St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-11-13
THE BOYS CORN CLUB
AT THE STATE FAIR.

Through the efforts of Capt. G. E.
Millar of Abita Springs, a "Boys Corn
Club was organized and the members
induced to grow corn for exhibition at
the State Fair. Through this effort
St. Tammany Parish won the second
prize for the parishes composing the
Sixth District. Considering that this
parish has not devoted special atten-
ton to corn raising and that the corn
was planted and cared for by school
boys of the Abita public school, we
should be proud of this achievement.
We reproduce below letter by V. L.
Foy, published in the Baton Rouge
Daily State-Times. of November 9,
that speaks very inteIligentIy on the
subject:
Something of what an increase in
the corn crop of Louisiana will do for
the State is Piven by V. L. Foy, who
is devoting his time to teaching the
boys of the State how to raise corn.
In letter touching on the corn
show in State Fair he says:
1.-THE big end Of the corn show at
the State Fair was made by the boys
of the corn clubs. All the space ap-
portioned to the clubs was filled, and
many exhibits had to be placed in
spaces set aside for the general agri-
cultural exhibits. In quality as we'll
as in quantity, the boys corn made
a splendid showing, measuring up full
ly with the best corn shown by the
most up-to-date corn planters of the
State. Ten parishes were represented
in lieu of two last year. Next year,
every parish in the State will proba-
bly, take part in the contest, and for
that reason very substantial increase
in the amount set aside for the bows
premiums will be asked.
The management of the State Fair
was greatly pleased with the boys
courtesy to Prof. Dodson and myself,
who had in charge the entire contest. .
while no premiums were awarded
at the State Fair for yield, the report
of Supt. Davidson Of Homer shows
that the boys of the Claiborne club
made records for yield that are worthy
of attention. The winner of first prize
in that parish secured a yield of IA
bushels 20 pounds. Over 500 was
awarded to the boys of that parish,
the ten winners averaging a yield of
SO bushels. What the significance of
this work is may be gathered from
the fact that if one farmer in six in
the State, who is now making an av-
erage yield of 20 bushels, could next
year do as we'll as the ten Claiborne
boys did this year, the increase in the
value of the corn crop of Louisiana
next year would more than pay in one
year for system of permanent good
roads costing at the rate of $1O0, 900 |
per parish.
eff, as q result of the work of the
boys clubs, we can next year bring
the average yield of corn production |
up to what Texas made per acre in
1908, this too will defray in one year
the entire cost of a system of good
roads.
in many parishes, an increase in
the average yield of corn of two
bushels per acre will more than paw
the entire taxation of the parish; and |
for the entire State an equal increase
in yield will pay all the taxes on the
farm lands Of Louisiana.
This shows what we are driving
at in this work that is being done with |
the boys. How much good it can do
the State can be understood from the
fact that any improvement made |
through the work of the boys clubs |
will be permanent, for not only does
such work touch the farmers of TODAY,
but it will abide with the bows who
will be the farmers in the next decade. |
Cordially,
" L. F0Y