The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-22

q ground with the average yield Of
the United States. The boy made
about nine times the average. The
North Carolina boy made about seven
times as much corn on an acre as the |
average yields in the United States. |
Brooks, here on the Lemon Springs
road, without any alchemy or witch |
cry, made fully six times the aver |
age yield.
Corn Depends on Rainfall.
[ asked Mr.. Brooks why he could |
make so much corn on an acre while
the rest Of the country makes so lit
tie, and he told me one thing that is
worth remembering. Corn is largely
question of rainfall. Mississippi,
the State in which Carl Graves raised
202 bushels Of corn on one acre, has
an annual rainfall of 81 inches a
year. Nebraska, in which the boys
record was SO bushels, has an annual
rainfall cf 80 inches at the extreme
east end Of the State, and Is inches
at North Platte. A large portion of
Nebraska, and nearly as much Of
Kansas can not raise corn for want
of water. Iowa has rainfall of 3S
to 35 inches. It's corn possibilities
will always be much less than those
| of the South, for the rainfall of the
United States occurs in the region
| that is convenient to the Gulf Of
| McXlCO. 4 lie Dulk Ol the rains come
| from clouds that blow up from the
Gulf and travel northward to carry
| the moisture of the Gulf to the cold
| winds that are coming down from
| the northwest. North Carolina has
an annual rainfall of 50 inches at
Charlotte, and a little more at Will
mington. The North Carolina rain
fall is a half greater than the rain
fall of Iowa, and double the rainfall
of Kansas and Nebraska.
Some crops car get along with
moderate amounts Of moisture. Cot
ton does not suffer greatly in a dry
spell, and If Kansas and Nebraska
} had cotton climate they could make
cotton in much territory that will not
make corn successfully. Cotton is a
: better forager for moisture having q
long root, and not so much foliage
) But corn grows tall, bulky and rapid.
ly. 1t takes an enormous quantity
, of water. Water is the existence Of
> all plants. Every ounce of growth
that comes to the plant comes in 8
fluid form. The corn plant that
thrives in the ground takes up from
! the soil a dissolved solution. which i:
l the plant, and when the plant has
taken up the nutrition it requires
, the water which has served it's pur
pose is passed from the leaves ou
= into the air and evaporates. Man!
I thousands Of tons Of water are re
4 Quired to make an acre of corn. Som,
day men will discover a way to holt
in the ground the rain that falls AM
: keep it there until the growing plan
8 has drawn it out and used it for it
4 necessities. Then we will see phe
n nomenal corn yields all over tn
D South and the Southeast.
s The boys corn clubs last year show
a ed that every State of the South ex
d cept Florida, Maryland and Oklaho
a ma, can raise over hundred bushel
n Of corn to the acre. No doubt thes
a States can go over the 100 mark. fo
n Maryland has a good rainfall, and
: long season. Oklahoma has 81 inch
e es Of rain at Fort Sill, and "A on tn
e Arkansas boundary, not any to waste
e but enough to make a fair crop. i
e favorable seasons, but not to rely o
4, in bad seasons. From there east
e the corn territory, for that is tn
5 rain belt.
e 5000, 900 Acres in This State.
North Carolina is quite cor
# State. Close to 100000 acres is tn
d area planted in corn yearly, which
It nearly twice the acreage Of cotton !
h the State The crop in 1913 exceed
A ed 55,28O,OOO bushels. Yet Pennsy
" vania on just about half as man
h acres made a little more corn. Mort
J. Carolina in 1913 fell just below
10 bushels to the acre. But that is con
e. ing. In the period from 1870 to 1ed
I. the average was a small fractio
+ above ten bushels. Since then tt
average has been held almost up
rea mighty satisfactory increa'