,!>!il')!!l Nil liili g)tate College of iSgriculture at Cornell Wlnibtxsit^ 3ti)ata, M- g. iCitirarp Cornell University Library SB 191.M2I3 For more and better corn in the Northwes Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000363337 For ^ore and fetter Corn In the Northwest Production Should Be Greatly In- creased — Acclimated, Vital Seed of First Importance — Raise Live Stock and Rotate Crops to Maintain Fertility and Control Crop Pests — Importance of the Corn Crop — Corn Rapidly Gaining in Import- ance — Makes Rotation of Crops Possible — Alfalfa will Follow with Live Stock Published By Agricultural Extension Department International Harvester Company of New Jersey Chicago USA 1^ Product of a single hill. If we could locate all the stalks In the field which spring from the brothers of the kernel that produced No. 2 we should find that the great majority of them were ears, on an average, as good as it is. The same thing would hold true in the case of the parents of Nos. 3 and 1. This would lead us to the con- clusion that the difference in these three ears is due to the difference in the producing power of their parents. FOR MORE AND BETTER CORN IN THE NORTHWEST Production Should Be Greatly Increased — Accli- mated, Vital Seed of First Importance — Raise Live Stock and Rotate Crops to Maintain Fertility and Control Crop Pests — Importance of the Com Crop — Com Rapidly Gaining in Importance — Makes Rotation of Crops Possible — Alfalfa will Follow with Live Stock By J. G. HANEY* Agricultural Extension Department, International Harveeter Company of New Jersey Com is the imperial agricultural plant of America. This is attested by the fact that in 1912 the production in North America totaled over 3,000,000,000 bushels. The production of wheat the same year was a little less than 800,000,000 bushels, there being produced prac- tically four bushels of corn to one of wheat. There is no other single crop approaching com in impor- tance or value to American agricul- ture. The development of the corn industry — growing and feeding it — in any locality has always resulted in improved conditions of the farm and farmers, and an advance in farm values. While wheat and other small J. G. Haney grains are of great importance, and are always the crops first grown in new sections being opened for settlement, their exclusive production has proved disas- trous. It would doubtless be possible, but it has not proved * Mr Haney has csharge of demonstration work jn the Dakotas and Minnesota, lor the International Harvester Company of New Jersey. Bequests lor additional copies of this bulletin and for information on local conditions should be addressed to blm at Grand Forks. N. D. MORE CORN AND LIVE STOCK profitable, to produce small grain exclusively in any locality for longer than twenty to thirty years. The crop statistics of the United States Department of Agriculture show that the center of the wheat producing area has made great changes of location, due largely to the fact that this crop was grown exclusively in certain regions until profit- able production ceased. Mixed farming has always succeeded the one crop system, and corn is the crop that makes the tran- sition possible. As yet there is no system of permanent agri- culture developed, but the systems nearest approaching per- manency are combinations of grain and live stock farming. There is no crop that can replace corn in the systems of rota- tions and for feeding live stock on a very large proportion of American farms. With the example of what a one crop system has done in many localities, and how it was necessary to change to mixed farming — with such examples before the farmers of the North- west, it should not be necessary to sufEer the effects of such a system to the extent that older sections have. It is not easy to change a system of farming, but it can be accomplished with less difiiculty if done gradually. The change is gradually tak- ing place, but too slowly. Iowa in 1910 had 32 acres of corn to each farm. South Dakota had 30 acres of com to each farm, and North Dakota had only 4 acres of corn to each farm. More Corn and Live Stock Needed An examination of the following statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture should be interesting to everyone in the Northwest. These states are taken as rep- resentative. N. Dakota S. Dakota Iowa Total Population, 1910 .. 577,000 584,000 2,225,000 Total Area (acres) 1910... 44,917,000 49,196,000 35,575,000 FARMS: Number, 1911 74,360 77,644 217,000 Size, 1911 (acres) 382 335 156 Acreage Imp. Land, '11 275 203 135 LIVE STOCK: Hogs, Jan. 1, 1912 359,000 1,104,000 9,689,000 Sheep, Jan. 1,1912 .... 