Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-10
2 BALES COTTON
60. BUSHELS OF
CORN TO ACRE
CORN KING OF MEXICO" TELLS
LOCAL FARMERS HOW FARM
is MADE TO PRODUCE.
STRESSES NECESSITY OF CAREFUL
SEED SELECTION AND ALSO
FOR BREEDING.

An Interested though small body of
farmers from the Brownsville community
last night heard Zeferino Dominguez, the
"Corn King of Mexico" lecture on the
scientific side of corn growing az his ex-
hibit ear M the Gulf Coast Lines passenger
station, and when he had completed there
was no doubt in their minds that by fol-
lowing his methods a given acreage Of
corn could ultimately be made 10 double
its production. Because of the inclcment
weather and small crowd present, Mr.. Do
mingiez did not make his usual lecture,
but selected the most vital point in corn
growing, seed selection and seed breeding,
which he explained thoroughly and clearly
Ia his hearers, and by illustration.
Mr.. Dominguez, in the company Of DIR.
IT. II. Harrington. agricultural director Of
the Gulf Coast Lines. j. making a tour Of
this railroad under the auspices of the
company, the object being to give the
farmers residing on this line al oppor-
tunity to learn the scientific side Of corn
growing from a man who has proven him
self To be an authority on the subject. The
tour Of the Valley began at Mission sew
eral DAYS ago. and ended at Brownsville.
the ear leaving here this morning for
Kingsville. and other points on the north
ern end of the line.
As an example of what Mr.. Dominguez
has done under his own methods of cult
walton on one of his farms, a l500-acre
tract situated fifteen miles below the Rio
Grande. in the state of Coahuila. opposite
Eagle Pass, Texas, easily shows the sue
cess of those methods. This farm. in the
year preceding the latest Mexican trou-
bles, was III cultivation To corn. cotton and
wheat. IL altitude j. about 500 fct. It,
soil i an alluvial chocolate loan it,
average rainfall j. nine inches. The aver
age annual WELD per acre. without irriga-
tion. on 800 acres of corn, was 10 10 20
bushels: on 500 acres Of cotton. two bales
10 the acre; ON 500 acres of wheat. % 10
40 bushels to the acre. In 1911. 2.3 bale,
of cotton per acre were raised ON the 500
acre cotton field.
These are the secrets of Mr.. Dominguez'
success a. q grower of corn, cotton and
wheat under the conditions described lie
breeds his own seed. He selects il with
care. He stores IL in a way mt once
original and economical, a method that he
described in his lecture last night the OBJ
iect Of this method of storing being to
preserve the vitality of thy Kernels until
planting time. lie makes three tests of
the terminating power of the grains on
cach ear of corn. to determine the virilitv
of the seed before planting his field. lie
r'ants with the check row. aiming ia get
three stalks "a the hill Of corn which will
make two large ears of corn to the stalk
and he cultivateS thoroughly. employing
methods which he has worked ont by his
own experience.
Mr.. Dominique plants cotton also by
the check row. placing one or two stalks
- inches apart each way and cultivatr~
hnth ways of the field. BY constant cul-
t~ivation he plow~ under squares and baby
hollis which the weevilS have bored and
which drop off. thus preventing the multi
plication of these pests. lie figures that
in this way he destroys two-thirds of the
wecvils.
Mr.. Dominique j. honorary president of
the Texas Dry Farming congress, and also
mn honorary vice president of the National
Corn Growers association. lie has lee
turcd in all parts of the United States on
hi~ methods of corn growing. a n result
of which hundreds of farmers are increa~-
inc their production of this valuable grain.