The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-05
any method which he canno. wisely adopt is

any method which he cannot wisely adopt IL
OF no use whatever to him.
The longer q man has been growing corn
and the more carefully he has watched II, the
more sksptical he win be about some OF these
prise yields of corn. He knows perfectly well
the number Of stalks In an acre whom he has
a uniform stand. say three in a hill. when using
a three-foot-eight or three-foot-sx planter or
when he drills In any case the farmer wishes
to set from nine to eleven thousand stalks per
acre. Now. II he grows a pound to the stalk.
he can easily figure the number OF POUNDS 10
the acre. Then if he will divide the product
by seventy when the corn 10 really ht to GRID
and deduct ten per cent OF the weight Tor
moisture Cor up to 20 per cent. according 10
the scason) he has the number of bushels per
acre and will be surprised at the result ~
looks as II were easy to grow, say LOO pusheiS
OF corn to the acre; but he knows the ea.
ceeding difficulty Of getting a yield OF that
amount anything like 1t. He knows that II
ID possible under the best conditions to grow
two pounds to the hill. og approximately ninety
bushels per acre. He knows that he must hght
for anything that he gets over that. He knows
that II he gets one pound to the hill on fuH
stand. he has forty-five bushels per acre, de-
pending upon the way his lister drops, or upon
the width OF his planter. He knows that IN
the United States the average - about
three-ffths OF pound to the hill or one-hftn
of pound TO the stalk. For this reason he is
exceeding skeptical about these large yields. and
1t would give him very much more confidence
In the reports IT, with accurate measurement
the Yield was reduced to a twelve per cent or
crib dry standard If this method were fol-
lowed and really it IL the only strictly honest
rate that would astonish the readers OF farm
papers"
Wallace Farmer has this to say of Boys Corn
Clubs in Virginia:
These clubs now being organized in many
sections of Virginia originated In Illinois in 1902.
The average yield of corn made by these boys
per acre in 1910 was 61.46-100 bushels per acre;
the average cost was 4S.45 cents per eushel, or.
about $Sa.4S cents per acre, The reader VIII
have no doubt in his mind that this corn was
gathered in the early fall, when 1t was full
D
Massachusetts Experiment Station, quoted above,
1t would be safe to say that the average yield
per would be reduced to IS bushels of
corn worth on the market to-day 62 cents per
bushel or, s21.70. showing a net loss to the
| boy per acre of $7.7s. The Southern Planter
wisely sounds the danger signal in its February
issue / quote as follows:
We want to see the demonstrators teach
the boys and the men to be real farmers. that
| Is growing good crops and improving the fer
| tlity of the soil at the time and not mere
experimenters with fertlzers-gamblers with
/ loaded dice
In the face of these facts. familiar to every
practical and intelligent farmer. this state of
affairs has been proclaimed from end of
this State to the other; but this is not ali, II
has been advertised to the world that it coss
4S.45 cents per bushel to grow corn In Virginia,
| one of the best all-round agricultural States in
the Union. 1t is not the desire nor the intention
| of the writer to in1ure in any way the Boys
Corn Clubs. or any OF the work that is being
done for better farming, yet 1t Is my desire
for the farmers of Virginia to consider these
facts and profit by them. / proud to see
our State making such rapid strides in agri-
| cultural development, but / want to say here
that this growth Is not due to any particular
apostle of agriculture but to many agencies
that have worked long and faithful for her
betternent. The general advance in agricul-
tural products has had its effect the rural free
delivery OF the mail, scattering agriculture
literature broadcast throughout the State, has
with the many other agencies OF progress. help
ed to make the now 'dawnng era of prosperity
Tor the virginia farmers Virginia has AWAY.
been great agricultural State and her re-
sponsNe SOIL her climatic condition, her near
ness to the big markets will always keep hel
IN the front ranks. Let give to some o.
the boys and to of the men prizes fol
the greatest yield Of corn per acre. produced
with the least expense
FRED HUZIG.