Yoii. XXXIX. No. 3. I 
Whole No. 1564. ) 
[Entered accordin g to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the 
RESULTS OF THE CONTEST. 
I Price Five Cents. 
NEW YORK, J AN. 17 , 1880 . _ j $2.00 pkb yeab. 
Rural New-Yorker Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. — Entered at the Post-Office at New York City. N. Y., aa second-class matter.] 
THE PRIZES. 
WHO THE PRIZE-TAKERS ARE. 
Best Yields from Blount’s White 
Prolific Corn. 
At the rate of over 183 Bushels of Shelled 
CJorii to the Acre. 
►5 Pounds from 
Kernels. 
The First Prize—$100 in Gold, 
given by the Proprietors of 
the Rural New-Yorker, 
goes to N. Y. State. 
SECOND PltlZE «OES TO IOWA-' 
Tlie Third. 
Lvansas 
GOOD CULTURE—GOOD YIELDS. 
On April 26th, 1879. we announced a list of 
premiums that would be awarded tor the 
greatest yields of Blount's White Prolific 
corn, which we at that time were distributing 
among our subscribers. Thu corn was to be 
planted within an area of 38 feet square, aud 
we were to be notified of the exact number of 
grains planted in each case, but as to soil, cul¬ 
ture, manure, etc., the competitors were at 
liberty to proceed as they thought best. 
Thousands of our subscribers applied for the 
corn, aud a large number registered their 
names as competitors. As the season advanced 
the corn developed some wonderful properties, 
which have been discussed in the Rural from 
time to time. In the majority of instances it 
was pronounced a failure, mainly by reason of 
its growing season being longer than that of 
ordinary corn, and in various localities it was 
destroyed by frost before it reached maturity. 
Ou the other hand, mauy careful cultivators • 
have expressed their satisfaction with it, and 
think it a desirable variety for general culture. 
The reports show that in some eases it has 
ripened well, while it has failed to do so in 
other cases in the same locality; this can only 
be accounted for by differences xu soil and 
culture as well as by an unfavorable season. 
Having scrupulously compared the mult 1 tude 
of reports received, and exercised the strictest 
fairness in awarding the premiums, we are 
now prepared to announce the result. 
The prize-takers are as follows :— 
The prizes are awarded on the basis of the 
greatest yield from the number of kernels 
planted. 
The first prize as stated above is $100 in gold. 
The 2d prize, a feed and meal mill of the 
value of $65, is givcu by the Challenge Mill Co., 
of Batavia, Ill. This mill is adap'ed to wind 
or horse-power and has a capacity of 20 bush¬ 
els per hour at a speed of 800 to 1,000 revolu¬ 
tions per minute. 
The Giant feed mill, valued at $45, given for 
the third best result, is contributed by J. A. 
Field, Son & Co., of St. Louis, Mo. This mill 
ha3 taken the highest premium at the St. 
Louis fair. Itgriuds with the husk on without 
extra attachment. It will be shipped on board 
the cars at St. Louis free of charge. 
Prize number four, the ‘•Veteran” corn- 
sheller, valued at $35, is given by the Sand¬ 
wich Mauufacluriug Co., of Sandwich, Ill. 
This is a very complete sheller and per¬ 
fect separator that works satisfactorily as a 
power machine. It has a revolving wire eob- 
rake aud a fan for cleansing the corn. 
The fifth prize is given by the Wheeler & 
Melich Co., of Albany, N. Y. 
The prize-taker has his choice between a 
La Dow’s pulverizing harrow and a two-horse 
disc corn cu'tivator, .ach valued ut $30. Both 
of these implements have been figured and 
described in the Rural. They are thorough 
and durable pulverizers, aud for the size are 
not excelled by any other implement of the 
same class. 
For the sixth prize Messrs. Rumsey & Co., 
of Seneca Falls, N. Y., offer a choice of any¬ 
thing from their catalogue to the value of $25. 
This firm manufactures metallic pumps, hy¬ 
draulic rams, farm bells etc. iu great variety, 
and is able to satisfy Mi-. Bingham's wants in 
this line of goods. 
The seventh and eighth prizes are donated by 
Livingston & Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa., who 
offer a haud corn sheller of the value of $5 for 
each. We have one of these shellers in use at 
the Rural Farm, aud find it to fulfill every¬ 
thing claimed for it. 
Ur. Wm. H. Chamberlin's Report. 
The following extracts from Dr. Chamberlin’s 
letter will help to explain how he obtained so 
large a yield. 
“I have read with great interest the com¬ 
munications from the numerous correspon¬ 
dents of the Rural in regard to their success 
with the Blouut com. I planted 100 kernels 
of the package I received—which were all 
the mice left me—ou May 20. All did not 
come up uutil June 10. It was so cold and wet 
at the time here that I put glass over it to 
bring it out; but after it came up I had uo 
fault to flud with it, for it grew beyond any¬ 
thing I ever saw or heard of in the corn lino. 
