June, 1917 
17 
or about 30 bushels per capita. 
These figures need cause us no 
self-congratulation when we con¬ 
sider that the average production 
for the ten year period 1906-1915 
was only a little over 263/4 bushels 
per acre. The main reason why 
this yield was no larger was that 
the American farmer realized from 
years of experience—though he may 
not have expressed the idea in terms 
of economics—that it would not pay 
him to go to any additional expense 
in increasing the production. 
An instructive story is that of the 
little boy in the photograph on page 
16. He planted and cared for his 
crop according to advice given him 
by a Government official, and secured a yield 
of no less than 107.33 bushels per acre. This 
is, of course, an extraordinary case. The 
average crop produced by boys in his state 
—where, by the way, corn is not a leading 
crop but one of the most neglected—was 
over 50 bushels per acre. The average yield 
for the adult farmers of the state was about 
20 bushels per acre ! 
This work has not stopped with the boys. 
In Culpeper County, Virginia, where the 
average crop of corn was 21 bushels, a 
demonstration of the county agent during 
the first four years’ work covered 1160 
acres, and secured an average yield of 
58.7 bushels per acre. Of the forty- 
eight boys enrolled for corn club work for 
1914, thirty-seven reported, the average 
crop being 75.7 bushels per acre. A 
farmer who has watched this work from 
the beginning says, “It has done the men 
more good than the boys, because while 
apparently not paying any attention to the 
boys’ corn club they are trying, as hard as 
they know how, to beat the crop the boys 
make. Today in traveling over the country 
one sees everywhere well selected ears of 
corn hanging in cribs, barns, porches and 
kitchens—a rare sight five years ago.” 
Improving Crop Varieties 
Selection and cross breeding have pro¬ 
duced wonderful results in improving 
strains of wheat and many other grains and 
Another factor in farm success is the 
right sort of buildings properly placed. 
The government sends through the 
rural districts models of a modern 
farm with full instructions for the 
farmer 
grasses as well as vegetables. Work along 
this line is by no means confined to making 
two blades grow where one grew before. 
The work of the plant breeder is often¬ 
times to get one blade where none grew 
before. Most interesting work has been 
done with the drought resisting plants, for 
example. Important results have been 
achieved with soy beans, milo maize, sor¬ 
ghum and a number of other crops. Equally 
important has been the introduction by the 
Department at Washington of a number of 
plants not formerly in general cultivation, 
but particularly suited to dry climates or 
other unusual conditions. 
Increasing production through improved 
strains or varieties has not been limited to 
plant life. Just as valuable work has been 
done in the breeding of live stock and poul¬ 
try. “Scrub” cattle, hogs and chickens are 
still in the majority in most agricultural 
sections; but their time has come and slowly 
but surely they are being replaced by thor¬ 
ough lines of stock well adapted to their 
locality. Especially in the South great 
progress has been made during recent years. 
Few people realize the tremendous im¬ 
portance of this kind of work, until they 
make some such comparison as, for exam¬ 
ple, that of the average cow with her 3,100 
pounds of milk and the belle of California, 
Tillie Alcartra, who gave in her record year 
30,000 pounds. Of course, that is a record 
we cannot hope to approach under ordinary 
conditions, but there is no doubt 
that the production per cow could 
at least be doubled within a few 
years, if a campaign for that pur¬ 
pose were to be inaugurated with the 
thoroughness with which the Gov¬ 
ernment is taking hold of the muni¬ 
tions supply for Army and Navy. 
Then there is the steel-spring 
legged, rubber-breasted hen that 
lays 60 eggs a year, compared to the 
312 eggs laid by Lady Eglantine in 
making her year’s record. If our 
hens were divided according to 
measurements known to indicate 
laying capacity, those that did not 
qualify being used for the table, the 
production per hen could easily be 
doubled. Feed and care alone are not suffi¬ 
cient for large egg fields. 
Good Methods as Important as Good 
Varieties 
The wonderful results mentioned in the 
case of corn crops were due largely to the 
introduction of better varieties than were 
formerly used in each case. Along with the 
better varieties went better methods of cul¬ 
ture. We in this country like to preen our¬ 
selves upon being a great agricultural nation. 
We are—but let us look for a minute at the 
following table which is of particular inter¬ 
est at this present time when the country 
with which we are at war supplies the 
“odious comparison.” 
Average Increase in Crop Yields in Twenty 
Years. 
United States Germany 
Wheat. 2 bu. 10 bu. 
Oats . 4 bu. 23 bu. 
Rye . 4 bu. 12 bu. 
Barley. 2 bu. 13 bu. 
Potatoes .23 bu. 80 bu. 
Average.20 bu. 62 bu. 
Not a pleasant pill for our national pride 
to swallow! However, there are extenuat¬ 
ing circumstances. We have been farming 
extensively while Germany has been farm¬ 
ing intensively. 
While each person engaged in agriculture 
in Germany has had to take care of 4.1 
{Continued on page 78) 
What corn clubs are doing for the farm boys, canning clubs are accomplishing with the farm girls. A 
government agent instructs the girls and oversees their work 
