Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-22
CORN GROWERS RECEIVE
DIPLOMAS FROM WILSON
"Much More important Than
an Inauguration" Says
Secretary.

This is much more important event
than the inauguration of a new President
of the United States, said Secretary OF
Agriculture Wilson. looking over the
group of corn club boys who crowded
his Office this morning. Thirty-five boys
and one girl. she being Viola Lewis OF
Arkansas, one of the canning club girls,
were assembled about the cabinet officer.
Miss Lewis was accompanied by her
mother as a chaperOn. There were sew
eral women in the party; one Of them,
Mrs Bridges of Dawson, Ga, was also
acting as chaperon for mite of corn
club boy who had raised next to the
biggest crop in Georgia. He was Walter
Bridges. his yield being 156 bushels to
the acre. He was the smallest member
of the whole party.
Mr.. Taylor, the assistant chief of the
bureau of plant industry. asked him how
he ever reached any of the ears on a
cornstalk, and Walter replied confidently,
Jest stretched"
1t is certain he did his stretching after
the corn was cut down. for he was not
much more than thirty-six inches high at
liberal estimated Byron Bolton. from
the same state, raised III bushels. but
Walter had the whole party beaten for
minimum size.
Importance of Work.
Secretary Wilson made quite long
talk to the boys and impressed them with
the Importance of their work and the
value to them personally Of handling
tangible things and getting in actual
touch with the work of feeding the world
in which they were already taking an ap-
preciable part
The Secretary handed each of the boys
a certificate from the department., sign
ed by himself, certifying the yield made
by the young corn grower. After the
meeting was over the Secretary, the
boys and a few members Of Congress, col
lege professors and others adjourned to
the south steps of the administration
building and had a photograph taken.
The whole party then left for the Cap
itOl in charge of o. III. Benson of the
Office of farm management and o. B.
Martin of farm demonstration.
Raised Greatest Crops.
This was a good year for corn through
out the country, but the high score of 81
bushels did not quite reach the boys
record for the department. The 2O7-
bushel yield was made by Ernest
NJ Joyce of Venters. S. c. He was
closely pushed by Ernest Reddoc!S of
Summerland. Miss, who raised 2O6 BUSH
els But the general average was higher
than ever before. There were more boys
and more states represented in the COM
petition, and 453 boys scored crops OF
more than 100 bushels to the acre. This
was considered by the officials a remark
able showing. and is just about four
times the average of the crop for the
whole country.
The one little girl visitant was the sole
representative of the girls canning clubs.
She had not devoted her entire plot of
ground to tomato culture, as had many
of the girls. but had raised a succession
of crops, tomatoes. beans and turnips.
She sold some of her produce fresh and
canned the rest She had just tenth of
an acre as had the other girls, and ma lie
So, off it.
Reports and pictures of many girl win
ners who did not come to Washington
have been received by the department.