Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-05-19
A Chance for Jefferson County.

WASHINGTON, d. c., May II, l9lO.
EDITOR REGISTER-While our people
are planting corn, can't we do something
TO helm increase the yield above q ga
bushels of shelled corn per acre winch
was the average yield in the United States
last wear and which is practically the same
that il was forty years ago ? We usually
plant corn 3 IL feet apart each way.
which gives 1856 hills per acre. II eacn
hill would produce one ear or inches
in length and weighing 9 ounces, the
Weld for each acre would be % Sd bush
els, the average yield per acre IN me
United States last year; but as we always
allow two stalks to the hill in our country,
we ought to get double the United States
average yield-but we don't. A tea
spoonful of Peruvian guano in each NIL
has been known to increase the yield 10
or 20 bushels per acre.
We raised 1000 million bushels last
wear in the United States grand crop,
indeed. Out West they have almost
changed the answer to the Westminster
catechism, from "What is the chief end
of man % to read, Gan opportunity TO
raise corn"
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson has
organized ''boys' corn clubs" and 1900
have Joined these clubs in the United
States and nut their wits to work to in
crease the Weld per acre. The results
are surprising. One North Carolina i8-
year-old boy raised I52 bushels on one
acre. Plant your corn 3 IL feet apart IN
rows and II inches apart in the row, with
two and three stalks TO the hill and II VIII
produce 100 to l52 bushels per acre It the
ground is strong enough and properly
filled. A farmer on the Potomac, near
Romney, raised lao bushels on one acre
of river bottom land.
Ii is possible to double the yield OF corn
and wheat in Jefferson county. II has
been done. Wilson Bros. at Summit Point,
dealt in fertilizers and also put in Az
acre field in wheat and put on all the fer
tilizer that would run through the grain
drill openings, and that crop made 55 IL
bushels per acre.
Corn and potatoes were found in Amer
lea soon after its discovery by Columbus,
and the greatest wonder is how the hu-
mar family got along without these two
great crops. This census will show near
100 million people in the United States,
and in Is years, statisticianS say, we
will have 200 millions. II is quite GER
tain SO many Americans could not exist
here without these two great crops.
Secretary Wilson is very anxious to
have the contrasting clubs all over the
country and Invites all the successful con-
testantS to come to Washington and tell
him how they did it. Our county can
stand near the head. My father planted
a yellow corn on his 20-acre river bottom
field and picked out the finest ears Tor
seed every year, so developed a line
species of corn. Merchant Harget, OF
Frederick City, Md, offered $3.50 pock-
ct knife for the five best ears OF corn.
entered the contest and got second prize
in a county where Horace Greedy said
were the best farmers in the world.
Now if our men and boys will enter
this contest and show up their results J
will introduce them to Secretary Wilson
and show five best ears. This will re-
ceive his plauditS and advertise our coun-
ty as one of the best in the United States,
which it is all right Lime spread upon our
heavy clay soil will loosen it up so you
can sink a shovel plow deep and let the
corn roots 90 deep, and usually adds 8 or
| 10 bushels to the acre and brings big clo-
yer crop. You can see where each SHOW
elful is thrown around by the line of clio
yer flouriShing. Let our boys enter the
contest. JAMES M. ENGLE.