The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-09-29
Champion Potato
Grower ofAmercia

| lean magazine, one of the leading ma
tional monthlys, has story about
one of our Cache Valley boys which
should be of more than local inter-
est A very fine picture accompan-
les the story, which follows:
His name is Merle Hyer. His age
is seventeen years, all Of which years
| he has spent in his native state,
Utah. During the winter he attends
the high school of Lewiston, Cache
County, Utah, in his home town, and
every summer he rents at least one
acre of his fathers farming land and
raises potatoes for fun and profit.
At a contest held last autumn be-
tween the nineteen thousand men,
bers of the Boys and Girls Industrial
Clubs of Utah, Merle Hyer was de.
| clared the State Champion, for hav.
ing raised 764 bushels of marketable
| potatoes per acre.
Later 1t was announced that there
would be q national convention of all
| leaders and champions from the va
rious states where the club move.
ment has been inaugurated This in
teresting assemblage of young peo-
pie between the ages of twelve and
eighteen years was scheduled to con-
vene at Washington, District Of Colum
bia, where all recipients Of local state
honors might compete for national
distinction and be the guests of the
Department Of Agriculture for one
week, commencing December IL.
Young Hyer Of Cache County, Utah,
was one Of two chosen from that
state to attend this convention. Be
ing poor school boy and his parents
unable to supply him with the nee.
essary funds to make the trip 1t look.
ed for time as though this enter.
prising young farmer lad would be
deprived of the distinction Of filling
a place at that unique gathering
But half dozen prominent men of
his state, hearing of his predicament,
advanced the necessary money, and
the result was that Merle and a box
of his choice "4H" potatoes took the
train for Washington. And the next
result was that his yield Of 1872 bush
els on his best half acre was declar-
ed the largest and best output of all
potato growers in the convention
Somewhat less than one hundred club
workers were present but they were
, the champions of the total 100000 en-.
, rolled members throughout the Unit
, ed States. Prof. o. H. Benson, OF
Washington, d. c., and director OF
all these clubs in America for the
Department of Agriculture, was the
man who pronounced this young ag
rlculturist the champion In his field
potatoes.
The '4H" brand is the name Mas
! ter Hyer has christened his special
: crop of Early Eureka potatoes. The
name represents the development
and union of Head, Heart, Hand and
: Health of the American youth.
The yield of Merle Hyer was ap
proximately 500 per cent higher than
the average crop in our country and
+ If the coming generation Of farmers
J. can follow his lead In the future II
will necessitate but 100000 acres in
stead of 10000 acres to raise oul
e national crop of 'spuds." Or. better
e still, on the present 100000 acres
so devoted, our country should re
alize not 400O00,000 bushels bu
eight times that amount, or 5000,
100000 bushels of potatoes. In this
!, day of agitation about the high cos
e of living and the great need Of bet
h ter methods in scientific production
intensive cultivation, ETC., this boys
accomplishment should supply one o.
the needed object lessons.
The following statement gives thu
boys own account OF how he did it;
In producing my potatoes this II
:. the plan followed: chose II san
dy loan that had been in alfalfa FOL
six years. Before breaking up Of
plowing the land, l spread THU
coat of barnyard manure over 1t. or
the ninth day Of May ! plowed The
land eight inches deep, and while tn
i land was still moist | narrowed it,
q The Early Eureka variety OF po
u tatoes is the one chose for my seed
5 | selected nice, smooth, uniform po
l. tatoes about the size of an egg or
: little larger, being careful to SCI
g that they were free from disease
J. These selected by hand from thu
e most productive hills the year be
S fore, as | had grown crop of Earl!
{. Eurekas the previous year. This see'
o cut In halves, and 1t may be vel
to mention cut them lengthwise.