The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-15
SEED CORN STATION HERE.
III. IL. ScarbOrOugh's Farm ut Rocky
BlufY Selected by T.. &. TarbOx of
Clemson College.

INoiieSe FACULTY Oh demonstrators, to-
gether with Mr.. j. Frank Williams.
local farm demonstrators for Sumter
county. called at the Chamber of
Commerce yesterday and authorized
Secretary Reardon to announce that
Mr.. III. L. Scarborough's farm at Rocky
Blum, Sumter county has been select
ed as the corn breeding station in
Sumter county.
The South Carolina Plant Breeders
Association will direct the work in
thsi corn breeding. Mr.. Tarbox SAYS
that this is the first county visited and
the first corn breeding station estab-
| lished.
There will be twelve breeding sta
tions In different parts of the State. i'm
addition to one at each of the expert
ment stations.
The object of the work is to breed
a good variety of corn for each of the
twelve sections so that the farmers
will know where to get good seed
corn.
Mr.. Tarbox thinks that the average
yield of corn can be increased more
than five bushels per acre throughout
this state by careful seed selection, and
the quality vastly improved.
In addition to the breeding work
they will conduct variety tests with ten
different varieties of corn on each of
the twelve breeding stations. These
tests will be run for about four years.
using the same varieties each year.
The object of this test Is to see II any
OF the varieties are especially adapted
to any one section. The two most pop
ular varieties in the Sumter district
VIII be included in the test, the other
eight varieties will be those which
have shown up best in the State, as
q whole.
five acres Of land will be de-
'reted to this work. in Sumter county
next year. Mr.. ]. Frank Williams, our
Local farm demonstrators Is very much
gratiaed at the selection of Sumter
county as one of the corn breeding sta
tions as this has been long felt want
In his line OF work.
Prof. w. W. Long. in charge of farm
extension work at Clemson College,
has assured the Sumter Chamber of
('OmnRrNa a..
Williams. on more than one OCCASION
that he was so highly appreciative o'
the cooperative work OF the Sumter
commercial organization with Clemson
College and the agricultural districts
that he was very anxious to do some
thing for Sumter county, and in a let
ter written a few days ago Prof. Long
emphasized the fact that he wanted
to do something for Sumter county be-
caluse the Sumter commercial secre-
tary has exhibited unusual interest
and activity in assisting Clemson in
building up the agricultural districts
in conjunction with the college off,
cials.
The establishment Of the corn
breeding station I'm this county Is, ac-
cording to reliable authority, only
beginning Of greater governmental ef-
fort in this county. for cooperation be-
tween the Sumter banks, merchants
and professional men of Sumter by the
donation of many hundreds Of dollars
as prizes for diversifcation, rotation of
field products, girls canning, and boys
corn clubs, tobacco, and other agricul-
tural and domestic science efforts,
have caused the United States depart
ment of agriculture to sit up and
take notice of Sumter county.
Local Demonstration Williams has
been live wire official when 1t comes
down TO bringing the city and coun-
try together. and he Is one of the most
active and enthusiastic supporters of
the Sumter Chamber OF Commeru,
and Retail Dealers Association The
corn breeding stations are made pos
sible under the provisions of the
Smith Lever agricultural bill enacted
by congress. The bankers, merchants,
professional men. and manufacturers
OF Sumter have contributed hundreds
of dollars annually for prizes for va
rious agricultural purposes showing
that the sumter business men arc alive
to the Importance of increasing inter-
est in diversification, conservation of
products. live stock and poultry in
dustries in the rural sections.