Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-03-10
Boys Corn Clubs in the South.
(The Daily states.)


farms formed the theme Of an in.
teresting address of Congressman
Ransdell, of Louisiana, before the
House several days ago. Mr.. Rams
dell suggested that solution might
be found in a larger development
OF the idea of the boys corn club
movement in The South. He sketch
ed Interestingly the origin of the
idea and the remarkable results Of
the movement.
The plan originated with DR..
s. A. Knapp, of Calcasieu, native
of Iowa, whom i'll health forced to
seek the balmy climate of Louisiana
twenty-five years ago. DIR. Knapp
is now N years old and for several
years has been in the service of the
Department of Agriculture, engaged
in farmers cooperative demonstra-
ton work.
DR.. Knapp felt the wealth and
independence of the South would
be largely increased if it could be
persuaded to turn more of its atten-
ton to cereal crops. He realized it
was impossible to teach old men
how to raise corn, on the principle
that it is difficult to teach an old
dog tricks. So he decided to appeal
to the boys. Five years ago in a
small way he began to organize bis
boys clubs. II was slow work at
first, but there was the usual reward
of perseverance.
A year ago the first club had
grown into an army of 1900 act
i've members, of whom the four best
were sent TO Washington to receive
diplomas for exceptional success in
cultivation. Last year the total
reached 6,225, of whom eleven
went to the national capital to be
honored with diplomas and to be
received by the President, the prize
winner in each State being the one
who made the best average in yield
to the acre, manner of cultivation
OF the soil, profit on the crop and
wrote the best description Of the
crop.
The Texas boy, who was the top
notcher, raised little over 285 BUSH
els and the South Carolinian 22S "a
bushels to the acre. What this
means may be judged from the fact
that in the two great corn raising
States Of Illinois and Kansas the
average bushels per acre are respect
lively 80 and 10.
Nor were these isolated acres.
DR.. Knapp made up list Of 10C
boys and the average yield was
1917 an acre. Mr.. Ransdell said
the world had never seen anything
to equal that record. 1t meant
that the corn belt of the country
was moving southwark and that
the South can raise as much OF
more corn than any other section on
earth. of the total production Of
the country last year it had raised
Al per cent, of a value Of 1927 ,0O0,-
600, and yet a few years ago il was
considered actually unsuited to the
production Of corn. Mr.. Ransdell
said this year the number Of boys
enrolled in the corn clubs would
reach 100, 900. In Louisiana Prof.
Roy had carried on the work with
wonderful success end last year had
1886 boys enrolled. one of whom,
Young Henry, of Natchitoches, had
captured the highest prize in the
republic.
Mr.. Ransdell expressed the be-
lief that, carried to its logical anal
ysis, DR.. Knapp's idea would
eventually solve the problem of the
development Of the city at the ex-
pense of the country.
The census statistics show that
our cities and towns have grown
about three times as fast as the
country districts,n he said.
The statistics also show that
farm property in many portions Of
the country has diminished very
considerably in value in the last
twenty-five years. We must do
something to make the boys and
girls satisfied on the farm, and that
cannot be better done than by
showing them how to make life on
o.