Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-28
Miserllaneons Reaaiua.
PRoGRESS.IN CORN.
Article xiii of Clemson Extension
Work BY Prof D. N. Barrow.


In an address upon the occasion Of
the meeting Of the Farmers congress
held at Clemson college during the
first two days OF September Of this
year, the Hon. f. ]. Watson gave some
figures on corn that are we'll worth the
study of the farmers of the south.
The average yield of corn per acre
has increased in South Carolina from
bushels in 1900 to 16.7 bushels in 1909,
as against 81 bushels in 1900 and 35.9
bushels in 1909 in Illinois. In farm
value per acre South Carolina corn has
increased from 4.4S to 1903 in a like
period as against 11.S4 and 1857 for
like period i'm Illinois. In farm value
per bushel the Carolina has increased
from Ga cents in 1900 to 81 cents in
1909, as against 80 and SO cents in IL
linois. If the Illinois farmer can raise
corn and grow rich at those values how
much better opportunity have the far
mers of the south to do even better.
In addition to the corn we raised
last year, we spent six million dollars
for corn and corn products, great
deal of which was of very question
able feed value. The man who sold us
this corn and the railroads together
cleared 80 cents a bushel, or nearly
three and a half million dollars We
can produce corn as cheap or cheaper
per bushel than this same corn cost to
produce; so we not only paid out this
profit, but lost the additional profit
from the growing. Then too had this
corn been grown here all of that six
million dollars would have remain
ed here as a permanent asset.
That these facts are being realized
by the farmers of the south is evil
dcnced by the steady increased average
planted to corn and the increased yield
per acre. We are learning that it not
only pays to plant more corn, but
also To give that crop better cultiva-
ton and attention than we have here
toforc done. We are also beginning to
realize that while cultivation and fer
tiliZation are important factors in de-
termining our yield, yet the factor OF
blood and inheritance also play no
small part. With this knowledge has
come closer attention to the detail
Of corn raising and breeding. But
while in the south number of men
have been giving these points thought
and work, yet To large extent each
has worked along Independent lines.
Each man has tried to hew an indie
pendent road to success for himself,
forgetting that much more rapid prog
ress conld be made if he joined with
his neighb"~s and all pulled together.
The worst fault that the agerage far
mcr has is this very thing of going 1t
alone. He breaks his land with sin
gle horse, does all of his cultivation
with the single horse and one furrOw
and pulls his crop To market with his
one horse. He has become so accus-
toned to the one horse idea that he
himself has never learned to work in
double harness. AS III VIII pay MIN
in breaking his land to combine with
his neighbor and pillow double, 50 it
will pay To combine with some neigh
bor i'm this effort To increase his corn
production. 1t was with the idea or
affordng an opportunity of this doub-
ling-up process that the South Allan
tic Corn exposition. to he held in Co.
mmhia. December to inclusive, has
been planned. Steps were taken 70
this end last spring at the time OF
the meeting of the Corn Breeders as
suciatinn. when the state legislature
was asked to assist such an enterprise
and responded literally 10y an appro-
priation of one thousand dollars.