The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-07-11
THE CULTIVATION OF CORN
Receiving Particular Attention In
aIachua County. Which has the
Champion Boys and Girls Club
of the Country
tBy A P Spencer, assistant extension.
University Of Floridal.

Gainesville, July 1o.-I have just
spent a week among the boys and girls
of Alachua county who are contesting e
for the corn prizes. The work is en-
couraging in every sense and just
what il Will lead to is impossible to
calculate In every district | have
visited the interest is much greater
than l had expected. The boys are
anxious for the date Of this corn show
and have made fine preparation, and
each boy is expecting to win the first
prize The girls, too, are just as
anxious for this contest. Last year the
best sample of corn was exhibited by
Maud Godbey, Of Waldo, and it is also
noteworthy that this girl won the
first prize for judging. The girls as
we'll as boys are stimulated in this
work for the Improvement of this i'm
portant crop in the state. The par
ents are manifesting an intense inter-
est in this. In every section I have
visited the parents are encouraging g
the boys and girls to do their best.
When We consider that this is only
the second years work sof this organi-
"a ation, we must look for much greater
results in the years that are to come.
Quarrie spent several days among
these children last spring handing
them the corn. 500 kernels in a pack
Iage. and telling them what fertilizer
to use, how to prepare the soil. how
to plant and how TO cultivate. Their
suggestions have been carefully OBJ
served in many instances and where
they have paid attention to these sug
gestions the corn looks the most prom
ising. In a few cases the corn looks
wilted. but on getting the data from
these corn patches, the record shows
that the plowing has been done in the
old fashioned way-three and four in
ches deep, and of course, the crop has
suffered for the lack of moisture The
most promising corn | have seen was
planted on land plowed from eight to
fifteen inches deep and early in the
season It shows little or no effect
from the long drought that has been
so prevalent over the state during the
past four months.
It is a matter of national interest
that the heaviest yield of corn that
has ever been made on one acre was
produced last year by a corn club boy
in South Carolina, Jerry Moore. In
recognition of this the department of
agriculture, Washington. D. c., has is
sued a bulletin emphasizing the meth
DDS that this boy practiced in his op-
erations and giving the results of
some of his close competitors. This
boy has recently been entertained in
Iowa at large agricultural gather
| ing and is attracting world wide at
| tention.
| Alachua county has the banner corn
! club of the United States and while
the prizes are not as large offered
| in some sections, over $3.50 has been
subscribed, the most of which comes
| from merchants and business men of
the city of Gainesville. The best prize
| is $50. the remaining prizes ranging
| from 81 to $50: in all sixty prizes are
offered
| Prof. Vernon and Prof. Folfs have
given this matter their earnest atten-
ton; their policy is to stimulate the
activities, OF these boys and girls
| wherever they possibly can. A cir
cular letter goes out today from the
University of Florida telling the boys
and girls how to harvest their corn
how to select it, how to keep it free
| from weevil. and how to ship it &c
Gainesville for the meeting on Oc-
| tober 20. Prof Vernon has arranged
| to have the corn gathered a some con-
venent place in each district and
| shipped to the university al Gaines
vile by freight. thereby avoiding any
| unnecessary expense on the part OF
! the boys and girls. He also urges theil
| careful study of the corn score card
| and if they have lost their card tC
send to the university for another, a:
Prof. Vernon will be glad to give then
| any information they desire.
! Not only are the prizes offered fol