The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-18
TasseIed Monarchs of Fields
Are Fourteen and Fifteen
Feet High and 3 Inches in
Diameter.
BOYS CLUB MEMBERS
:. STRIVE FOR PRIZES
125 Lads in the County Rails
ing Plots Of Corn, All Anx-
ious for IS scholarships to
Purdue University.

OOTu Is King III wayne County.
Corn fourteen and fifteen feet high
with stalks two and three inches in
diameter, was found to be the exist
ing condition by the executive COM
mittee of the Wayne County's Boys
Corn club on their inspection OF the
members corn plots yesterday. The
committee heard nothing and talked
nothing but corn.
There are about a hundred and
twenty-five boys, all under eighteen
years of age In the county who are
interested in the production of corn.
Each member has planted quarter
acre plot and the fifteen boys having
the best records in the townships in
which they reside will be furnished
with free tuition and all expenses at
Purdue University's short course In
corn production next winter.
Boys Excel Farmers.
The competition was found to be
strong and perhaps largely for this
reason every plot of corn was in bet
ter condition than the larger fields
which the boys fathers are raising.
The committee could tell the members
plots from that which the older men
were raising by merely looking at
them, as the corn raised by the young
enthusiasts was in much better con-
dition, being cleaner, fewer stalks to
the hill and the stalks larger and
the farmers we're growing.
More than passing interest In the
success of the boys efforts is taken
by the farmers generally in the coun-
ty. The committee found the farm
ers whether they had boys who we're
members Of the corn club or not, were
watching development of the quarter
acre plots in their neighborhoods
closely. The dyed-in.the-wool corn
producers of the county who were
visited yesterday were willing to ad-
NIT that so far this year the younger
generation was growing the better
corn.
County Superintendent c. W. Jor-
dan, who was unable to accompany
the other committeeman on their in
spection today, said that it was found
on the inspection trip yesterday that
the boys were using their fathers
methods but applying them more care
fully and this was believed to be the
secret of the club members success.
Several plots were seen which indi-
Gated yield of seventy or more
bushels to the acre this fall.
Committee 10 Pleased.
The committee was particularly
pleased because it was apparent all
the members of the club were doing
their best. Some plots were not near
ly as good as others, different reasons
being responsible, but the earnestness
of the boys in their endeavors' was
clearly displayed in the cleaness Of
the fields. Weeds were a foot or two
high in some of the fields under cul-
tivation by the older farmers.
The boys have kept a careful rec
ord of the different periods in the
corn cultivation and likewise records
Of the sowing, sprouting. tasseling and
the like. All the members who were
visited yesterday declared that rain
was needed worse now than cultiva-
tion. In the last two weeks there
has not been enough moisture for the
spur roots to obtain the proper
growth. The boys fear that when a
heavy rain storm does come mucn
corn will be blown down as what spur
roots have developed are not expect
ed to be strong enough to Withstand
a severe storm and hold up the stalks