287,000 605,000 1,201,000 Milk Cattle, Jan. 1, '12 272,000 376,000 1,393,000 Other " Jan. 1, 1912 446,000 894,000 2,773,000 Horses and Mules, Jan. 1,1912 699,000 688,000 1,625,000 Total 2,063,000 3,667,000 16,681,000 DIVERSIFY FARMING CROPS: Corn— acreage 290,000 2,310,000 9,850,000 Acreage per farm -_, 4 30 32 Yield per acre* 23.4 27.4 32.4 Wheat— acreage 9,150,000 3,700,000 647,000 Yield per acre* 12.1 12.1 14.6 Oats— acreage 2,180,000 1,540,000 4,950,000 Yield per acre* 29.7 31.6 29.5 Barley— acreage 1,050,000 1,020,000 500,000 Yield per acre* 23 25.3 25.6 Flax- acreage 1,200,000 607,000 16,000 Yield per acre-- - . ._ 7.6 5.3 8 Hay— acreage 192,000 459,000 3,240,000 Yield per acre * (tons) 1.39 1.39 1.55 North Dakota, as indicated by the statistics, can hardly be said to have more than begun mixed farming, while South Dakota has made a very considerable start in this direction. Mouey Makers Iowa, 30 to 40 years ago, was very nearly the center of the wheat producing area and did very little mixed farmiing, but the sta- tistics now show that mixed farming is very generally practiced, and the value per acre of land indicates that such a system is very desirable. It will be noticed that the farms of Iowa are less than one- half the size of those in North or South Dakota, and that about one-fourth of the entire farm is devoted to corn. In South Dakota one-seventh of the farm is devoted to corn, while in North Dakota only one-seventieth of the farm is devoted to corn. The number of live stock on the farm, it will be noticed, is almost in proportion to the amount of corn grown. In Iowa there is one head of live stock to every two acres of land; in South Dakota, one head to each fourteen acres, while in North Dakota, there is one head to every twenty-one acres. The •Average yield per acre — 10 years average 1900-1909 8 PRACTICE CBOP ROTATION acreage devoted to hay is also another indication of the extent of mixed farming, as Iowa has more than 3,000,000 acres devoted to this crop. Iowa still produces a large amount of small grains and doubtless will continue to do so, but this is grown in rota- tion with other crops which make such proflbable. While small grains are being grown at a profit in North and South Dakota and other Northwestern states, there are already large areas that do not produce as profitably as they did ten or twenty years ago. This same failure appeared to the farmers of Iowa, and they have changed their systems and are now engaged in diversified farming which they find more profitable than they did the single crop system even while the land was new. Experimental Stations Show Results The valuable rotation experiment which has been conducted by the North Dakota Experiment Station since 1882 and published in Bulletin 100, emphasizes the value of rotation or mixed farming to a remarkable degree. It shows that if land that has been in wheat continuously for ten to fifteen years, is planted to corn one year in four, the succeeding three wheat crops will yield more wheat than would be secured on the same ground from four wheat crops. This shows that the farmers of North Dakota could dtevote one- fourth of their land to growing corn and still grow as much wheat as they are now growing, and they would have the corn crop to feed to live stock, which would be another very desirable source of income. Table 5, Bulletin 100, North Dakota Experiment Station shows that the average yield of all fields cropped continuously to wheat from 1882 to 1906, was 13.13 bushels per acre. The average yield of all fields in rotations— wheat three years and some other crop one year— was 19.12 bushels per acre, an increase of practically six bushels per acre. Selection of Seed Corn The greatest problem in extending corn growing in the North- west is in getting varieties that are acclimated. There are no varieties better adapted than the corn already being grown in a given locality. The longer it has been grown there, the more valuable is the variety. The selecting and properly caring for seed corn is of great importance. It is impossible to get a profitable yield of corn with poor seed. To obtain good seed it is necessary for the farmer to select it himself or buy it from a neighbor who is known to have seed of an acclimated variety. The law that "like produces like," is the foundation upon wliieh selection must be made. That poor seed means a poor yield no one will question, but it is not so fully recognized that unless great pains IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SEED Eiir No. 1 is especially strong, with well-formed kernels, set close, and showing good constitution. Note well-rounded tip and butt. On Ear No. 2 notice space between kernels next to cob, also the barren tip. There is much waste space on this ear. 10 GROW CORN FOR PROFIT be taken to plant only the best seed the crop will gradually deteriorate or run out, as we often say. Corn requires much greater care to prevent deterioration than most other crops, since it is a comparatively new crop, as we know it today, and its characteristics have not been so thoroughly fixed through centuries of breeding as have those of many grains, but for the same reason it is also much more susceptible to improvement by proper care in selection. Com Responds Readily to Selection Probably no time will be more profitably spent by the farmer than that devoted to the improvement and care of his corn crop. This is chiefly due to the fact that it responds quickly to good treatment and methods of improvement. The object of the corn judge at a contest, and of a farmer selecting his seed to plant, should be the same, viz., to select those ears or exhibits, as the case may be, which, in his estima- tion, are the best for seed purposes; i. e., those ears which when planted next spring, will give the greatest profits per acre in the vicinity where the corn is grown. Great Variation in Prodnct of Different Ears The importance of selecting the best ears to plant cannot be too much emphasized. As an experiment, for a number of years 100 ears of corn have been planted side by side, each ear in a row by itself. They were all treated alike through the season. Any- one who has never carried