Day aud night, week in and week out, it kept 
growing, and I thought, as many of our Rural 
friends did, that it was an earless sort of corn. 
However, about the 20th of July the ears began 
to show themselves, from three to teu on a 
stalk, aud on the 25th of J uly the tassels were 
lat Prize, 
Wm i 
(100 iU (fold. „ , 
, (Jhamborlam, M.D., Medina, New York.. 
2d Prize, Peed and Moal Mill (value $65.) 
O, W. Strouif, Davenport, lowa.. 
Bd Prize, Cl taut l'eod Mill <,value $45.) 
A. B. Diiic, Kdtfertou, Kansas. 
4th Prize, “Veteran ’’ Ooru Sheller (value $36.) 
J. B. Chapman 2d. Ovid, New York.. 
6tli Prize, a I.a Dow’* Pulverizing Harrow or a two-liorso Disc Corn 
Cultivator, which, ts optional with the winner (value $30.) 
A. J. Dlaokinun, Ciarkallold, Ohio. 
6th Prize, u choice of anythin*? to the valuo of $'16 from the catalogue 
of Mosers. Rumsey .v Co , of Seneca Fulls. N. Y. 
M. Z. Bingham, Pruioevulo, Illinois. 
7th Prize, a Hand Com Sholler (value $5.) 
A. xhwing, Uhardon, Ohio......... 
8th’Prlze, a Hand Com Sheller (value $b.) 
X L. Scott, Mouongahela City, Pa. 127 
Number of 
kernels 
planted. 
Yield. 
Number of 
lbs. shelled 
coru. 
Number of 
lbs. to each 
kernel 
planted. 
100 
295 
2.95 
122 
272 
2.23 
122 
224 
1.83 
131 
216 
1.64 
111 
182)6 
1.63 
146 
213 
1.46 
128 
172)6 
1.35 
127 
166 
1.30 
in sight. I never saw such corn for roots and 
suckers. Ou many of the stalks the roots and 
ears met. I did not disturb the roots but pulled 
nearly all the suckers. 
There have been hundreds of people to see 
my corn, and without one exception, all 
thought it a great acquisition for general culti- 
tivation, and that it would eveutually take the 
place of any corn we are raising in this part of 
the country. 
I harvested it on October 1st, and to tie the 
stalks I used a step-ladder seven feet high, aud 
hen could not reach the top of the stalks 
within several feet. They are from 12 to 15 
feet high. I have a stalk in my oliice fifteen 
feet aud one inch high now. The medium- 
sized stalks are much the more prolific. I 
have engaged all my corn for seed for next 
year, and could sell much more if I had it. I 
shall plant it for my main crop next year, aa 
will also many of my neighbors. The only 
thing I can see against it is, that it may take 
too long a time after planting to mature it." 
The following is Dr. Chamberlin's report 
which was duly certified to by D. W. Cole, a 
Justice of the Peace. 
1. Date of planting, May 20th, 1879. 
2. Date of harvesting, Oct. 1st, “ 
3. Date of weighing, Nov. 11th, “ 
4. Weight 5' shelled corn, 395 lbs. 
5. Measure of shelled corn, 419-32 bushels. 
0. Weight of stalks (eut up), 270 lbs. 
7. Average number of ears per stalk, 5 8-9.— 
Whole number of ears growu, 1530. 
8. Character of soil, sandy loam. 
9. Kind of manure used :—10 bushels of 
blacksmith-shop manure, cousistiDg of horse 
droppings aud hoof parings, with one bushel 
of refuse gas lime, spread evenly over a 
clover sod (clover eight inches high), and 
plowed under. I also used one gallon of liquid 
manure twice during the season, to each hill, 
made as follows:—two bushels of hen manure 
in 40 gallons of water. 
10. Cultivation:—I cultivated the com ouce, 
and hoed it three times, but did not hill it. All 
suckers were pulled except 100, on which grew 
100 of the poorest ears of cora raised on the 
plot. 
11. Number of kernels planted:—I planted 
100, the mice haviug destroyed the balance of 
the package (25 kernels). It was wet and cold 
when the corn was planted, and ten kernels 
did not germinate, and consequently only 90 
kernels came up. 
12. Number of kernels iu a hill:—one and two. 
I shall put three kernels iu a hill next year 
and destroy all suckers. 
Wm. H. Chamberlin, M. D. 
Medina, Orleans Co., N. Y., Nov. 13th, 1ST9. 
Mr. G. W. Strong’s Report. 
