assimiiated. |
believe that it was Emerson who
said the time to begin the educa-
ton of child is three hundred
years before it is born. AS 1t would
be impracticable to follow out with
any degree of accuracy Enerson's 5
philosophy, yet it is imminently
practicable for us to begin and at
tain good results from the earliest
stages of childhood. We know
from actual experience that the
earliest impressions are the most
lasting. Following out therefore
the teaching OF the ancient proverb
regarding the inclination OF the
twig. is it any Aondef that our
fathers are hopelessiy in a rut. II
will be impossible to make COM
plete revolution of our methods oi
farming even in generation, for
there will always be cropping oui
some of the Inherent tendencies
from generations back of US.
The yields this year have beer
exceedingly good considering the
adverse seasons. Several of the
boys have had their corn totally
destroyed by water and others were
severely injured by drouth. Ii
spite of these disadvantages under
which the boys have labored, the
prize yield has gone beyond IoC
busels per acre. At least nine-tenth'
of the boys have made yields of 4c
to % bushels per acre Some usec
Icommercial fertilizer. Others supple
lmented this with barn yard manure
Others used only barnyard fertilize'
and still others used no fertilizer a
TALL. Records from the patch O.
one boy who lives near Regantoi
show yield of As bushels per acrl
with no fertilizer. while corn or
similar soil near by gave a yield 0
only rs bushels per acre. The in
crease of 400 per cent. In this cas-
was due to better methods of pre-
paration and cultivation. Are no
results like this worth the effort
Besides the excellent yields abov'
mentioned the boys have Learned
how to select good seed corn, hov
to keep seed pure by preventing
| cross fertilization, how to select /
good exhibit, and many other In
teresting and valuable things abou
the culture of corn by scientifl
methods. It is interesting also h
note that nearly every boy favor
level cultivation throughout til
season when the land is we'll drain
ed and the season permits. L
some cases however the execessiv
rains caused the grass to grow t
such an extent chat cultivate
was not sufficient and In those case
turning plows were used to xii
grass. The records that were KEEP
show that cultivation began eve
before the corn came mp and wa
kept up once every week OF tei
days until silks aud tasseIs appear
5 led. Tn this way the weeds an
! grass were killed almost as soon q
they had gernlInated, and when
! could be done with least labor.