The Redwood gazette., 1935-10-24
HERON LAKE FARM
| SCENE OF ANNUAL
HUSKING BATTLE
Erwin Retains County Title
In Field of Ia at
Mcnamara Farm
Norman Selke is Second And
George Magen Third;
Ed BalkO Fourth

Ted and Erwin Balko, brothers,
will carry the Redwood county
banner into the state corn husking
contest at Heron Lake next We'd
nesday, Ted as state and national
champion and Erwin as 1885 coun-
ty champ, after successfully de-
Tending his title Tuesday.
! A large delegation of friends
and supporters will follow the
BaIkos to the state meet where
Ted is strong favorite and Erwin
is expected to improve his stand
ing OF last year when he was ninth
in a field OF 20. This year 80 men
will be in the field and the first
and the second place winners will
compete in the national meet in
Fountain county, Indiana, Novem-
/ Der 8.
Erwin husked 1425 pounds gross
and had a net load of 1885
pounds while Norman Selke was
second, his gross load of 1435
pounds being the largest drawn
from the field after 80 minutes of
fast work. Deductions for husks
and gleanings pulled his net down
to 1871.
Magen Is Third
George Magen of Wabasso, Sec
ond last year, was third Tuesday
with 1880 pounds gross and net
OF 13U4.oo while I'D Balko, cham
pion in 1881, placed fourth with
lo45 gross and l268.91 pounds net.
The net loads ranged down to
ivI6.o6 pounds, well above last
years low of S48.l pounds, indi-
eating faster husking of better
corn. Erwin Balko's champion
load last year was 1107.21 pounds.
A crowd estimated between 300
and 400 fans, including many wo-
men, followed the huskers through
the teld and part way back in the
one hour and 20 minutes of Cruel
ing work. Rain early this week
made the ground heavy and slowed
the work while the weather was
threatening rain, the dampness al
so making the corn stocks tougher
than usual. The field, on the
Frank Mcnamara farm south of
Redwood Falls, had few weeds and
| the corn SCOOQ We'll
Several newcomers in the field
made an excellent showing for be-
ginners and promise more compe-
Uition in future contests. Many of
them had difficulty settling down
to swift and steady pace but be-
fore many rods were behind them,
had begun to pound the bang
boards with ears in great style.
Tractors pulled the loads through
the fields, an improvement over
the days when horses, sometimes
balky, drew the wagons.
Officials of the meet included
Ted Balko, national corn-husking
champ, timekeeper; Sherman
Park, wagon weigher; Frank Nc
Namara, gleanings weigher; Geor-
ge Phillips, sample weigher; Jack
Sexton and B. P. Kelly, husk
weighers; L. j. Kse, field mar
shall and E. H. Bollum, fire mar
shall. Judges were Henry Fang
man, loads; John Brown, CLEAN
ings; Dave Dennistoun, samples
! and Carl Goodyear. husks.
Balko In First Lane
Erwin drew one of three short
lands on the east side of the field
while the second, third, fourth and
sixth place loads were on the west
and the fifth was near the center
indicating a quite even field al
though like every cornfeld, the
stand was thinner in some spots
and wagons advanced swiftly
through them, giving the less ex-
perienced fans mistaken ideas as
to who was getting the biggest
load.
The eleventh annual state con-
test will be held on the farm of A.
M. Hartberg, two and one-haf
miles northeast of Heron Lake,
just off highway 60, the starting
gun to be fired promptly at 11:30
a. m.
The counties which will be re-
presented by their champions are:
Brown, Chippewa, Dakota, Dodge,
Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn,
Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Lyon,
Lac Qui Parle, Martin, Meeker,
Murray, Nicollet, Pipestone, Red
wood, Renville, Rock, Sibley,
Steele, Waseca, Watonwan, Win
ona, Wright, Yellow Medicine and
: either Rice or Kandiyohi. Balko
was not required to husk in his
county contest so Redwood coun-
ty gets two representatives.
| The field will yield about rs
bushels per acre, and a new Min
nesota husking record is in sight.
Balko holds the record at present
with 2701 bushels net.
Besides the husking contest
there will be band music and en-
tertainment features to entertain
the crowd while the weighing is
being done. Among the speakers
will be Herbert j. Miller, president
of the Minneapolis Civic and Com
merce Association, who was born
at Heron Lake A detail Of state
highway patrolmen, company Of
national guardsmen, and a detail
of fire marshals will direct traffic
so that it will move safely and
smoothly.