The report of Mr. G. W. Strong, of Daven¬ 
port, Iowa, was satisfactorily certified to. We 
make the following extract from it, relating 
to his method of cultivation: 
“The soil on which the corn was grown was 
uplaud prairie, that had been used tor garden¬ 
ing, und was very rich. It had been well manur¬ 
ed with barnyard manure. I also used 50 pounds 
of land plaster, four pounds of guano, and 
four pounds of bone dust. I planted the corn 
in drills, four feet apart, one kernel iu a place, 
and the kernels 19 incheB apart in the rows. 
I cultivated it with a hand hoe, but did not pull 
the suckers; nor do I think It would be best 
to pull them oft. In applying the fertilizers 
I opened a drill the length of my rows, and 
then sowed plaster the whole length of the 
drill. I then planted one kernel of corn iu 
each hill, making a ring, about three inches 
across, around the kernel with guano; then I 
covered all inside of the ring aud over the 
kernel with bone dust, aud finally covered the 
whole with about one Inch of soil. The drills 
were four feet apart, and l hilled the corn 
very high, so as to make deep trenches. I 
had a well at the end of the plat, and during 
the dry weather I used to pump the trenches 
full of water two or three times a week} the 
consequence was that the corn grew sixteen 
feet in hight. 
I do not think that the ordinary season Is 
long enough for it here ; but this has been an 
unusual season; frost held off very late, aud 
it has been one of the best for corn for sev¬ 
eral years.” 
Mr. A. U. Dille’* Report. 
The winner of the third prize, Mr. A. B Dille, 
of Edgartoo, Kansas, gives the following par¬ 
ticulars iu regard to the soil on whieh he raised 
the Blount's corn, and how it was manured 
aud cultivated, “I planted 122 kernels in 100 
hills, from which grew an average of nearly 
three stalks to each kernel. The soil was a 
black loam strongly impregnated with lime. 
It was heavily manured with manures from 
the. hog-pen aud stable. This was plowed in. 
On preparing to plant, I put,in addition, a small 
shovelful of manure in each hill. When the 
corn was six inches high I springled a quantity 
of hen manure along the rows and gave it a 
thorough cultivation, During the summer the 
corn had four good plowings and was hoed 
clean twice. The season was favorable for 
corn throughout this county, and the yield 
was as good as we ever had. It is not uncom¬ 
mon tor corn in this locality, with only ordi¬ 
nary care, to yield 70 or even 80 bushels per 
acre. It will be seen that this corn yielded at 
the rate of 160 busncls per acre, which Is by far 
the largest yield I ever had. I do not deem 
Blount’s corn as valuable a variety as 'he corn 
we raise here, but it is far more prolific. I in¬ 
tend to plant one bushel of it next season.” 
Mr. J. B. Chapman's Report. 
Mr. J. B. Chapman, of Ovid, N. Y., who ob¬ 
tained the fourth best yield from the seed 
planted, gives the following iu regard to the 
culture: “The soil is a clay loam. It was 
covered with a dense timothy sod, haviug been 
in grass for seven years. On this I spread one 
load of manure from the blacksmith shop. 
After it was plowed I put a little Farmer s 
Pride phosphate in each hill. The coru was 
planted the 21st of May aud harvested Novem¬ 
ber 20. During the summer it was cultivated 
twice and plowed once one way, and hoed three 
times. There were from one to five stalks m a 
hill, aud from one to six ears on each stalk. 
Several hills had twelve ears, but in no case did 
I plant more than oue kernel iu a hill. Only 
100 kernels came up.” 
We might continue to multiply these reports 
ad infinitum, but so much has already been 
said on the subject iu the Rural that this will 
be sufficient. Oue fact stands out prominently: 
in every instance iu which u large yield has 
been obtained the soil has either been uncom¬ 
monly rich by nature, or it has been made so 
by fertilizers, and the crop has received extra 
atteutiou in point of culture. 
In the case of Dr. Chamberlin, the yield was 
at the rate of 183 bushels of shelled corn to the 
acre, which is something astonishing. It is, 
however, absurd to suppose that the same ratio 
of yield could be maintained, had several acres 
been under cultivation, instead of a small frac¬ 
tion of one acre ; and whether the actual in¬ 
crease that on a large scale could be reached 
over an ordinary corn crop, would bo sufficient 
to pay for the expenditure of fertilizers aud ex¬ 
tra labor iu culture ou au equal scale as that ex¬ 
pended by Dr. Chamberlin, remains yet to be 
determined. The yield is ti^so found to vary 
greatly in weight. Dr. Chainberliu weighed 
one bushel aud fouud that it turned the scales 
at 61^ pounds; from this the weight varied 
down to 55 pounds a bushel. Those differences 
iu weight must, in the main, be due to the differ¬ 
ence in size of the kernels, whieh Is found to 
be far from uniform. 
The attention of our farmers has now been 
fairly called to this prolific corn, and the 
Rural’s object may iu this regard be con¬ 
sidered accomplished; whetherit is worthy of 
general introduction and exteusive cultivation 
will soon be decided by the practical tests 
made by many of our farmers. 
