VOL. LXIV
INDIANAPOLIS, FEB.   20, 1909.
NO. 7
Clore'8 Sweepstake Corn at Omaha.
By Leonard B. Clore.
About twenty years ago I was encouraged by my father, who was one of the
host farmers iu Indiana, to exhibit ten
cars of corn at the county fair, and won
tlie prize. This started me to closer investigations and stronger determination
tn win a secoud time. I was never contented with present results, but was continually  pushing on.
I am almost convinced that condition
nt the soil is the most important factor in
successful corn growing. Here are a
ft'\v rules to follow: A complete system
of underdrainage, a rotation of corn,
wheat  and   clover. The  clover  comes
cvoiy third year and is followed by corn,
l'lenty of barnyard manure is applied. I
have found that commercial fertilizer of
the right kind and rightly applied will add
some to the yield and considerable to the
quality.
The corn question today is considered by
the intelligent farmers as the most import of farm topics, from the fact that
corn is increasing in demand and so many
new articles are being manufactured from
it, making it necessary that we produce
nore corn and of better quality.
For clover sod I prefer fall plowing.
'lliis also helps to do away with cut
worms and other injurious corn pests, and
helps along with spring work. For a nice
seed bed, it is important to disk thoroly
liefore the ground is allowed to dry out
and become hard. One thing to be re-
n embered in all stages of the preparation,
is not to work the soil when it is the least
heavy. With thorough disking early, followed by spring tooth harrow, and if a
little dry with the roller, you will be
able to retain the moisture.
Planting should be done as early in the
season as possible. I prefer the check
sjstem, 3^4 feet apart, with two good kernels to each hill, always testing each individual ear for strong germination. With
two stalks in the hill 3*. each way,
and each stalk producing" one ear of corn,
«e are growing 100 bushels per acre,
which is rather satisfactory.
The best cultivation is given before the
eorn jg planted, or in other words a properly prepared seed bed" makes thorough
cultivation possible. The method of cultivation depends altogether on the condi-
t'on of the soil and the weather. A
Tpry good way is to follow with a spike
teoth harrow about two or three days after the corn has been planted, but never
"arrow as the corn shoot is nearing the
surface of the ground, or until it begins
'" blade. Corn may be harrowed with
""■all spikes satisfactorily while it is four
or five inches high.
Cutivation should begin    early, always
*'th a rider;  life  is too short  to walk.
"ltivate close and deep the first time and
gradually go shallower and farther away
from the plant when it is rooting.
find the roller one of the most useful
°«ls on the farm and always nse it after
he harrow and cultivators, until the corn
ls eight or ten inches high. The roller
'» made in two sections so as to straddle
the row.
After the corn is too tall for the riding
ytivator I  continue the cultivation    by
*-a*tag *   mower     wheel of the   "Sat
">«•    between    the rows.      Have    the
asksmith cut a lot of small teeth on the
mower wheel; they should project l'/_ inches below the wheel and at a backward
slant of 45 degrees; omit the teeth from
the rim of the wheel near the rows. This
cultivation may be followed so long as it
continues to rain or the ground is inclined
to crack open.
— Selection of Seed —
There is no question but that the improvement of corn is as possible as the
improvement of live stock. This may
be accomplished either by breeding or by
selection. Every   farmer   should   be   iu
close touch with the experiment station
which is testing the best methods to pro-
Cement   and Concrete.
The second annual cement show, which
is to take place in the Chicago Coliseum,
February 1S-24, 1909, is of just as orach
importance to the farmer as is the Dairy
Show, the Livestock Exposition or the
great State Fairs, which annually bring
together thousands of progressive fanners to the capitals and state fair grounds.
While the Dairy, Livestock and Corn
Shows are of vital interest to breeders,
dairymen and stockmen, the interest in
the Cement Show is not confined to any
class of people or to any one trade. The
question  of  the  proper  selection   and   use
v__^
^NA/ ^
s.
Poultry  House Buik    of Concrete    Courtesy  Atlas   Fortland    Cement  Company.
duce more corn and of better quality.
Like produces like and the best seed is
none too good.
Not enough attention has been given to
the character of seed corn. The percentage of shelled grain to the cob must be
considered carefully, also the condition,
size, shape, fHling out at ends, and other
points that go to make a perfect .corn.
Watch your corn closely .study it carefully, aud strengthen the weak points by
selecting or crossing with corn that is
strong in the points where yours is weak.