out such an experiment can not re- alize the difference there is in the yield, proportion of barren stalks and suckers, and in the general character of growth be- tween the different ears of corn. Of the 100 ears of corn planted side by side, one may yield at the rate of. 90 or 100 bushels per acre, while another ear may yield less than 40 bushels. Some ears gave more than six times as many broken stalks at time of harvest, as others. Certain ears seem predisposed to barrenness. For example, in one of the experiments, onB ear gave 79 barren stalks, or 21 per cent, while another ear gave but six barren stalks or less than 3 per cent. In another case, one row contained 106 suckers, while another was entirely free from them. The following will further illustrate the great difference in results from different ears. One ear produced 55 bushels per acre, had 67 barren stalks, 244 broken stalks at time of harvest, and 62 suckers, while another ear planted by its side yielded 82 bushels per acre, had only 6 barren stalks, 130 broken stalks and but 5 suckers. Some ears produce strong, .vigorous stalks with heavy, dark green leaves, and others tall, slender stalks with narrow leaves of a pale color. In some rows the ears will be high on the stalk, SELECT EARS FROM THE FIELD 11 in others low; some will be late and others early; some will grow rapidly, others much more slowly; some will be considerably affected by smut, others but little. We cannot pay too much attention to the selection of the best ears, discarding the low producing ears. Date to Select Seed Com As to the exact date when seed corn should be selected it is perhaps impossible to say. Be sure, however, not to gather until it is practically ma- tured, but before there is a possibility of a heavy frost or freeze. A good plan is to take a grain sack arranged similar to the way they are used in broad- casting small grain. With this over one shoulder go into the field to where the best corn is located and go down between two rows and select ears from only the best stalks. The ears should be taken from plants of medium height that are short jointed, have thick stalks and broad leaves. Such stalks have strong vitality. An over-tall stalk shows a weak constitution, the same as a long-legged, spindling horse or steer. The stalk too short has been stunted and its vigor weakened. The vigor and stiffness of the stalk is an important factor in secur- ing large yields. At the Ohio Experiment Station in a field of corn of the same variety, many stalks were badly broken .down in a storm, while others stood upright. Seed taken from the broken stalks yielded 75 bushels per acre, while seed from stalks that withstood the wind yielded 114 bushels per acre. Ears from stalks that are diseased or damaged by insects should not be selected, as both cause premature ripening and loss of vitality. Gathering Seed-corn from the Field before Frost Comes 12 HA VE A SEED CORN DAY A seed ear need not necessarily be a large ear, but it should have the essential points of a good ear of corn. A good sized substantial cob is necessary, but the grains must be well formed. The Importance of Selecting Seed Corn Perhaps the first and most essential thing with regard to selecting seed corn is for the farmer to have the importance of doing this so impressed upon his mind that he will do it. It is very easy for this Important matter to be side-tracked at the essential time, for almost anything else. Every farmer knows where his best com is in the field ; he also has his idea as to what comprises a good stalk of corn and also a good ear. He should have a proper balance of the essential points to be taken into con- sideration in making such selections. It is possible to sacrifice some important point in order to obtain others which are less essential. Corn Maturity Essential Maturity is one of the most important things to be considered, especially in the northern part of the com belt. The late maturing varieties grow large, nice ears, but this is not as essential as that the corn be matured before the possibility of damage by frost. If the season is a little short and the late varieties are not matured,* the com is of low grade and does not sell for what it should on the market, nor does it have the feeding value of corn that matures naturally. Seed Com Day on the Farm Professor Holden, the father of the great corn movement in Iowa, says, "There must be a tremendous 'jogging' or waking up to the importance of better seed corn. We have 'Arbor Day.' Would it not also be well to have a 'Seed Com Day,'— a day when everyone should begin the harvesting and storing of the seed corn for the following spring? We laugh at our grandfathers for planting their potatoes and sowing their grain 'in the moon,' that is, in certain phases of the moon. The value of this practice lay, not in the fact as supposed by many that the moon exercised any Influence on the crop, but in A Prize Ear Straight rows and uni- form size Icernels, tip and butt well covered KEEP MICE FROM SEED 13 the having of a definite time and plan for the doing of the various things on the farm. And so I would suggest that a day be set aside on every farm each fall as Seed Corn Day, and that it be celebrated by harvesting and storing the seed for next year's planting." This would certainly be a wonderful plan, and would give a great Impetus in the proper direction on many farmers. It prob- ably would not be