The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-06-18
To Raise Corn in Louisiana
Prof Roy Gives Valuable Account About the Methods
that are Being Used to Increase the Yield of this
Essential Crop to the Farmers Success.

A whole day might be devoted
to a discussion of the Importance
of the corn crop, both to Louisi-
ana and to the United States; but
for our purpose at this time, it
must suffice to say that the 1909
corn crop of Louisiana exceeded
in value the cotton crop by some
$l5,0OO,O00 and that, on the basis
of 4c per pound, the sugar crop
fell short of the value of the corn
produced by some 81, 100000. Ac-
cording to the estimates made by
the government at Washington,
the corn crop of Louisiana last
year reached total of 81. 1913, 900
bushels. Iu 1908 the production
was a little less than $4,000, 900
bushels. We have therefore some
reason to be satisfied with the in
crease of production and the pro-
gress made in 1909 over 1908. Yet
we should not be SO satisfied as to
overlook any step that we may
now take further to increase our
corn crop. For it still remains a
fact that while Louisiana is capable
of producing as much corn per
acre as any State in the Union, we
are we'll short Of the average pro-
duction. The government reports
give the average yield in the State
for last year as twenty-three BUSH
els per acre. That is the most
pleasing of all facts concerned with
our 1909 crop; because in 1908 the
average yield was but 1913 per acre.
LOUISIANA A CORN STATE.
At the Tribune land exposition
held at Chicago during last No
vember, the Wisner land company
of New Orleans had the motto:
Louisiana: the New Corn State"
placed prominently over its splen-
did display of Louisiana products.
1 believe the time is rapidly COM
ing when Louisiana will be recog-
nized as one of the best corn States
in the country. We have the soil,
the fertility, the length of summer,
the intensity of heat; all that is
necessary for the production of
the large corn crops. What is
more, we have the record. Here
are a few instances: The winner
of the premium for yield among
the boys corn clubs of Avoyelles
in 1909 made over fifty-seven BUSH
els; two of the boys made each
more than seventy-four bushels;
G. A. Candy, of Homer, told me
that he had made one year 1851
bushels on one acre; and finally,
up in DeSoto they tell you OF a
MIR. Hartwell who has a record of
l54 bushels. So believe we can
grow corn.
CAUSES OF SMALL YIELDS.
But so long as We go on averag-
ing twenty or twenty-three bushels
per acre there must be some strong
factors operating to keep Louisi-
ana farmers from getting what they
should out of the wealth of favor
able surroundings afforded by our
State. What are some of these
factors? Briefly, l believe they
are the following: Lack of proper
preparation of the seed bed; insult
ficient supply of humus; the use
of inferior seed; poor stands due
to failure to test the terminating
power of seed used; incorrect
methods of cultivation. That is a
long catalog of sins; but believe
that as State we are guilty, and
it is a case of mea culpa, for the
leaders in agriculture in Louisiana
have long preached those sermons
that should have placed we'll mean
ing fan mers on their guard.
PREPARING THE SEED BED.
The corn plant is a vigorous