Middletown transcript., 1912-02-17
BIG CROPS OF TWIN CORN
Information Helpful to Corn Crow
ers in Delaware

l Gle Ia NGA0WQAG
In 1910 the Maryland Twin Corn pro-
duced with me, 10 bushels of shelled
corn per acre, without manure or fertile
zer. Last year, 1911, this same corn
yielded with me at the rate Of So bushels
of shelled corn per acre, and in this in-
stance, without manure or fertilizer
There was no guesswork about these fg-
ures but were obtained by actual meas
ure This in the face of the fact that 1911
was the dryest year ever known in this
section. From the 25th of April to the
Sd of August we were practically without
rain; on the latter date we had about a
half inch of rainfall and ecarcely any
more until the fall, being very hot and
dry all the summer.
In July when this corn commenced to
silk and tassel it looked as though it
would never survive; the weather being
so hot, dry and windy that even the grass
in the field was so parched and brown
that it looked dead.
After the fodder had been stripped
from this corn, extended an invitation
to the public to come and make an esti-
mate ON the yield, per acre, of shelled
corn. l offered as a premium, q certain
amount of the corn, to the one that came
the nearest to guessing the yield per
acre. After many estimates had been
made, the Rev. R. K. Lewis, of the NJ. p
Church, Marion Station Nd, was the one
that captured the prize, his estimate be-
ing So bushels. Mr.. Lewis made the
nearest estimate in a similar contest of
our 1910 crop.
All of our large crops of corn reported
in the papers are grown by the liberal use
of fertilizer or barn yard manure or BOTH
1 want it understood that am not COM
demning the use of fertilizers or manure,
as 1 advocate the use of both; simply
wanted to emphasize that had been sue
cessful in growing these two large crops
of this particular variety ofeorn, without
either fertilizer or manure. The variety
of corn planted, has as much or more to
do with growing large crop of corn as
has other conditions. never grew such
large crops of corn until procured seed
of this variety, although Ihave had some
fine yields in my 40 years expesience.
Tbs average yield of corn in the United
States is less than % bushels per acre. To
produce on one acre what now requires
upon an average in this country, four
ceres, is something greatly to be desired
by anyone. The man that can make two
ears OF corn or two blades Of fodder grow,
where only one grew before, would render
valuable service to bis country.
The preparation of the soil, and the
seed selected for planting, plays a most
important part in producing large yield.
Many cereal farmers do not exercise pro-
per care in getting their land in shape for
receiving the seed, which to my mind is
very essential; also the proper care of the
plant after it gets up, no weeds should be
allowed to grow in your corn field.
The corn plant should have deep culti-
vation while it is young, but the larger
the plant gots the more shallow should be
the cultivation.
i have seen farmers cultiVating corn
and when they came out at the end of the
row the cultivator would be full of the
corn roots. To my mind this is very
much against ihe production Of a large
crop Of corn, as nature has provided these
roots for the development of the plant
and in turn the ear.
In this enlightened day many farmers
lay their corn crop by with a plough
which in my judgment is very detrimen%
tai to the crop. A plough should not be
used in a corn field afterthe crop is plant-
ed.
The corn crop is KING, and having
reached this exalted position in farming
is must be looked upon as very impors
tant crop for the farmers. do not know
of any crop that requires more skill to
produce large crop of, than it does that
of corn.
Let each of US strive TO grow a larger
and better crop of corn this year than we
did in any former year.