possible to select enough seed in one day, but as the average amount of corn planted by the farmers would perhaps not be over 40 acres, which would not require over 5 or 6 bushels of seed, it is probable that enough would be selected in one day to plant almost the entire crop for another year. Storing Seed Com During Winter After the seed corn is gathered from the stalks in the field, it is essential that it be put away so that it will become thor- oughly dried out before heavy freezing weather sets in. The damages to seed corn from freezing are greatly lessened if the corn is thoroughly dried out. There are numerous ways for put- ting away seed corn, any one of which will give the desired results if they are consistently carried out. As the matter of selecting seed corn should be made an annual practice, a few hours or a day could not be spent more profitably than in ar- ranging a suitable rack in the attic of the house for storing seed com. It would be well to surround this rack with wire netting that would exclude mice and rats. By using slats or laths, shelves could be put in which would hold the seed corn and also admit of using a germinator and testing the ears with- out having to remove them to the floor or some other place while testing them for germination. Perhaps the simplest method of storing the seed corn in the attic is to hang it up to the rafters with strings. The hanging up gives a free and constant circulation of air which is essential but this can also be obtained if the seed corn room or racks are properly constructed. Where it is not possible to store the seed in the attic, or the furnace room of the modern home which offers a splendid place, a part of the granary should be fitted up so as to make it possible to use artificial heat if the weather should be unusually cold and damp after the seed corn is gathered and before it is thoroughly dried out. Wliere to Store Seed Com Taking all things into consideration, probably there is no better place to store seed corn than in the attic. The experi- ments conducted at the Iowa Agricultural College, where the seed was stored In various places, show that the attic is one of the very best places for seed corn. The second best place seems to be the cellar and especially the furnace room. There 14 STOBE SEED WITH CASE are several objections to the' average cellar. It is apt to be too damp and the corn must be well dried before putting it in the cellar and it must not be corded up or put in piles, but hung up. In the cellar there is more danger from mice and generally less room, but it has one great advantage in that it protects Tying up Seed-oorn the corn from the hard freezes. Seed that is hung in the barn or under an open shed may come through the winter in fair con- dition provided it was harvested and hung up early, so as to be thoroughly dry before cold weather. However, much of the seed stored in this way is either killed or greatly weakened. During the warm, damp spells, the seed gathers moisture and is injured by the hard freezes that follow. It is bad economy to be careless with seed corn. Poor seed means a poor stand; not only is a portion of the field idle but the missing hills and the one stalk hills and the poor, worthless stalks must be cultivated, and nothing secured in return. Thousands of people every year in the corn belt work more than a third of every day on ground that produces nothing. It is not safe to depend for seed on the occasional good ear SPROUTS SHOULD BE STRONG 15 found while husking. The corn will be injured by freezing before it is husked or before it has had time to become dry after husking. Do not store seed corn4n barrels or boxes. It will gather moisture and mould or freeze. Do not store over the laimdry nor over the stable. Do not put immature or freshly gathered seed corn in a warm room on the floor or in piles. It will either sprout or mould or both. It should be hung up at once, and the windows opened to allow the freest circulation of air. One day devoted to the seed corn at the proper time may be worth more than an entire month of hard work next summer put onto a poor stand of corn. Vitality Must Be Kept Strong It is not enough to simply maintain the vitality of the germ, but it must be kept in such a way that it will germinate strong and vigorous. Seed corn may show 100 per cent germination at harvesting time, and yet its vigor be so weakened by unfit winter treatment that the resulting crop will be light. Professor P. G. Holden has made many tests that demon- strate this beyond a doubt. Seed corn was collected from ninety farms near Ames, Iowa, and was planted in adjoining plats. The seed that showed the strongest vitality yielded 80i bushels per acre; the seed that showed the least vigor yielded but 31 bushels per acre. j_ In another test he secured 40 ears of one variety from the seed corn saved on one farm, samples of kernels were taken from each ear and germinated. Those from one ear were dead, the samples from the other ears germinated — some weak, some strong. The seed from each ear was planted in a separate row. The ears showing the most vigorous germination produced at the rate of 92 bushels per acre, while the ears showing the weakest germination yieled at the rate of 24 bushels per acre. These tests show infallibly that the farmer may make or lose his corn crop by caring or not caring for his seed. The method of testing vitality of seed com is one