The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-13

What are you going TO be when
you grow up?" asked the progress edi-
sor of happy young Ralph Bellweod.
the corn king of the State fair yes
ferday.
"A farmer every time promptly
responded the manly young .elaoxr
and he uttered the words with the
frank. convincing air Of a man OF
forty There Is no mistakins the
young fellows purpose, and in the
light OF the record he has made ne
would be a very foolish youth IL ne
attempted any other career. Frsnpic
is most lads OF his age are foolish,
Ralph is an exception to the RUE
A Proud Father.
MY SONS, said the lad satasi
yesterday. would much rather go ous
10 cornfield and study methods OF
bringing the crop TO perfection than 10
play baseball or go fishing. They
take pride in it---agricultare Is
passion with them
Mr.. Beliwood has one son AT btaeNs
burg. where he is learning agricuitut"'
Ralph viii go there as SOON as ln1
older brother return to the faTm. Ahu
don't think for a moment that Naipl'
has n dull time--he gets az maei
pleasure out of his work on behsVou
III.
nerfection where II wins purple fio-
hons. that the city boys do out or
game of baseball in a back lot. re
has his recreation. too, lie OWNS
bicycle and a pony. and between 49,. ~,
aiversions and his farming every fno-
ment az his time is happily occupied,
A Wonderful Boy.
Ralph Bellwood is In many respeSss
one Of the most wonderful Dogs ~
Virginia today, and one Wnonl
whole state is proud OF. Al the aAS
~ seventeen he is not only the cham
nion corn grower OF the state faif, put
the corn king Of Virginia. He cap
tured everything In sight In the poss
-eorp club class and that didn salts
~ his ambition He entered the men
.la secs at the fair last week ana cap.
fured the sweepstakes Tor Tue
er,rn at the fair. and that means the
best corn in the state OF sirsih
II was an ambitious ehort TOT :
ho, - seventeen, but Ralph hitehed
his wagon to a star and made goou.
:. rafr,,red time and hard work ana
,s-sarrifice, but any farmers boy Ia
Virginia can do It. Born AND preo
IN the farm, Ralph conceived TINS
Sondness for corn perfection when
he was fourteen. 1t required only
three wears for him to climb TO the
Tan az the ladder. and mot iHahs
wears hence, when probably many OF
HIS neighboring young men OF MS
acs are clerking in a city store Tor
rittance. Ralph Bellwood, Will De
nointed out as one OF the States most
nrosperous farmers, with a bank ac-
.ount and lands and houses OF ms
own. III the literature the depart
,nent OF agriculture might send out
fron, now till doomsday on the
problem of keeping the boys on the
farm won't do as much good as the
nrartical example this boy offers the
state and the nation.
started mt Fourteen.
Ralph Joined the Boys Corn club
In 1903. He made In that year 122
bushels OF corn on his acre. 1t being
ne record yield for Virginia. Besides
the cash premium he was given a
trtp to Washington and weeks
stay there as a guest Of DR.. s. a.
Knap. A diploma was presented to
him by the secretary Of agriculture.
In 1910 dwith a had dry period, as
eorn was earring. the yield was i0a
In 1911 at petersburg he won first
nrixe In mems class for best ten ears
white corn, AMI first In all boys
classes for corn This year DIT State
fair he has taken first for best ten
esrx white corn In meH's class sec-
ond for bert six stalks, ears attached.
mems class. frst for hest twenty ears
boys ciass; nrst- for best ave carr
hoys' elias, and sweepstakes tor best
corn ~ fAir. TaA pyesniuns eggres
435f9E 3231 y 4 y. : s.