The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-04-14
THE CORN CLUB

To the Editor of The Herald
( | feel very great interest in the
Boys Corn Clubs of Tennessee and
Of Maury county especially, and am
really glad to see so many Maury
county boys taking an interest In this
contest. l am sure great good will
result from this spirited contest.
While / know that most of the boys
who have entered the contest have
practical and successful corn growing
fathers, who will advise and assist
them in their efforts, yet it may be
that a few words of encouragement
from someone else might help impress
on their minds the instruction and
advice of their fathers, and want to
help them all / can to make Maury
county show up first in the State con-
test
There were thirty boys in Missis-
sippi last year that passed the 100
bushels to the acre yield and four of
them grew over 200 bushels per acre.
Our Maury county boys can do as
WELL. Growing extra large crops of
corn is a science and not a result of
luck or chance The grower must
study natures laws and comply with
them.
There are some things essential to
the growing of large yield of corn
There must be good soil. 1t must be
well prepared and fertilized Good
seed must be planted, that is accli-
mated to the section and of strong
vitality so a good stand can be OBJ
tanned of strong healthy germs. A
good stand must be secured and care
fully held, for the large yield cannot
come from the poor stand and the re-
suit of the contest may be so close
that the yield of only a fe wstalks
may decide it. 1t is best to plant
enough seed to produce more plants
than are needed, so when they are es-
tablished the surplus may be chopped
out. Do not repIant with new grains,
but If birds or moleg make vacancies,
refill the vacancies by taking up
plants where too thick and setting out
in missing places. This will succeed
if carefully done and bring all the
crop along together.
There are certain chemical ele-
ments necessary to plant growth, the
soil must contain phosphorus, potash
and nitrogen available, so that it will
dissolve in water for the little feed
ing rootlets, like an invalid must be
fed on soup. They have to take their
nourishment in solution So there
must be water in the soil The
sponge-lfke property Of the soil that
holds the water is called humuA We
all know that a sponge win hold
more water than clod of clay Of
some size Stable manure or vegeta-
BILE matter turned under TO decay
makes this spongy character IN IN.
soil. 1t takes much water to grow
a large crop of corn and that water
must be held in the soil through the
season for the use of the growing
plants. This is where the science
of successful cultivation comes in
The hot sunshine draws the water to
the top of the soil, through capillary
attraction from deep down In the sub
soil; this is law of nature, but the
scientific cultivator must stop 1t when
in reach of the little feeding root
let's and not let it evaporate only
through the leaves of the growing
plant. This he can do by constant,
level, shallow cultivation, never let
crust form on the surface and never
cultivating deep enough to break or
injure the little feeding rootlets that
spread from row to row in their
search for food for the growing plant.
There are thousands of the little
pumps at work all the time, forcing
the plant food from the damp soil up
into the cells of the growing plant,
where the plant food is absorbed and
the water evaporated through the
leaves.
Then save the moisture by keeping
a dry dcst blanket on top, but do not
work deep enough to break the little
feeders. Keep this up until the silks |
appear: do not quit too soon.