that has been thoroughly tried, and every farmer should be familiar with it as there are a number of essential steps in carrying out this process, which are discussed in a succeeding chapter. Plant the 100 Best Ears Together This should be begun next spring by selecting 50 or 100 of the best ears of seed corn. These oars should then be butted and tipped, and each shelled by itself and carefully studied. The kernels should have a bright, cheerful appearance, be full and plump at the tips, and hav. large, clear germs; otherwise they should be discarded. The b^ed thus secured should be planted 16 HOME GBOWN SEED BEST on one side of the corn field. From this part of the field in the fall select the seed for the next year's planting. Get Your Seed Corn From Your. Own Field if Poisible The corn grower should select seed from his own field or from a neighbor. In every trial that has been made anywhere in the United States, seed corn grown at home has given better results than that brought in from other localities. Professor P. G. Holden made a careful test in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, of seed corn grown In the county, of seed corn from the best growers in other counties in Iowa, and of seed corn purchased from seed houses. All samples were planted in one field, side by side, and given the same treatment in all particulars. The average yield produced by seed from other counties was 12 bushels less per acre, and the yield produced by seed from ^^^: h w ■ 1 1^1 P ■* " 1 '^^v '-/>^^^ i^\ '^fe. "^ ^^^^ 1 - . *-3 - '" ^^^9 ^^^^S5^ . t 1 w ... . ^^S ^m W^'^ar? Put the kernels from Ear No. 1 iu Square No. 1 ; from Ear No. 2 in Square No. 2, and so on seed houses was 22 bushels an acre less than that produced by the local seed selected by careful farmers. The crop from home- grown seed got ripe, while that from seed shipped in contained a lot of soft corn. At the Nebraska Agricultural College seed grown on the farm was planted beside seed grown within 60 miles of the college, and beside prize winning corn from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Seed grown on the farm produced 48.8 bushels an acre, seed grown within 60 miles of the farm produced 45.6 bushels an acre and the specially choice seed from other states produced 39.8 bushels an acre— a loss of nine bushels an acre by sending out of the state for seed. In Sherman, Texas, good seed corn grown in Iowa was plant- ed in the same field beside good seed raised on the farm; the home grown seed yielded 17 bushels an acre more than the Iowa seed. TEST, DON'T GUESS n Do Not Import Seed Corn Prof. C. P. Hartley, a Government corn expert, has made five tests in each of 28 states and has found that home-grown seed gave much higher yields than corn brought from a distance. In an experiment in Ohio two samples of the same strain of corn were planted side by side; one sample was home grown and the other brought from a distance of only 50 miles. The home- grown seed yielded 47 per cent more than the seed brought 50 miles. Seed corn of the strongest vitality can be secured by going into the fields before frost, gathering good, well-matured ears that grow on strong, thick stalks, curing the ears in normal temperature until kernel and cob are thoroughly dry and hard, and keeping the corn until planting time, where it will not be- come damp, or get either heated or chilled. The yield can be further increased by giving each ear a germination test in the spring and planting seed from, those ears only that show strong vitality. It takes 14 to 20 ears to plant an acre and the select- ing, curing, keeping and testing of these 14 to 20 ears of seed corn that will insure high yields and increased profits can be done at a total cost of, not to exceed 50o. Do not neglect this important part of the work. More Com Means More Cattle The number of beef cattle has been steadily decreasing for ten years. There are probably today ten million less beef animals in the United States than a normal supply, and fat cattle and beef are the highest that they have been for 45 years. There will be no relief from these conditions until the annual production of corn has been largely increased. The quantity now being produced is needed for other purposes than feeding and is easily marketed at a high price. Growers prefer to sell corn rather than to take the risks of feeding. Were the total production of corn doubled, there would be sufficient to supply all market demands and leave a surplus for feeding. Then, and not until then, will there be an ample supply of beef at a reason- able price. The man or men, organization or organizations, who can in- duce the corn grower to gather and save seed of strong vitality will go a long way towards solving one of the most difficult problems of both country and city living. "Test, Don't Guess"— Test Every Ear of Com htended for Planting — There is always a ' ' Tail End to Creation" — that is certain ears that are poorest, weakest runts — Let us Test and get rid of them There is perhaps no more important step in corn culture than making a germination test of each ear to be used for seed. 18 THE GERMINATION BOX Each ear of seed should produce two to four bushels of com. Hence, If one ear in fifteen or twenty does not grow, there is not only a loss of two to four bushels of corn per acre, but a loss in the time required to prepare the land, plant and cul- tivate, where the corn should be