1911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE 



313 



again I told you how pained I was to see the 

 hundreds and thousands of poor cornfields 

 with only here and there a good one. Well, 

 these boys (thank God there are already be- 

 tween forty and fifty thousand of them) are 

 going to redeem the cornfields. They are 

 not only, through God's providence, going 

 to make two blades of grass grow where only 

 one blade grew before, but they are going to 

 grow ten bushels of corn, and in some cases 

 toward a hundred, where only one bushel 

 grew before; or, if you choose, where noth- 

 ing of a7^y value grew before. They are out- 

 stripping their fathers, with their acres of 

 corn grown under the goveri>ment instruc- 

 tion, and startling not only neighbors, but 

 people for miles around. They are showing 

 the possibilities of "high-pressure " agricul- 

 ture. Kind Uncle Samuel is offering these 

 bright boys prizes — a prize to every one who 

 produces 75 bushels or more of corn on his 

 acre. On page 32 of the bulletin I have 

 mentioned is a table. Our government of- 

 fered, among other prizes, a free trip to 

 Washington, D. C, and back again, all ex- 

 penses paid. Fifteen boys from as many 

 States took in this trip; and the table I have 

 mentioned gives you briefly some of the 

 particulars in regard to their great corn 

 yields. The lowest was 8334^ bushels per 

 acre, while the highest was (now do not say 

 you do not believe it) 228% bushels. Jerry 

 Moore, of Winona, S. C, was the boy who 

 did this. The table tells us the ground was 

 plowed about a foot deep. The kind of corn 

 planted was called the Prolific. The distance 

 between the rows was 3>^ feet, and the stalks 

 in the rows were 6 inches apart. There were 

 24,000 stalks on the acre. It was cultivated 

 11 times — twice as many times as most of 

 the other boys cultivated theirs. Joseph 

 Stone, of Center, Ga., raised over 100 bushels 

 on yellow clay soil, and he was only 11 years 

 of age. John Williams, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., 

 made 80X bushels on his acre, on land that 

 yielded only 12 bushels to the acre four 

 years ago. When these 15 boys visited the 

 White House, President Taft gave them a 

 little talk, and I am going to copy it. 



WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID, AND WHAT 

 THE BOYS SAID. 



President Taft singled out one of the smallest boys 

 during the visit at the White House, and asked him 

 if he selected the best acre on his father's farm. The 

 boy replied that he did not. The next question was. 

 ■' Will you take another acre next year ? " The boy 

 replied, " I have already selected it and Allowed it." 

 The President then asked, " Do you think you can 

 do as well next year?" The reply was prompt, "I 

 think I can do better." These answers, in such a 

 presence, were excellent for a 12-year-old boy who 

 had not been far from home before. 



Below is what Secretary Wilson said to 

 the 15 boys when they visited his office: 



A visit was also made to the ofHce of the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, where the visitors were receiv- 

 ed with marked courtesy; their photographs were 

 taken; large, attractive diplomas bearing the seal 

 of the Department and the signature of the Secre- 

 tary were awarded, and Secretary Wil.son made 

 them an address. The Secretary said, in substance, 

 that, while the whole world knew of the South, that 

 her people had made records for statesmanship, 

 for bravery, and for great industrial progress, it had 

 not known that boys under 16 years of age could ac- 



complish such great feats in production as was evi- 

 denced by the boys present on that occasion. 



lie attributed the great increase in the produc- 

 tion of corn in the South during 1910, in consider- 

 able measure, to the boys' corn-club work; and he 

 emphasized the great importance of the corn crop 

 to feed the rapidly increasing millions of this coun- 

 try, and especially to produce the meats necessary 

 for the sustenance of the people. 



He predicted that the South would not only sup- 

 ply the home demand for meat, but would become 

 an exporter of meats and live stock. 



He congratulated the boys on their excellent 

 work, and stated that it was a great achievement 

 for our common country, and that the publication 

 of the results would induce many people to move 

 into the Southern states. They had always admir- 

 ed the climate, and now they would find that the 

 soil is very productive for the cereals. 



He laid great stress upon the Importance of keep- 

 ing domestic animals, and especially of the best 

 grade, and the production of milk, butter, and 

 cheese. 



He advised the boys not to stop with achievement 

 in corn, but to let that be the first great step toward 

 obtaining an education in scientific agriculture. 



He emphasized the importance of industry and 

 economy, and said that the boy who obeyed his 

 father and mother, did the chores, and was faithful 

 in the little things about hishome was the boy that 

 the world would depend upon to achieve greater 

 things in later life. 



He charged the boys that the world is watching 

 their work and waiting for them; that there are 

 plenty of openings for boys who do such splendid 

 things. 



He then called for the diplomas, and made appro- 

 priate remarks as he presented the diploma to the 

 boy representing each State. The whole occasion 

 was very instructive and impressive. 



Now, friends, while it is true that saloons 

 are flourishing right in the very heart and 

 center of the government of our nation, and 

 are at this very moment, so far as I know, 

 permitted to flourish, it is also true that a 

 wonderful work is being inaugurated and 

 carried on by the public money of our na- 

 tion in teaching the boys to love the farms 

 and to keep away from the saloons; and, 

 God helping us, these death-traps for our 

 boys and girls, that have been running so 

 long, will soon be things of the past, espe- 

 cially if you and I do our whole duty and 

 hold out to the end. May God help us; and 

 may he grant, also, that we of this United 

 States of America, from the humblest farm- 

 er's boy clear up to the President of the 

 United States, may recognize and ponder 

 and consider that beautiful text we started 

 out with — "Righteousness exalteth a na- 

 tion; but sin is a reproach to any people." 

 I heartily wish that each and every one of 

 you who is interested, either in growing 

 corn or growing boys, or both, would send 

 to the Secretary of Agriculture for these two 

 pamphlets on "boys' demonstration work." 



After copying his notes, my stenographer, 

 Mr. W. P. Root (Stenog), suggests the fol- 

 lowing paraphrase of my text as not irrele- 

 vant nor irreverent: 



Corn johnnycake exalteth a nation; but corn 

 whisky is a reproach to any people. — I. Cornthians, 

 1 :1. 



I just now notice that the Ohio Farmer 

 for May 6 gives quite an extended letter 

 from this same Jerry Moore, giving full par- 

 ticulars in regard to the way he secured this 

 enormous crop of corn. 



It would seem from this letter that the 

 boys of our nation are not only destined to 

 outstrip their fathers, but they are already 



