152 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
I think the U. S. Report of Agriculture shows the greatest average 
yield of corn ever had in this state was in 1906, 39.5 bushels, the highest 
average reported by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. That depart- 
ment has its crop reporters scattered all over the state. The lowest you 
ever had was in 1901, 25 bushels; that seems to be the minimum report 
by the department and 39.5 is the highest. In 1906 the greatest corn 
year was reported by the Department of Agriculture in the United States; 
the average all over the United States was 30.3, a rather low average. 
Out in Ohio Mr. Simpson had no respect for my feelings and told what a 
big fair you have. I am going to get back on him now. In 1906 Ohio 
had the greatest corn yield per acre in the United States, 42.6 bushels. 
W© feel very proud of that. Of course that was one great year for corn. 
But now the lowest average ever reported by the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture in any state is down in South Carolina, where they had only 
6.9 bushels in 1901; a very low average. While that is the lowest average 
reported by the Agricultural Department, yet it was down in South 
Carolina that the world's record v.as made for raising corn on one acre 
of ground. The American Agriculturalist, a farm paper published in 
New York City (You can write the editor and get an affidavit as to these 
facts if you don't want to believe me) can give you the facts on how this 
acre was fertilized, etc. A prize of $500 was offered for the person raising 
the most corn on one acre of ground. The offer was made a year or more 
in advance so that the ground might be prepared and put in proper condi- 
tion, and this man Drake, of Marlborough couniy, won the prize. This 
is, as I say, the world's record; it shows the extreme possibilities. After 
that corn was shelled and weighed it made 254 bushels and 49 pounds. 
I am giving you my authority, because you might think like Bill Nye said 
one time. He and a friend got to talking and telling stories, and Bill 
said, "My friend, I think there are three big liars in this town. I think I 
am one of them and you are the other two.' Perhaps you think I am all 
of them, but that is the recorded result, sworn to. It shows what is pos- 
sible when the ground is nourished, fertilized, cultivated. The matter of 
expense was not considered; the main or whole question was how much 
corn it was possible to raise on one acre. In Iowa 39 bushels is the best 
you have ever done. If this state fair in any way will educate the 
farmers to raise that average it is v/orth while. The average yield the 
first half of the last ten years was 23.8 bushels per acre. That is the 
average corn crop of the whole United States per acre. That same report 
shows that the last five years of the ten year period had increased to 
27.4 per acre. That is an average increase of 3.6 bushels per acre in the 
last ten years. That is encouraging. And that report shows that one 
hundred millions of acres are cultuivated to corn in the United States 
every year; and that increased average means 3.600,000 bushels of corn 
more each year that we are raising. Corn at fifty cents per bushel; that 
means about $180,000,000, the increased amount of wealth we get from 
that increased average. It is lots of money, and if the state fairs, agri- 
cultural colleges, experiment stations, farmers' institutes, and corn shows 
are adding that much every year, then it is worth while to keep them up 
and maintain them. You are justified in asking the members of your 
legislature to help you, are you not? It don't cost anywhere near that 
