Lower coast gazette., 1913-01-25
SATURDAY. JANUARY Is, 1919
intensive Cultivation.

in this issue will be seen an IL
lustration of the results brought about by Ihe
Texas Industrial Congress in its prize contest
in Dallas in 1912. The Illustrations attempt 20
give in the size Of the graphic exhibit a better
comprehension Of the variations IN yield. AZ
the left hand below will be noted the ten year
corn average of Texas at 10 bushels per acre
and the big ear at the top shows that the prize
crop was 167 IL bushels per acre, nearly nlIle
Times the average yield. AS all Of the contest
ants for the prizes were probably intensive cul-
~tjyators to a greater or less extent, It VIII De
noted that 81 bushels per acre was their genera
average. while the lowest prize winner had an
average of e. IL bushels Of corn per acre.
The, weld Of cotton is equally surprising, as
the ten years average was but a thlrd OF q pale
per acre, while the largest yield IN the contest
this last season was 2.38 bales per acre. Inc
average of all contestants was l.4 Dales per
acre and the lowest prize winner was Liz Dales
per acre. This illustration and the figures given
sneak volumes to the earnest tiller OF the soil.
It is manifest thatif the work be we'll done the
results will be correspondingly increased. there
is every reason to believe that the profitable
cultivation of all of our crops demands first class
work. PERHAPS these extraordinarily large
crops may cost more than they are worth, oW~
ing to the immense sacrifice OF other crops IN
bringing these prize crops up to their perfec-
ton, but still, back of all this lies the fact that
any one Of. us can produce at least twice as
much in quantity Of our standard crops as we
do if we would give them the very best atten-
ton in every direction, which includes the prop
err fertilization Of the crop and yet only such
fertilization as experience has shown to be
profitable.
Let us emulate our Texas congeners and see
if we in the Parish of P%laquemines cannot grad
ually increase all Of our crops. It'll a matter OF
importance to our rice planters to learn that at
~ the Rice Experiment Station a5 Crowley it has
been found that rice responds as quickly as any
other crop to fertilization and if SO and a prop
er rotation OF crops be established, including
the planting of corn and peas it would seem
that a given area of land can be made to pro
duce in one year what it would do in two year:
with our standard methods Of rice cultivation
1t is comparatively manifest that sugar cane
culture unless carried on in a very careful way
will not be profitable at the prices ordinarily
paid for sugar cane. On the other hand, witt
adequate.preparation and a proper rotation O
crops including corn and peas, sugar cane cal
certainly be made a profitable crop, butt w
must have first class crops and not second no
third class, as has been generally the case i
late years.
In regard to corn, there is scarcely any Gro
of which we have any knowledge that can com
out 50 disastrously poorly as corn does when
has been neglected. Our soils will produce larg
crops of corn, but the corn must be Worke
when the work is needed and it will be made a
the better if cultivated once a week. Some c
our good corn planters on the upper coast plar
The corn in five foot rows for special c~ultiyatio
with a view of keeping down the grass and Ell
deavoring to have it gone over with ~cultivatln
machines once a week. Let us all try to Wo1
up as nearly as we can to the Texas crop COZ
test realizations.