The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-02-11
Over 100 Bushels Corn.
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pay 10 per cent interest to mature an
orchard proved tough proposition
What then was to be done? With
a very limited demand for hay, and
freight rates absolutely prohibiting
any possibility of shipping such a
bulky commodity, it devolved upon
someone to find means of getting
the products of the soil to a profit
able market, and that problem was
undertaken by the Pomona Grange
II .Un well known that alfalfa fur
r'0MU cheap protein feed, but tc
WUIlnt that and make the grow
OF WI fss practicable required a new
expeH NJ During a discussion of the
, bridWN troubles at the Pomona
we're reetlng IL was suggested that
been a few acres of corn
bad the county, and while the
or, 49, been generally neglected for
haS &d the other more important
mat " of the farm, corn had been
grown that had surprised old corn
growers of the middle west.
"As a result of this discussion a
committee was appointed to organize
corn contest. This committee met
with the Ontario Commercial club of
Ontario our principal city, and the
business men of that town promptly
subscribed $500 to be used for prizes.
The work of organization devolved
upon committee from the Pomona
Grange, committee in which we
were most fortunate. Taking the gov
ernment standard record for their
model they divided the county into
districts, offering three prizes in each
district, and sweepstakes for the
entire county.
Then began a campaign TO arouse
interest In the contest. Lecturers and
speakers from the agricultural depart
ment were secured and numerous
meetings were held all over the coun-
~. instructing the farmers how TO
grow corn according to the most APP
proved methods. The few who had
raised corn under tie conditions PIE
vailing In this section were called
upon 10 give their experiences, and
soon seed corn was very much In |
demand. While no one had kept any |
records OF their crops, those who had |
previously raised corn all agreed that |
II was absolutely essential that accli-
mated seed should be planted. and
anything like a reasonably pure accli-
mated seed was difficult article 10
obtain. Altogether the beginning OF
the contest was not satisfactory, but
the good work went on and soon field
after field Of corn could be seen as
one rode through the rural district
AZ the crop approached maturity
everyone began TO realize that the
was success. and when the
shucking and weighing
II began 10 be rumored
that there were fields that would make
nearly 100 bushels. then rumors of
over 100 bushels.
Not satisfied with most success.
iul contest. the committee announced
a Corn Carnival In Ontario. at which
lime the judging OF the quality and
Nv INV AbHltNl NOulC Ut
tthe contestants having
been previously informed that the ,
lwards would be made on the basis
If yield. 40 per cent; quality. 40 per
'ent; and record. 20 per cent. A holi- /
lay was declared In the entire county ,
hat the school children might attend
md take part In the pagcants and folk
lances that were To form the dramatic
conclusion 10 so prosaic a matter as 1
'rowing corn. Crowds throngcd the
treets and filled the large storerooms
'hore the two-bushol samples of corn
rom the contesting fields were on ex- 4
ibition and being judged, The the !.
ter was thrown open 10 the public y
Or the addresses and the entire coun- 4
= gave itself over TO the festivities of n
he occasion. !.
The judges were government men,
len who had spent their lives In Y
ldging good corn in the old corn dis n
'icts, and when they announced that n
OF only had Malheur county shown >
Nceptional yields, but also that the Y
orn was of excellent quality. the 4
alheur County Pomona Grange be- n
eyed that II had assisted this section y
taking one long step In advance" y
N