Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-28
FLOYD FARMERS WILL
FOLLOW WORK OF BOYS
Corn Club Results Awaken
Planters to Possibilities of
Such Crops

ROME, Ga, Nov. 25.-Many Floyd coun-
ty farmers have had their eyes opened
by the boys corn contest and have decid-
ed to quit raising SO much cotton and
devote more attention to corn. In fact,
the people of the county are Just be-
ginning to understand something of what
the boys corn contest means, and to
draw some lessons from the results.
There were 50 boys who went all
through with the contest and displayed
their corn at the county court house last
week. This Is q much larger number of
boys than finished In any other county
In north Georgia. except one; In some
OF the counties only three or four of
the boys finished.
The average yield per acre Of the 50
boys was 81 bushels. The biggest yield
was l2S bushels, and the smallest 80
bushels. Averaging them all up, the
yield was 81 bushels The average
yield per acre throughout the entire
state Of Georgia IL 16 bushels to the
acre. Therefore, the boys In Floyd
county on an average. did four times as
well as the state OF Georgia IL doing.
But 1t Is not In yield alone that the
showing is significant. but in cost of pro-
duction and in consequent proft Every
boy kept account OF his expenses, and
figured out what 1t cost him per bushel
to raise the corn. The average cost per
bushel 10 SO cents. Some of the boys
raised this corn at cost OF IL 1-2 cents
per bushel. some went to q cost OF 81
cents per bushel, and the average of the
whole crowd was IS cents per bushel.
Corn in the busk IL bringing 80 cents
per bushel. The man who goes to the
store to buy corn has to pay 90 cents
a bushel for It. The profit that the boys
make on their corn is, therefore. so
cents FER bushel. The price of cotton is
about nine cents these days, ana any,
farmer will say that 1t costs nine cents
pound to raise cotton, with mules, la
Dor and feed as high as IL Is now.
The farmers are asking themselves,
therefore. why they should raise cotton
at no profit, when the boys can raise
corn at a profit Of 80 cents per bushel
They are asking themselves why they
should have to buy western corn to
feed their stock, and thus send out OF the
state annually thousands of dollars that
ought to circulate In the state, when
they raise not only enough corn at home
to supply their own demands, but to sell
thousands Of dollars worth In the mar
kets.
There was absolutely no guess work or
either In the matter OF yield or of cost.
The yield was measured by committees of
men who had no interest In the contest
except fair play
The account OF the crop was kept ana
certified 60 by the boy. Each one
estimated ground rental IS per acre,
his own time at 10 cents an hour, ana
the time OF his horse at cents per
hour. Commercial fertilizers were
counted at actual cost. the manure at
50 for a two-horse load of one ton, on
81 for one-horse load OF one-half ton.
The computations were all made upon
this basis. What the boys OF Floyd
county can do the men can do. They
can, If they viii, show a much larger
yield and a greater profit than the
boys.
1t is hoped and expected that another
boys corn contest will be held in the
county next year. If 1t is, 1t can be
said IN advance that the yield will be
considerably greater. for the boys have
saved their seed corn. can make an
earlier start, have had more experience,
and will show far better and more
satisfactory results.
: It should be remembered. that these
figures quoted above are the average
for the whole club, not exceptional in
stances, but the result taking the good
and the bad, straight through.
When the boys of Floyd county can
raise 81 bushels per acre of corn, at a
cost of 36 cents per bushel, there is ne
reason why the county should not be-
come one of the best corn producins
sections in the entire south. Because
of the marvellous success experienced
by the members of the Boys Corn club
Of Floyd county In the production OF
corn, substantial farmers throughout
all portions OF the county have been.
encouraged to make preparations for
raising corn next year on large ano
scientific basis, and this together with
the fact that the soil of no other coun-
ty in the state is more adaped to the
cultivation of corn than is that OF Floyo
county, unquestionably means that
within a short time Floyd county viii
rank we'll up with the leading corn pro-
ducing sections Of the entire country.