The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-07
MEASURING THE PRIZE ACRES
Meeting of the City National Bank
DiversifiCatiOn Prize Contestants.

nee OF the President OF the City Ma
tional Bank. Plans for measuring the
prize acres and gathering the products
were discussed The contestants
very enthusiastic and through all of
the ups and downs that usually beset
a farmer in growing four different
kinds of crops. more than twenty
contestants expressed themselves as
being very much in the running yet.
The 10Th of January. 1918, was set
as the final limit for sending in re-
ports. 1t was decided best for each
contestant, with the two witnesses
certifying to the accuracy of his re-
ports. to keep secret the records. The
reports will be submitted to a COM
mittee selected by j. Frank Will
liams for making the awards.
The first prize Is 500, for the great
est average yield on each Of the fol-
lowing crops: an acre Of cotton, an
acre of corn, an acre Of peas, and an
acre of sweet potatoes. For the first
prize each crop will represent 25 per
cent. The yield of cotton will be the
weight Of the seed cotton grown on
acre. yield Of corn will be number of
bushels Of shelled corn derived by
weighing all of the corn in the shuck
and then shucking and shelling one
hundred pounds. taken from different
loads and being an average Of the
corn and weighing the shelled corn
then that per cent Of the total num-
! Der of pounds of corn in the shuck
will give the number of pounds Of
shelled corn. Divide number of
| pounds of shelled corn by Sc and this
will give number of bushels of shelled
corn. The peas are to be threshed,
measured and weighed. The potatoes
are to be measured in an ordinary
Hour barrel and results given as so
many barrels of potatoes. The bar
rels are to be filed level full without
shaking.
The second prize is 500 for the
most profit on these four acres, in
cluding everything that may be grown
during this year except fodder. AS
experiment stations have proved that
IL does not pay to pail fodder, the
bank officials did not wish to encour-
age IL. For the second prize uniform
prices were adopted, SO per bushel for
peas. 81 per bushel for corn, $40 per
ton for peavine hay $40 per ton for
cotton seed, gin weights 20 corte rar
pound for cotton. public sca!ns IN
Sumter weights. $3.50 per barre! for
sweet potatoes. Extra staple cotton
was TO be compared with middl!ne
short staple on day extra staple w.s
sold. In other words, the price re-
ceived for extra staple is to be sub
mitted with price of middling short
staple on day extra staple is sold.
The price Of fertilizer is to be the
price paid by contestant, IL paid for
this fall. 5 per cent to be added if
cash was paid in the spring. Stable
manure Is 50 per two-horse load or 81
per one-horse load. Lot manure is to
be one-half the price of stable man.
ure.
The four acres are to be measured
by disinterested committee, and
stakes driven to show boundaries Of
acres. These stakes to he left stand
ing until after the 18th of January,
1913. The dimensions allowed for
each acre is to be submitted in the
report.
Mr.. G.. a. Lennon. president Of the
City National Bank made the state
ment that it was the intention Of the
bank to give either $500 or $500 in
prizes for diversified crops next year.
He also stated that the bank would
give prize of $50 to the farmer who
would grow the greatest amount Of
thoroughly cured vetch and oats on
an acre to be harvested next spring.
After the meeting adjourned, Mr..
Geo. l.. Kicker. Cashier of the City
National Bank took the party to the
star Restaurant, where a sumptuous
dinner was served and the discussion
OF modern farming continued.
After dinner cigars were passed
around and We separated feeling
that If the farmers and other busi.
ness enterprises We're to take as
much interest in building up the fer
til.ty OF and increasing the produc-
tion OF the Sumter soil as the City
National Bank it would not be long
before large barns would he the rule
on every farm. the banks would be