Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-09

woman WHO is one Oh tile ldTSeSl IdISSiS
in that section tells an interesting story
about her work.
Last year 1 raised my champion
popcorn crop, which netted me $79 to
the acre, and as I had thirty-eight
acres you can easily calculate the
amount clared on the entire crop
You know this is the popcorn center
of the country if not of the world, as
the inhabitants describe it.
"There are several men who have
surpassed me, but in time 1 intend
to beat them. You see 1 have only
been farming on my own hook for the
last eight years, and for the first two
1 didn't go in for more than few
acres of popcorn. Then finding that
there was more money in it than in
other farm truck determined to make
the biggest crops in the county.
"The average popcorn crop nets
about $50 an acre. When I first moved
into the popcorn belt l thought it was
one of the easiest of all crops to han
die, but before 1 had been there many
years l was convinced that the sue
cess of your crop depends about as
much on the way you gather and care
for it after it is ripe as on the way you
plant and cultivate it.
Popcorn must be picked with great
care and no husk or silk left on the
ears. AS soon as luo COru lS piChco
it is taken t. the crib and carefully
stored. To have the best grade OF
popcorn it is necessary to have cribs
specially built.
''They are constructed of strips of
wood much narrower than those used
in building the average corn crib. The
reason for this is that the grain needs
freer ventilation. In my own popcorn
cribs, to make the circulation of air
oh tho free D0SS1Dl6.
1 always lay in line of loose drain
pipes. Such ventilation is necessary to
make the corn dry out perfectly.
Each grain of corn must dry out
thoroughly. Popcorn that is damp on
one side or in the center of the ker-
mel will not pop freely or perfectly.
Besides the drain pipes there are dry
ing fiues at intervals of every six feet
in many of the cribs near my farm.
This is not necessary in dry years, but
when there is a rainy spell it comes in
very handy.
According to my experience it costs
$14 an acre to raise crop of popcorn.
This covers all expenses from the
breaking up of the land to getting the
crop to market and includes rent at the
rate of $5 an acre, which is rather
above than below the rent paid for
popcorn land. Picking and harvesting
is considerable item, as pickers are
paid about Is cents and board for every
hundred pounds of corn. AT this rate
the average popcorn picker earns be-
tween SO and $3.50 day.
"As a general thing popcorn pickers
are hard to get, and when a farmer
lays hands on enough to harvest his
crop he is willing to add lodging to
their wages and board. The harvest
ing is similar to that of other corn,
only it requires greater care and gen.
tier handling.
ION my own farm raise other crops
for the sake of supplying the needs of
the place, but popcorn is the only SELL
ing crop / put in. There are years
when my profits have not been large,
but that happens with all crops. At
one time, I am told there was great
fear in our country that there would
be no market for as much popcorn as
was raised, but the fear passed off,
and for the last three years the demand
has been largely on the increase.
'This increase in the demand Is said
to be owing to the popularity of the
popcorn ball in England. UP to a
few years ago America was about the
only market we had for the corn, then
1t was introduced into London, and at
once became so popular that the de-
mand increased by half and the prices
went up a cent or so a pound. I have
heard some talk Of introducing 1t into
other countries. In that case 1t would
be a good thing If farmers in the east
began to raise 1t.
II am by no means a large popcorn