knee high by the fourth of july elephants eye july 4 events pa

Amidst the rows of stalks, farmers gauge their crop’s progress, invoking an age-old saying: “Knee High by the Fourth of July.” This phrase, steeped in agricultural tradition, has been a benchmark for corn farmers across America for generations. The old adage "knee-high by the Fourth of July" was used as a benchmark for corn crop progress. However, modern farming techniques and genetics have led to taller corn crops by Independence Day. Above normal temperatures and humidity have made life uncomfortable for human beings this summer, but Knee-high by the fourth of July means that if your corn is up to your knees or past them, your crop is on track for a successful harvest this year. Some years the corn is almost up to your shoulders, but on difficult years it is just knee-high. Whether corn is knee-high or elephant-eye high by the 4th of July is less important than whether the crop intercepts near maximum light at silking and the timing of the first major fall frost. Instead of “knee-high by the Fourth of July” the saying, “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” seems to be more accurate. The new phrase was taken from a song in the 1943 musical Oklahoma! With new corn breeds and varieties available, there are noticeable differences in the way the crop grows. Rachel Hollerich stands in a well-past-knee-high corn field on her farm near Good Thunder, Minn., on July 3, 2012. She says if the corn were knee high, that would be a sign of problems in the crop. “Knee high by the Fourth of July” was an expression used for many years by Midwest farmers, indicating their corn crop was expected to yield well if those “knee-high conditions” existed. These days the lyrics, “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,” from the song Oh, What a July 4th — Knee-High By The Fourth of July – This is an old saying once used by farmers to measure the success of their corn crops—if it had grown knee-high by Independence Day, it was a good sign and meant they could count on high yields for the year. This year, when my husband began spouting off the old Farmers Almanac adage of “knee-high by the Fourth of July” to describe our corn crop, this history buff had to do some research. A Google search of that phrase brought up a couple of thousand links. Since knee-high is no longer as relevant, corn should be “as high as an elephant’s eye by the Fourth of July.” The saying comes from the Oklahoma! song “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” in which the main characters marvel at the height of the corn singing, “There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow. The saying “knee high by the Fourth of July” once indicated high corn yields, but now the lyric from the Oklahoma! In some areas across the U.S., farmers have turned to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, “Oklahoma!,” for a new adage. Since knee-high is no longer as relevant, corn should be “as high as an The old adage "knee-high by the Fourth of July" was used as a benchmark for corn crop progress. However, modern farming techniques and genetics have led to taller corn crops by Independence Day. The outdated slogan may be relevant this year after heavy rains and cold temperatures delayed Minnesota's corn crop season. That phrase “knee high by the Fourth of July” is a classic bit of Pennsylvania farm wisdom, especially among Amish and Mennonite communities. It’s used to judge how well the corn is growing. If the People still love the catchy old phrase that corn ought to be "knee-high by the 4th of July." But it doesn't apply in a modern-day farming age of genetically modified plants. These days, an elephant's eye is closer to the mark. Just trade "knee high by the fourth of July" for "as high as an elephant's eye." This is a line from the musical Oklahoma! , specifically the song 'Oh, What A Beautiful Morning.' The exact lyrics are: There’s a bright, golden haze on the meadow. And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky. You're Doin’ Fine, Oklahoma! The saying knee-high by the fourth of July hasn’t stood the test of time. However, many farmers have turned to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1940s musical Oklahoma! for a more accurate adage, adopting the lyric the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye as their new benchmark for corn growth by Independence Day. With the advancement of technology, genetics, and improved plant health, most farmers expect stalks to be taller than knee height this time of the year. Some farmers have changed the saying to 'as high as an elephant's eye by the 4th of July.'

knee high by the fourth of july elephants eye july 4 events pa
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