The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-11-13

agricultural agent thai IL 10 be found
In Valencia county, as illustrated In
tho recent corn show at Los Lunas."
This was the statement OF an Albu-
querque man who has just bought
several truck loads OF Valencia county
Iorn. az a result OF his inspection OF
lforn grow In that county this year,
u shown in the Los LunaH display.
N''lt il impossible to study the re-
snlts OF county agent work. ms OBJ
tained In Valencia county" said this
enthusiastic observer. without reach
ing the conclusion that one Of the
blk influences In the Genuine recla-
nation OF the Rio Grande valley Will
be found In this form OF practical
educational work.
Remarkable Results Obtained.
Awards In the Valencia county corn
show were published In The Herald
last week. JudEea from Che state
agricultural college awarded IS prizes
10 adult farmers and a number more
to members Of the county boys corn
club. \ more careful Inquiry CON
Quoted by The Herald during the past
week. shows that Valencia county has
one Of the most efficient, n not the
most efficient county farm bureau
In the state. with lively enthusiasm
M cooperation mons Its members.
The enthusiasm has come from prac-
teal results obtained by following the
advice OF County Agent r. S. COnroy,
who for the past four years has been
working with constantly increasing
! influence. among the farmers Of the
valley. Conroy not only knows how
to talk the language OF the "di=t
| farmer" hut also knows how TO got
| into contact with the cpanish speak
' ing farmers OF Valencia Couny n
win their support.
when Conroy began his work In
Valencia county such corn ~ was
grown was almost entirely the blue
and white Indian corn: good enough
corn as far as u goes aud romantic
in its ancestry, hut far from being
the most productive In yield to he
car or to the acre. The county agent
net out TO induce the native farmers
TO nIandon the corn their fathers n
Rraudfathers had boon accustomed TO
plant and harvest. At first u was n
difficult job. hut using the well known
Hickory King as a standard, the
| atrnt made demonstration with test
! pfbis which quickly proved to the
artners that u was moe profitable
to produce a lot OF large kernels on
a small cob thai n less number OF
kernels on "a very large cob.
'Thc farmers quickly saw that they
were growing more cob thhn corn.
Conrby said. when induced TO talk
about hiH early work. and lost little
] time M llNNNlfA the NV ~ NANh
1 which produces li0 pounds 10 the
barrel Of corn a. against the 100 TO
iao pounds they had been getting
4 from the blue ana white corn
There In now more Hickory KIM
; corn grown In Valencia count than
Of all other varieties combined, in
4 Guiding the once favored blue corn
Yellow and White Dent showed up In
some quantities this year, and are
giving excellent results.
Foo two seasons Conroy carried on
variety tests with corn on plots AZ
Los Lunas aud Poraltn. lie used 10
different varieties. planting them side
hy side aud using IN" same planting
and cuitlyating methods. FOR the pur-
pose of getting data on their Yield, but
using none OF the test plot production
Tor seed. The result was TO demon
sfrate the va,uo Of three or four
varieties. adapted In all ways TO the
local climatic and SOIL conditions
Spreading Good Seed.
Tho next Job wns to got the proven
,oTn Into general use. h varieties
" proven value were propaFnted IN
,oed plots aud seed distributed
throughout tho count to leading
armers in lots OF four and eight
pounds: enough to plant an acre OF
'orn.
Then. to stimulate interest in the
matrimonial acre plots Conroy de-
.Aiopod the count corn show. lilo
not only Interested many OF tho moro
progressive farmers but nTso got a
,oya' corn club on the job to help
oed distribution and awaken interest
Z parcuts. The first corn show was
aid IN 1870. II was a success. The
4 nrmora brought In their prize groups
? ears. with carefully kept records
Z planting. cultivation and yield. The
tato college judges who came up fof
nat fist shu% were amazed at the
eaults. 1t showed yields ranging
rom so to M high as 100 bushels "a
he acre. The show cost. all told.
tomething loss than so dollars. II
,ndernIzed corn growing In Valencia
ounty and put the new and moro pro
uctive varieties firmly on their feet
he 1891 show was even more sue
essful. Competitors were more
umeroua and competition keeneg.
"The value OF "a corn show say
onroy. who In nothing n not prac.
cal. doesn't show up much at tn
exhibition. but II shows In the follow
~ harvest"
Practical Demonstration Necessary.
The valencia county agent In no
tyen 10 conversation about his work
,xtracting Information about how h'
ots results Is difficult and the reason
n both his reluctance to talk nn'
Is evident success In building up IN
Alcncln county corn Nlclu, ~ ioun'
this statement he made 70 a Hcral'
preventative:
'The American farmer doesn't wan
non talk or bunk He wants TO b
,own by actual demonstration. IL
IN not forget what he has actual
zen. He will forget In five minute
hat Il pol a lecturer an hour l
liz think talking h n waste a
"a I'm advance OF n demonstration.
In evident. also, that conroy Ia
epAtnct In his work, care In select
No farmers with whom to work gu
ia demonstrations. and painstakin
20 An lending practical assistance. a
40 "dirt farmer TO another. Con
Ga typewriter shutters but his wor
n Geid talks without the slight
4 impcdiment OF speech,
practical Results Win Corn.
Tho winning cor at this year
,tencin county show was from
IA grown by Patroclnio Gabaldol
fIos Chavez who IL past 50 yea
age, but no less a good farmer iS