The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-04
LARGE CORN CROP
TERMED POSSIBLE
Bumper Harvest Likely For
State If Weather Con-
ditiOns Favorable

bumper corn crop is likely for
North Carolina in 1910, predicts
E. c. Blair, agronomist of the State
college extension service. He bases
his prediction on two major con.
ditions: The 100000. acres now in
lespedeza grown last year, which
pushed lespedeza into second posi-.
ton in the state in acreage plant.
ed to m crop. Corn, itself, is
first in acreage.
Through these two conditions
alone Blair sees the possibility of
producing $4,000 more bushels OF
corn this year. That would be
enough to feed for a year 36,25O
sows and two filters Of six pigs
each.
IF the legumes are allowed to
grow and gather nitrogen until
some time in April (the time de.
Ponds on the weather., and are
then turned under and followed by
corn, it should mean an increase
Of ten bushels of corn per acre, or
100000 bushels in ALL" Blair
stated.
"Lespedeza usually occupies the
land for two years, sc the chances
are that only half of the Gil, 600
acres planted to this legume last
year will be used for another crop
this year. Should the other half
be planted to corn, the yield of
corn should be increased 10 bushels
per acre, and roughly this would
mean 100000 additional bushels
of corn"
Makes Annual Report
Making his annual report for
the past year and an outlook for
1910, the extension agronomist said
that corn occupied 2,466,000 acres
of the cultivated land in the state
in 1910, with lespedeza second with
gil, 900 acres, tobacco third with
S15,800 acres, and cotton fourth
with 746,00O acres. This represents
an increase of $4,000 acres in corn,
an increase of 1O9,O 1000 acres in les
pedeza, an increase Of 104,1OO acres
in tobacco, and a decrease Of 121,'
acres in cotton.
Blair sees reason for optimism
in the reports of county farm
|agents of the extension service
that S0,823 farmers saved 3,000,S $50
bushels of legume seed last year,
indicating that the seeding of le'
gumes will be continued with vigor
in 1910 and the years to come. The
increase in the use of combines is
largely responsible for this admir-
able amount of seed saved.
we are making outstanding
progress in the use of crop rota-
lions, proper amounts and kinds
of fertilizers, better seed, and i'm
proved cultural practices" the spe'
cialist declared. 1--WE now have g.
OS1 crop rotation and farm man
agement demonstrations in the
state and they are doing a great
deal to stimulate interest in a
higher type of farming in North
Carolina. Last year 96,393 farmers
followed definite fertilizer recon-
|mendations."
Doubled In 20 Years
Returning to the subject OF le'
eumes, Blair said that the 2,229,O00
acres devoted to all types OF le'
gumes last year was more than
double the acreage in legumes In
North Carolina 20 years ago; In
1919 the legume average was $751;
900. 1t also represents an increase
from the 100000 acres OF legumes
planted in 1888.
The following acreage of legumes
nv crops shows the progress last
year. In 1888 there were 5000 acres
in alfalfa, $4,000 in clovers, S02'ooo
in lespedezas, $4,000 in soybeans'
s1e, 900 in 'cswpeas, and 25S,ooo IN
peanuts. In 1889 there were 5000
acres of alfalfa, 10000 in clovers'
gil, 900 in l~espedezas, 556'ooo IN
soybeans, 1921 900 in cowpeas' ano
265, 900 in peanuts. =.
"Of course" the agronomist sald'
"the legumes will improve the
Yields of crops other than corn
cleveland county averaged a bale
of cotton to the acre last year, and
T. s. Wilkins, the farm agent, gave
credit to legumes for this fine rec
ord. -
"He said: Lespedeza Is one OF
the direct factors in the increased
weld of cotton, as shown by a
comparison of the four-year aver
pc from 1925 to 1929 Of 290 pounds
Of lint per acre, and the 1858
average Of 3S9 pounds Of lint per
acre." ~
Proving that %lespedeza is aaapt-
cd to the coastal plain as well as
the Piedmont, Blair quoted the FOL
lowing report from T. Mel. arr
farm agent in Camden county:
"sixty.nine farmers grew lespedeza
for hay and soil building this year
Lespedeza fits in fine with winter
and summer grain. Several farm
ers reported that they made the
finest crop of hay this year that
thev ever made, and that there
will never be a year from now on
that they will miss planting les
pedeza."
caught fire and then the other.
1.-THE whole plane became envel
oned in flames and began to fall