The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-06-10
MEXICAN PLANT WIZARD.
Zeferino DomingueZ is in Class With
Luther Burbank.

and cn!lQreH Slllce last AdlCl' LeH
erino DomingueZ. the Burbank OF
Mexico" has gone to Washington
and New York. says San Antonio.
Texas letter. He gave out an inter
view here on the value of carefully
selected seed corn and on world
trade conditions that is of interest to
planters and farmers generally.
Mr.. DomingueZ. upon whom has
been conferred the title of Corn
King" by many agricultural colleges
in the United States. has spent TWEEN
ty-five years and nearly 100000 OF
his personal fortune in the study OF
seed corn.
The average corn crop of Mexico is
90, 100000 bushels year under nor
NAL political conditions, Mr.. Domin-
guez said. This is 00,000,000 less
than is needed to feed the 13,OOO,-
600 inhabitants of the country, since
80 per cent. of the nations diet con-
sists OF corn. Mr.. Dominguez eX-
planned the use of the term political
conditions" in relation to the corn
crop. He said Mexico in turbulent
periods, such as revolts have brought
about, lessons the corn crop, since so
many farmers are in the various
armies the soil is not thoroughly cul-
tivated.
IF | had evil news to spread it
would travel like wildfire, as you say
here in the United States" Mr.. Do
minguez said. Truth travels at a
snail's pace.
1t appears incredible that
should be able to grow 240 bushels
of corn on an acre OF ground when
my neighbor grows only from I to
y. Many of them l have taught to
do the same as l. Others have not
followed my advice and are going
along in the same old rut.
Some American farmers would
think | was crazy if told them they
could raise 240 bushels of corn to the
acre on their farms They told me
the same thing in Mexico, but since
I've accomplished the seemingly i'm
possible they simply say I've got
wheels in my head all right, but that
they appear to be running on the
right track.
Yet it can be done. They can
take a piece of land on which they
raised thirty bushels of corn last
year and raise sixty on it next year,
and it does not matter whether it is
a dry year or not.
This yield can be increased so
that within five or six years, through
the proper preparation of the ground
and the judicious selection Of seed,
they can raise as much corn as can.
Iowa produces 30O,O00.000 BUSH
els of corn each year, and it is about
one-half the size of the State OF
Michoacan. Mexico. could raise
enough corn in Michoacan to feed the
Mexican nation if there was not an
ear of corn raised anywhere else in
the country.
The United States and Mexico are
losing billions of dollars annually
through their failure to produce as
much corn, cotton and wheat as they
can on the same acreage"
Cotton and wheat are occupying
considerable of Mr.. Dominguez's at
tention now. Again, seed selection
and the proper preparation of the
soil and the conservation of mois-
ture are the secrets of his success.
he says.
He raises two and a half bales OF
cotton to the acre, while his country
men worry along" with a third of a
bale to the acre, and say Mexico is
not a cotton country. The same is
true of his wheat crops.
Take the testing of wheat seed as
an example and see how simple it all
is" said Mr.. Dominguez. Il take a
sack of good wheat seed. From it |
take three handfuls, one from the
bottom. one from the middle and one
from the top. These | mix we'll and
pick out at random 100 seeds.
Il place them in a damp napkin,
put them on a plate and give them
sufficient moisture to make them
sprout. Those that sprout cling to
the cloth and those that are not fer
tile fall out when the cloth is turn
ed upside down.
Suppose thirty seeds out of the
100 fall out. This shows me that 80
per cent. of that seed will not grow.
The difficulty is solved readily by
sowing 80 per cent. more seed to the
acre than would appear to be requir-
ed, and my crop will be 80 per cent.