CULTIVATION OF CORN 269 



and since then its culture has kept pace with the won- 

 derful growth of our country. 



Boys' corn clubs. The following story, told by one 

 of Dr. S. A. Knapp's agents in connection with the 

 Boys' Corn Club movement illustrates how the boys 

 are learning to follow scientific methods in corn culture : 



"One boy in our club was very anxious to work an 

 acre in corn. His father gave him one on condition 

 that he dig out the pine stumps and pay all expenses. 

 After the boy had gotten out nearly all the stumps in 



FIG. 82. GROWTH OF CORN ROOTS 



the field, the father took that acre and gave him another, 

 upon the same condition. The boy went to work, cleaned 

 this new field and plowed it. Then I advised him to 

 plow it again. When the boy wanted some fertilizer 

 his father refused to permit him to buy till I went se- 

 curity and promised to make good all losses, if any. The 

 boy's corn was measured this week and made eighty- 

 four bushels to the acre. His father's corn, on three 

 sides of the boy's, made nine bushels per acre. When 

 the corn was weighed and the father's went to the 