growing. Testing the germination of seed corn is a very simple and interesting operation. To do so make a box two feet square and six inches deep. Fill half full of sawdust, sand, or dirt. Saw- dust is best as it is lighter. Level off evenly and place over this a white cloth on which there have been' ruled ofE 100 squares,, checker-board fashion, l^xli inches. This allows several inches between the sides of the box and the squares. Number the squares, not necessarily every one, but so that you will know Sprouted Seed in Germination Box what the number of each is. Tack this cloth to the cornerc and sides of the box. Lay out on the floor, or some shelves, where they will not be disturbed, 100 ears of seed corn. Drive a nail between each ten ears, and at the ends of the rows. Num- bers may be written on tags and fastened to the ears by stick- ing a small nail through the tag and into the butt end of cob. Remove Six Grains (rem Each Ear From ear number one, remove six grains — three from each side; two from butt, two from middle, and two from near tip. Place these grains in square number one. Kepeat this process with each ear until there'are six grains from each ear in each square. Arrange the grains in the squares, three at top and three at bottom, with tops of grains in the same direction and TRY OUT THE PLANTER 19 with the germs up. Spread over the grains carefully a thin cloth just the size of box. Over this, place a cloth considerably larger than the box and fill in with whatever material was used in bottom of box. Press down evenly and thoroughly moisten. If sawdust is used, it should be soaked in a tub of water for half an hour before putting in the box. This box must be kept from freezing — at about living room temperature, 70" F., for four or five days. Some water should be sprinkled over the top every day to insure it not getting too dry. At the end of this time, the strong grains should have root sprouts two or three inches long, and the stalk end of sprout should be well started. After removing the top covering, pull the thin cloth back care- fully, or the grains may be displaced. Examine very carefully. Any grains that have not started can be easily seen, and the ear from which they came, located and examined. It can not be expected that the corn will grow any better in the field than it Ten Good Ears has in this box. Every ear that has not germinated strong should be rejected for seed. Some will doubtless show vitality, but the sprouts are so slow and weak that they would never make a profitable growth in the field. If seed is scarce, the weak ears should be saved and planted by themselves, and planted a little thicker in the hill, to be cut for fodder. This operation should be continued until all the seed corn is tested. After testing, the ears saved for seed should be shelled. If there is not a grader at hand, some of the small grains from the tip, and the large irregular grains from the butt should be shelled off by hand. The only reason for this is that a planter will not handle the irregular sized grains so as to drop uniformly the desired number to each hill. Have the Planter Ready It is Important to have the planter ready and plates for dropping the desired number of grains per hill. If there is very much variation in the size of grains on different ears, it would 20 MAKE IT A PROFIT CROP be best to shell the ears separately and make, say three grades as to size and shape of grains — large, medium, and small. Each grade should be put in a sack and labeled, and a plate selected for each grade by trying each in the planter until one is found that will drop as desired. By trying the planter out, you will know if it needs any repairs, or if unable to get satisfactory results with it, you may find it advisable to get a new one. This work can all be done before spring, at a time when there is very little else to do. If it was not possible to save seed from your own field and it is necessary to buy, it is worth while buying seed corn in the ear. You know then just what you are getting and can test the germination. If the seed is known to be acclimated and adapted to the locality, carefully tested so that it will be sure to grow, there is no risk to run, except those incident to climatic con- ditions which cannot be controlled. It is during the unfavor- able season — late cold spring, dry weather, and early frost, that the carefully selected and tested seed will show to the best advantage. Hence, it is advisable to take every precaution that gives assurance of a profitable crop. Corn-GrowiBg, Planting and Cultivating — Corn Belt Moving North- — Varieties Adapted to Climate Insure Good Yields — Early Planting Essential While corn will perhaps continue to be produced most easily and profitably along the 40th parallel of latitude, it is being grown in rotations and for feeding purposes in every section of the Northwest. It is no longer a question as to whether corn can be grown profitably, but how valuable it can be made. There is yet a great work to be done in improving and adapt- ing the varieties grown in various sections. There are varieties of corn that mature if they can have sixty days of summer weather. Professor Shaw finds that in the dryer sections of Montana, growing a crop of corn on land is better for the succeeding wheat crop than fallowing — and the corn crop will pay for the work of planting and cultivating. Corn is grown in the Northwest largely