The Detroit times., 1910-12-06
TAFT TO FETE
BOY FARMERS
Twelve Lads Are Champion Corn
Raisers of That Many States
In the South.
BY ROBERT r. WILSON.

O%Nb A|NN. aAAAo NV
week beginning Dec. IL Washington
Will be owned" by 12 boys from the
south, not one OF them over sixteen
years old. and some as young az
eleven. For whole week the capital
city. from President Taft down TO the
colored doorkeepers in the big white
buildings, will simply lay itself out en-
pertaining these kids.
Why? This is the reason:
These II heroes are the IL boy
champion corn raisers OF the United
States.
Each is a state champion, beginning
with Virginia and ending with Texas
Each has raised an acre OF corn which
for yield, profit and quality OF croI
has been the finest of the season In
his own state. There have been $4,000
boy contestants, but these II are the
champions.
They will be In Washington to at
tend the supreme event in their years
contest. During the week Secretary
ment experts who gave the contest
will go over the IL prize records. And
from their deliberations they will pick
from among these IL state champions
the champion boy corn raiser OF the
world.
There is some class to holding
that title. Placed beside that, bring
ing home TO America the marathon
victory at the Olympic games fades
to the insignificance Of winning the
potato race at the Sunday school field
day. Athletic trfumphs bring their
medals and their brief days of hero
ism, but the boy champion corn grow
ers OF the world has done something
great and OF value to his country. He's
produced something.
Boys Equally Matched.
It's impossible to tell now which OF
the u boys will win the championship
They all grade nearly equal. They will
compete on the basis of 100 points-30
for size OF crop, 80 for profit on the
acre. 20 for quality of corn raised, and
20 for the essay telling how the crop
was raised.
South Carolina is already hailing
her champion, Jerry II. Moore, aged
fifteen, as champion OF the world On
his prize acre Jerry produced 22S
bushels OF shelled corn this year.
Think Of that. Only once in history
has such enormous yield been equal
ed. Last year an adult scientific farm
er In Wake, County. North Caralina
made 2304 bushels on a single acre OF
ground.
But Stephen Henry, twelve, who
comes to Washington from the Match
itoches parish OF louisiana, while he
bnIa IN hfQ anFa-n
mere matter OF nine times the state
average--got greater net return than
Jerry. who probably spent more 1or
fertilizer and labor than Steve did
Only actual comparison OF the IL rec
ords will determine the champion.
The corn contest is new idea. II
originated in the brain OF DR.. 5. A
Knapp. of the department OF agricul
ture. who applied it first TO the south
which stood most In need OF agricul
tural education.
The idea has taken like wildfire
The contest Is only two years old. A
wear ago the boy contestants could be
numbered by hundreds, and only four
states held a championship contest
Hence only four boys come TO Wash
ngton.
This year 1925 southern boys
Jumped in for the prizes and cult
waited 46,225 acres scientifically. Mer-
chants and farmers associations and
the like offered cash prizes amount
Ing to 10000. Besides there were
special prizes; Gold watches, suits
OF clothes, rifles, bicycles and ponies
Next year there Will be twice as
l,.h. kuyfA n NJ
members, and the cash prizes will be
twice as great And then 1t will be
time to extend the contest to the
other great sections of the country
The first thing done to interest
boys in the contest is to organize q
corn club This is usually accom-
pllshed by department OF agricul
ture demonstrators or by state farm
ing expert. Usually there is one
corn club to a county, but some popu