West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-08
CHAPTER viii.

101CT. Is the committee came out
H TO measure Joe's corn. The
M three gentlemen took a stand
~ ard bushel measure and n
standard scale. filed the measure by
pulling the corn from the stalks them
selves, then weighed II and made their
calculations.
Joe had made 1873 bushels OF corn on
IN acre at cost OF S12.30.
The committee took his record sheet.
where he had faithfully put down ev-
erything he had done In connection
with the crop. how much he had spent.
how many times and the dates OF
working, how much and what fertilizer
and when and how applied, verified his
calculations, certified their findings,
signed 1t with Joe and forwarded It 20
the county superintendent OF educa-
ton.
Joe now began to gather his corn
The stalks he had marked for seed he
got first; beautiful. perfect ears they
were. Leaving thin shuck upon these
ears, he put them I'm sacks and sus-
pendod them from hook I'm the cell
Ing or the attic so mice and rats could
not get at them.
The three precious ears from the
stalk showing the beginnings OF a
fourth ear, reserved to experiment
with, he slipped each In quart pre-
serve jar clean and dry. ana screwed
the top on tightly.
There were twelve bushels OF "nub-
bins" These he began to feed 10 the
pigs, now great, big fellows. He also
gave them the Mexican June nubbIns
and the small, unstable sweet pota-
toes left In the field. One could almost
zee those hogs putting on fat.
Joe went over his prize corn and
culled out fifty bushels, mostly from
the stalks bearing the two perfect ears
and nubbin. He sold the fifty bushels
Tor $3.50 bushel. The ten best ears
he saved TO exhibit at the state fair
The sale OF the seed corn brought I'm
$125.
a few days after he had disposed OF
the nifty bushels Il man came to him
wanting some seed corn.
Haven't any more" said Joe.
My gracious, Joe, you amt sold all
that $50 bushels already, have your"
"Oh, no; I've saved five bushels for
seed for dad and myself-money could
not buy that. I've sold fifty bushels
or selected seed, and I've culled twelve
bushels OF nubbins. No, I've got hun
dred and eleven bushels OF corn yet"
We'll, I'll take bushel for seed"
I'm not willing TO let IT go for seed.
II Is not the best; that is gone. Corn
just common, ordinary corn-is worth
40 cents. I'll sell IL all TO you at that"
Amt 1t good for seed2" queried the
man In establishment "Aln't It outen
that same patch?-
Yes, but that don't make It good
seed corn, or corn that Will guarnn.
tee to make what mine did with the
same treatment The fifty bushels OF
selected seed / did guarantee"
"Oh, shucks! The commonest stalk
In that patch OF yourn IS 30 much bet
ter than the rest OF the corn raised
around here that n Teller IL bound TO
do better with II. Gimme four bushels
at 20 cents"
"All right-with the understanding
that I'm not putting 1t out as seed I
ttAu FOutn lot.
The nows was bruited around that
Joe Weston was selling his fine corn
at common corn prices, and I'm two
weeks he had not n bushel left. To
each buyer he explained the difference
between field selected seed and that
which he could not guarantee. Every
buyer reasoned as the first one did and
bought.
Nov. / Joe went TO town, taking the
$7I7O for the corn. Added 70 the 1925
he had got for seed. II made n total OF
S202.TO for the prize acre
He was a bit worried as to whether
he had acted fairly by Afr. somervllle
I'm refusing $3.50 a bushel for the corn
The old merchant heard him through.
then, placing his hands on Joe's shout.
ders and looking him straight I'm the
eyes, he smiled.
son, don't you suppose I've heard OF
this long ago? And don't you suppose
! was proud Of you for acting with
such scrupulous honesty and good faith
with your customers? I've got plenty
Of money. Joe, I'm moderation, md ia
rather have had you do Just exactly as
you have done than 10 have some one
give me n check for $1,000"
"Im-Im much obliged, SIR. II Just
seemed right and I wos going to pay
you the difference out Of my Part II II
was wrong"
(To be ContInuedJ