for the purpose of cleaning the land. For this purpose many farmers are not particular as to where they get seed, and for this reason seldom get full value from the crop. Usually the corn is not planted until late, as other crops are given preference. Corn is more easily grown in the North than in the South, as the short growing season does not admit of weeds maturing seed after the crop has been cultivated. There are no complicated methods to be followed in corn culture, in fact corn is the least difflcult of all crops to grow. In the short season sections, the corn should be planted as early as possible. A light frost or so may nip the leaves without harm. Fall plowing should be provided for corn, as this can be GUL TIVA TE FEE Q UENTL T 21 worked earlier, and warms up quickly in the spring. Applying manure to the fall plowing must be done very carefully, lightly — for if heavy, the soil will riot warm up readily. Corn responds to any advantage given it in preparation of seed feed, and can always be depended on to repay any extra effort made to provide favorable conditions. The soil should be well prepared to a good depth, and the more fertile the better. The land should be disked and harrowed just before planting to insure the corn a chance to start ahead of weeds. Check Row and Cultivate Both Ways Clieck-rowing will give best results as it admits of better cultivation. If the land has been manured, three to four grains to the hill may be dropped Si feet apart each way, but if the land is old and rather thin — has not been producing more than ten bushels of wheat per acre, the planting had better be thin- ner — two grains per hill. For corn to mature in a short season, the plant food must be readily available and insufficient amount to admit rapid growth. There is no more reason for expecting corn to make a quick growth on a thin soil than for a pig to fatten rapidly on slop made of one handful of shorts to a pail of water. The depth of planting must be determined by the moisture in the soil — the seed should be planted in moist soil, but not deeper than three inches, two inches would be preferable. The working of the soil previous to planting should put it in such shape that the harrow can be used to cultivate the corn until six inches high. However, if conditions are such that the harrow could not be used and weeds start, the cultivator should be used promptly. The experiments conducted at many experiment stations are showing better results from shallow cultivation. This is especi- ally true in the North, for the soil being cold below, the roots tend to grow close to the surface, and the roots must not be broken by the cultivator. The two-row cultivator, rigged with three or four small shovels to each gang, will be found very satisfactory for cultivating. As there is always a possibility of a shortage of moisture at a critical time— the cultivation should tend to conserve moisture to the greatest extent. Frequent, shallow, level cultivation is preferable for this reason. A large amount of moisture is needed when the kernels are maturing. It is therefore advisable to continue shallow cultiva- tion as late as possible. When the stalks become too large to permit the use of the two-horse cultivator, a one-horse cultivator may be used to good advantage. In the Northwest there is seldom any need to consider the possibility of corn being 22 FEED TOUR CORN TO STOCK damaged by an excess of moisture, but it is always advisable to cultivate with a view to conserving moisture to the fullest extent. What To Do With the Corn Crop As indicated by the systems of farming in the older sections, it is necessary to have live stock on every farm. Investigations indicate that there must be kept approximately the equivalent of 50 head of cattle on every 160 acres. The handwriting on the wall for many farms in the Northwest can already be plainly read. It is visible in almost the entire Bed River Val- ley, and reads unmistakably, "Raise More Live Stock." Practice and facts indicate that it is profitable to grow corn to clean the land — on many farms small grain cannot be pro- duced at a profit any longer. Corn will clean the land of weeds and root diseases, and provide feed for the live stock. Dairy cows, fed corn silage, will furnish a "winter harvest" of cream checks, and at the same time pay $1.65 a load for cleaning out the barn. (See N. D. A. C. Bulletin 100, page 62.) The silo will find its greatest appreciation in the Northwest, and there is no better feed for cattle than corn ensilage. There is no question as to being able to grow corn to fill the silo. There is no question as to feeding corn silage to milk cows and making a profit. All kinds of stock will eat the corn plant in almost any form. Twelve good brood sows should produce 80 pigs. Eighty shoats seven or eight months old, turned onto fifteen or twenty acres of corn about September 15th, will make money faster than it can be dreamed of, and at the same time leave the field fertilized to an extent that will make the succeeding wheat crop a thing of beauty, and yield better than ever. The above heading was suggested by the experience of a farmer near Valley City, N. D. , in 1911. He planted 40 acres of corn and got a good crop, but had no stock — and as his wheat had failed, could not buy any. He finally inquired in Moorhead, Minn., as to the possibility of selling his corn, and was offered 50c per bushel on track. He loaded 1,000 bushels, and said he never had $500.00 that did him more good— it was just like finding it. He put out 80 acres in 1912, and is expecting to get live stock, a silo and alfalfa, and really begin farming. FOB MORE AND BETTER CORN ' 23 SUMMARY 1. More corn is essential to the prosperity of the Northwest. 