The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-09-20
A FORMER UNION BOYLS
CHAMPION CORN GROWER
Mr.. William Arthur, Son of
Mr.. and Mrs. B. F. Arthur
Formerly of Union, but
Now Living in Winches-
ter, Va, Makes Frederick
Farmers Take Notice

ana Mrs. Is. r. Arthur, who own an
occupy the old Tidball estate, a sho,
distance west of town on the North
western grade, has grown three acre
OF corn during the summer seaso
which has caused many farmers VIII
have examined it to sit up and t.k,
notice.
Young Mr.. Arthur, who is but I,
years of age, returned a few davs
ago to the Clemson Agricultural Col.
lege at Clemson, S. c., and he will
naturally await with considerable in
terest the report from his corn crop
the cutting of which was begun to-
day.
Last year was his first year at the
college, and during the latter part
OF the term he won a four-year schol-
arshlp upon his examination and his
own merits which entities him to free
tuition There were about a score of
young men in the class which COM
peted for the scholarship.
The corn which Mr.. Arthur worked
curing his vacation was planted on
April by his father, and the seed
known as the White Cap variety, was
obtained from the Jacob E Baker
1arm IN the same locality. No COM
mercial fertilizer whatever was used
on the land, and little was known at
the time concerning climatic condi
.,ohs' IL was more an experiment
than anything else, the idea being to
ascertain whether the land would pro
ouce' through proper cultivation,
more corn than is usually grown per
acre in Frederick county.
A reporter for The Star accompa.
MED Mr.. B. F. Arthur through the
large field this morning. The stalks h
We're 1ropls eight to ten feet high, and !
soHe are eveH'}htrber. SThese- --ter,e
sssIk swI Isatfs had on tH e h saa ssas .ssss
of the ears being about Is inches
long in the shuck, and all were uni
form. The kernels were not only
long, but they were unusually we'll
filled, sold and firm.
When young Mr.. Arthur came
home from college in June the corn
was not over 18 inches or two feet
high. He went to work at once in the
field TO see what he could do with
the corn that his father had planted.
The field was plowed by the young
man three times each way and hoed
by hand. Several weeks ago the en-
tire field of corn was blown down by
terrific rain and wind storm, but all,
with the exception of a few stalks,
came up again and when seen this
morning none would have thought
that it had weathered such a storm.
Corn experts who examined the
field last week declared it would GER
tainly average rs bushels to the acre.
Counting young Mr.. Arthur's actual
labor at $1.50 a day, the total expense
of blowing, narrowing, seeding and
making" the corn was $33.75. This
does not include the cutting, the cost
of which is small item.
Young Mr.. Arthur's father stated
today that the corn was worked after
his sons own ideas, the latter hav-
ing suggested that the ground be
plowed at least ten inches deep, which
was done, and he attributed the un-
usually large yield for this locality to
deep blowing and intensive cultiva-
tion He stated that next year that
part of the farm set aside for corn
will be thoroughly fertilized, and he
then expects to grow at least hun
dred bushels to the acre.
Mr.. Arthur called attention to the
fact that Jerry Moore, lad of Is
years, raised 228 bushels and three
pecks of corn on one acre of compa-
ratively poor sandy soil in South Car
olina in 1910, and was proclaimed the
champion boy corn grower of the
world by the United States depart
ment of agriculture. Miss Hannah
Plowden, of South Carolina, raised
year.
The point which Mr.. Arthur wish
ed to emphasize was that if South
Carolina boy can raise 228 bushels
of corn on old sandy upland, the top
soil of which is less than four inches
deep and with yellow subsoil, what
are the possibilities of the rich lime
stone land of Frederick county?
Mr.. Arthur's son does not expect to
equal the record Of Jerry Moore, but
he is confident Of producing at least
100 bushels of corn to the acre next
year, now that he has become quite
familiar with climatic and soil con-
dition in Frederick county.-Evening
Stor U;rcbactar Va