It is very important in changing seed
that we get seed of suflicient germinating
power to produce both a good yield and
high quality. Breed aud develop your
corn. I can see no limit to future improvement, for there is none. The shallow grained corn must give way to deeper
grain and better filled cob.
Anybody can raise some kind of corn,
but when we see the thrifty fields of the
good farmer, or the arched neck and
noble bearing of the well-bred horse, or
the fat, sleek cattle, or the smiling dairy
cow, then we realize there is something
i.. the principles of breeding and selection.
— Growing Corn as a Profession. —
There is no professional study that requires closer work than does the development of the corn plant—a combination of
brain, toil and nature. Being a partner
with our Maker in this great business, we
should be contented laborers. There is
no field that is offering better inducements to the young man than the farm.
There is dignity in labor and with it
comes contentment, happiness and prosperity.
of building materials is just as important
a part of the farmer's work, from a practical business standpoint, as is the selection of his seed, livestock or farm machinery.
The opportunity which the cement
Show offers to learn all the latest improvements and modern inventions in the
cement industry should not be neglected.
Among the exhibitors at this event will be
represented the leading cement manufacturers of the country, the makers of concrete block machines and cement brick
molds, manufacturers of concrete reinforcement and water-proofing compounds,
ference—post and tile machine manufacturers, makers of concrete mixers and cement workers' tools of every kind; in
short, every branch of the cement industry will be thoroughly represented, giving
the uninitiated an exceptional opportunity to become more thoroughly acquainted
wth the many and varied uses of this
great material.
Special reduced rates for the Cement
Show have been given by all the railroads
entering Chicago. Full information regarding the reduction of rates may be secured by writing to the Cement Products
Exhibition Co., Commercial Bank Bldg.,
Chicago.
A Law  Against   the Farmer.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
How far Brother Farmer do you drive
for   your   school   books?
From one to twenty miles?
Do you know they are taking the
school books from your trustee and placing them at one point within your county,
and you must stop your busy work and
drive to that point to get a 5c copy book,
or a 10c speller; and when you do all of
that the Mr. Book Man is just out of that
ml you must call again next week.
Such is tlie case in Morgan county and no
doubt the same is true in your county.
Iio you know the county superintendents had the law changed to lighten their
work ?
Previous to this law the county superintendents had to keep a record of books
sulil within their counties, same as the
township trustees. Now Mr. Superintendent and Township Trustee has nothing whatever to do with the school books.
What man within the county could
possibly know so much about the number of books to order as the county superintendent and township trustee. They
know just how many children and num-
Ler in each grade; and farther the trustee
bad the privilege of returning the unsold
, ooks, consequently he always had about
u hat  you  wanted.
The book man pays cash for the books
and  will not  carry  a  surplus.
The township was out nothing for the
trustee handling the books, as it came in
his line of work, and when we wanted a
book it was easy to send a child to the
i Mil e of the trustee and let him get the
books  needed.
Now we must drive to the county book
store.
Farmers, can't we have the new law
repealed, an 1 tlie old law enforced again.
We pay the superintendent aud trustee
lor their work, aud to be frank about it
I think the school book work is just as
Important as any other work, either of
t'.em has to do. Let us do something
et  once. Geo.  G.  Knoy.
Misleading  Statement.
Dr. Whitney, of the State Bureau at
Washington, has put forth the strange
doctrine that our soils contain, by natural endowment, all of the nitrogen, phosphorus aud potash they will ever need
and that it is all useless to attempt to renew these elements by outside supplies.
This is evidently a mistake. Prof.
Sandsteiu of Wisconsin is of the contrary opinion, and says:
"The more or less commonly held view
that all soils contain sufficient phosphates
for a practically indefinite period of cropping, is entirely erroneous. The average content of phosphoric acid in the virgin soil surrounding fields that have been
subjected to 45 to 50 years of clipping,
is is:..-, per cent, while the average of the
soils from these fields is 12 per cent,
showing that over a third of the total
phosphate has been removed in a single
generation. Moreover, all these soils
have become acid by this cropping—that
is, the carbonates (lime) of the surface
soil  has  been  removed."
Needed Legislature.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Some good work for the legislature to
do would be to wipe the Game Warden
and his $20 fees from the statute books.
If they want to save the quail, let them
stop the hunting with bird-dogs. This
would put an end to the practice of
sportsmen riding ten or fifteen miles into
the country to kill and cripple these innocent birds,—the best friends of the farmer.
Repeal the law that requires a license
of $1 before a man can hunt protected
game.
Repeal the law that allows the collection of frauruleut notes by an innocent
purchaser. T. Reynolds.