2. Acclimated vital seed is of first importance — home grown seed carefully stored to conserve vitality will give best results. 3. Grow your own seed or willingly pay a neighbor a good price for seed that has been properly cared for and tested. 4. Test every ear — don't guess at vitality. One dead ear in sixteen, means the loss of two to four bushels per acre. 5. Fall plowing is best. Plow a little deeper than usual for corn. Spread a light covering of manure on land during winter and disk as early as possible in spring to warm the soil. Disk and barrow again just before planting, to kill all weeds. 6. Spring plowing should be done early, or the land should be disked as soon as dry enough. Spring plowing should be very little deeper than usual and must be disked or packed and har- rowed every day as plowed to preserve moisture. 7. Early planting is essential. Com must be planted in the spring, not summer. Corn is very seldom damaged by frost after May 15th in North Dakota or Northern Minnesota. 8. Plant with check-rower ; three to five grains per hill de- pending on variety and land ; not deeper than two inches, but grain should be in moist soil. 9. If weeds start or soil is packed by rain, harrow or culti- vate before corn is up. Cultivation may be deep while com is small, but as the com gets larger should be shallow and fre- quent to warm soil, kill weeds, and conserve moisture. Fre- quent cultivation is essential to early maturity. 10. Remember that the early maturing ears selected from your own field between September 10th to 16th before freezing weather and properly cared for will be the best seed for your farm next year. CORN IMPROVEMENT IN NORTH DAKOTA Results of a Practical Elxperiment on the 1 H C Demonstration Farm, Conducted by J. G. Haney, Agricultural Elxtension Department For the purpose of further demonstrating the possibilities of growing corn and alfalfa in North Dakota, the Agricultural Extension Department of the International Harvester Company of New Jersey leased a half section farm for a period of five years. The year 1912 was a poor corn year as the season was unfavorable, especially so because of a wet fall and a killing frost which came before much of the corn was matured. We were able, however, to secure enough locally grown seed to plant about two hundred acres over which we had supervision. Gathering Seed Com on I H C Demonstration Farm CORN IMPROVEMENT 25 Weather Conditions Unfavorable Owing to the fact that we did not get the farms until the spring of 1913, there was no work done in the way of preparation and nearly all of the ground had to be spring plowed. We also had the disadvantage of starting with a farm that for nearly forty years has grown nothing but wheat and to which there has been practically no fertility returned in any form. The spring of 1913 was cold and backward and the rainfall for the growing months was unusually light as is shown by the following report from the State University farm, which adjoins our f arm^ : April, 1.08 inches July, 2.86 inches May, 1.52 " To August 15th, .27 inches June, 1.21 " The corn land was all plowed, packed and harrowed immedi- ately. As weeds had started, some of the earliest plowing was double-disked and harrowed again immediately before planting. We began planting on the 12th of May and completed planting on the 22nd of May. We had planted one hundred acres and harrowed a part of this before it came up. Cultivation was begun as soon as the corn was up as the cold weather had delayed its starting promptly and it was necessary to begin cultivation to keep ahead of the weeds. The corn having been planted with a check rower, four cultivations with riding cultivators were suflBcient to control the weeds and keep the soil in good shape. Up to July first, when it had the first rain of any con- sequence, the corn made a very slow growth. Previous to this time we had only small showers which no more than laid the dust. Stonue Seed Corn for Winter, Taken on I H O Farm 26 IN NORTH DAKOTA Minnesota Varieties Best The three leading varieties of which we had large fields that give the most promise are: Minnesota 23, Minnesota 13, and Northwestern Dent. The Northwestern Dent matured earlier than the Minnesota 23 and would be preferable for a silage corn, although the 23 would be more satisfactory from the standpoint of grain production. The Minnesota 13 practically all matured before the first killing frost which was on September 17th. Considering the unfavorable season and the fact that we did not have the land fall plowed, the results are entirely satisfactory. 2,000 Bushels of Seed Corn We tested all of the seed carefully which gave us almost a perfect stand. Cultivation kept down the weeds and placed the soil in proper condition. Practically all of the corn of the three varieties above mentioned was matured when frost came and by selecting the ripest ears from the stalks in the field, we secured over 2,000 bushels of seed corn for distribution in this territory for planting the coming year. Type of Corn grown on I H C Demonstration Farm, North Dakota m |!iii!jj|'!t! :«■:!• iliii!