The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-24

farm life, was FraEx Lux, the 13-
year-old son of the Indiana corn king
of 1919. Frank won the Junior sweep
stakes for the best ten-ear sample Of
corn shown at the grain and hay
show in competition with dozens OF
other boys who rank as champion
corn-growers in the different sec
lions of the corn belt.
Sets Ont to WIN
Hacking weeds from the corn rows
in a sizzling July sun is a job al
most every farm boy dislikes, but
Frank Lux knew this would be one
of his jobs when he selected an acre
OF land on his fathers farm early
last spring and told Dad he was
going to try to grow prize-winning
samples for the International Grain
and Hay show. 1t might not be a
big task to roam all over the corn
fields on big Indiana farm and pick
a ten-ear sample, but IL took real
effort by the junior sweepstake win
ner when he started out to get his
ten ears by growing an acre of corn
by himself.
Frank is Just big enough to cnfs
the handles of a breaking plow, but
he plowed the ground, prepared the
seed bed. planted the corn, cultivated
and hoed 1t. and harvested the crop
alone His ten-ear sweepstake sam
pie came from this one acre of corn
that yielded 1o1.6 bushels. Each ear
weighed 10 ounces and there were
twenty rows Of kernels on every ear.
The ears measured 10 inches In
length and IA inches in circumfer-
ence.
Preparing for Quality.
Other corn-growers would, no doubt,
be able TO increase the yield and
quality Of their corn BY following
the methods that were used in grow
ing this blue ribbon sample. The
corn was grown on sugar tree up
land soil OF a clay loan type. To
get az ideal seed-bed the ground was
plowed ten inches deep. A corn.
wheat and clover rotation has been
followed on the farm forN several
years. and IL was clover sod when
broken up for corn last spring DEM
onstrating the value of legumes.
finely pulverized seed-bed was
prepared. and seven pounds of John
ron County white corn were drilled
In with planter. Franks seed corn
was grown by his father. who won
sweepstakes with a johnson County
white sample at the international two
years ago. All Of the corn was test
ed by the rag doll method before
planting to make sure that IL would
serminate and was free from the. va.
rious diseases that are causing So
mucn trouble in many parts of the
corn belt.
Cultivated Five Times.
A shallow-tooth cultivator was used
the first time. the corn wa. cnIti-
waited. stirring the soil TO a d.nth
OF four inches. The neld was cnI-
tivated fve times. To avoid iniur-
ing the roots Of the corn plants m.
cultiyator shovels were raised slight
~ each time the ground was stirred
JUST before the corn began TO
tassel Frank went over the field
ana broke down all of the barren
stalks to prevent the pollen from
gong TO healthy stalks nearby.
frank had learned from his father,
VINO Is an expert corn breeder. that
corn kernels give up the best that
IN them through the pollen (ths
sire), and that pollen lives only
about twelve hours. The antbers
capsules thann1d the pollen) open
close at 10, d begins to get
time about 81 the evening and
remain open until all of the pollen
grains have escaped. Pollen grains
are killed at IS degrees Fahren-
heit. according to Mr.. Lux.
Phosphate Used Broadcast.
Two hundred pounds OF acid
phosphate were used on the acre
that grew the prize sample. The
fertilizer was applied broadcast. Mr.
Lux says he applied $50 pounds of
acid phosphate to the acre directly
in the row, and found IL cut the
stand at least 10 per cent. The
sulphuric acid used In acid phos-
phate fertilizer and the phosphorus
acid often kill the germ when they
come In direct contact with the
kernel" he said.
Frank selected his winning SAM
pie from the standing stalks, pick
ing two rows,at a time and carry
Ing the good ears cut In q sack