The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-02-10
Value OF Foods
To Be Topic In
Essay Contest
Contest Will Be Open to
Students of Vocational
Agriculture

To stimulate more interest in a
studv of the values of the rarer
plant food clements in crop pro-
duction. the division of vocational
agriculture of the state depart
ment of instruction announces an
essay contest among students
studying vocational agriculture
in the high schools of the state.
The contest is cooperative
project between the division and
the Chilean nitrate of soda edu-
cational bureau.
Field crops, like humans, seem
to thrive best on a variety OF
food and when some minor ele-
ment of their food supply is abb
sent, the defect is often seen IN
the resulting growth and yield.
Farmers ordinarily think of ap..
plying only three elements OF
plant food in their commercial
fertilizers. Yet it has been &C
copied for a long time that avail
able compounds of 10 elements
are necessary for the normal
growth and maturing of agricul-
tural crops. 1t is known also that
a larger number than 10 elements
occur in small amounts in fertile
soils and may be recovered in the
ash of normal plants that have
grown on such soils. i
Recent research work has led
investigators to believe that many
of the so-called plant diseases are
directly attributable to nutrition
al deficiencies. This is further
emphasized by the fact that many
of these troubles occur only IN
plants grown on soils that have
been in cultivation for consider
able length of time. Much eX-
perimental work has been done IN
the past few years that has led
to the conclusion that the social
ed rare elements such as iron,
magnesia, copper, manganese,
zinc, iodine, boron. silicon and
sodium, are of great Importance
in the production of normal yields
of farm crops. Notable among
these is the control of sand
drown of tobacco by the addition
of magnesia in the fertilizers ap-
piled to tobacco.
Because of the growing inter-
est in this phase of plant produc-
ton, arrangements were made for
this essay contest among the ag-
ricultural high school students of
the state on the Importance OF
the rare elements in natural fer
tilizer materials on crop produc-
ton. The contest is open to any
high school student enrolled in
any of the agricultural classes.
There will be five prizes in each
of the four vocational agricul-
ture districts of the state as fol-
lows: First prize-$15; second
prize-$12.50; third prize-$1O;
fourth prize - $3.50, and fifth
prize-S5.O0. In addition to
these, there will be a state prize
of $500 and a regional prize
of $4,000 for the winner among
the agricultural students in the
south. These prizes will be con-
tributed bv the Chilean nitrate
educational bureau.
Roy H. Thomas. state super
visor of vocational agriculture,
anticipates a very active interest
in this contest among the more
than $500 students enrolled in
the agricultural departments in
the hiph schools of the state be-
cause of the timeliness of the
subject, and the live interest of
the students in current factors
affecting economical crop pro-
duction.
Further information can be Sc
cured from Mr.. Thomas by writ
ing him at his office at State co..
| lege, Raleigh, h''