Norwich bulletin., 1913-11-13

The five prizes, totaling S30, which the New London County Agricultural society offered earlier in the season to those who would make entries in a corn growing contest were awarded on Wednesday evening at the regular meeting of Norwich grange, No. 172, Patrons of Husbandry, which was made an open meeting for the purpose of having the entries exhibited and the judging made.
 w. l.. Slate, Jf.. professor of agro- nomy at Connecticut Agricultural col- lege at Sterrs. was the judge, and was also the speaker at the open session of the grange, when he talked in an en- tertaining and instructive way upon the subject of Corn Growing.
 The conditions of the contest called fer the entry of ten ears of flint corn grown by any male resident of New London county, and seven entries for competition were received, while El- more H. Berry of this city had on ex- hibition some nice specimens of pop corn from his Oak street farm.
 The Prize Winners.
 At a later period in the meeting, after making the awards, Professor Slate explained that there was only a narrow margin of merit between the various entries to which the prizes were awarded. They were the follow ing: First prize, $10, Roger Foote, Lebanon, Crosby field corn; second prize, $s. w. $. DeWolf. Preston; third prize, $6, Meadow Land farm, Gideon Dickinson, Norwich Town. mammoth yellow flint; fourth prize, $4, Roger Foote, Lebanon, 12-rowed corn; fifth prize, $2, James Murphy, Washington street, Longfellow field corn.
 Roger Foote had an entry of 90- day field corn which did not receive prize.
 Poor Year for Corn,
 After Professor Slate had concluded his judging, Worthy Master Gideon Dickinson called the meeting to order, remarking that 1t was gratifying this year, when many farmers had no corn crop to speak of, to see that New London county farmers had something to show, even if they were only a few of them at this first competition start ed by the county agricultural society, and he introduced Secretary Charles D. Greenman of the agricultural so- ctety, who announced the awards de- termtned upon by Professor Slate.
 Ought to Be National Emblem.
 In beginning his address, Professor Slate said that corn really ought to be the national emblem, for it is the real crop and exceeds all our other grain crops and other important crops, such as the cotton of the south, the wheat of the west and the apples of New England. It seems common place but is really our most important agricultural product. Time was when corn was raised on every farm in New England, but we drifted out of it about the time the western corn land came in and hay is now the stable New crop. We changed because we bought corn from the west cheaper than we could raise it here, but we are bound to come back to corn growing. With cracked corn at a price of from $1.60 to s1.9O per bushel we are swinging back to the time when it is going to pay to raise corn in New In the western corn belt it costs about 25 cents per bushel to grow that corn that sells here for $1.90. The difference in between all goes into somebody else's hands.
 Yet. the professor said, he would not have his advice taken to mean to grow corn regard1essly. Farming is