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Garden
VOL. LVI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., NOVEMBER 2, 1901.
NO. 44
Wide Spread Corn Barrenness.
Editors  Indians  Farmer:
Corn growurs generally have noted tbe
wide-spread barrenness which prevails
throughout the oorn belt. But there ia
a great difference of opinion as to the
cause of such a great barrenness in seme
fields, while iu other fields uear by, there
is but little barrennes. It is very evident
that the scorching hot rays of the July
sun, prevented perfect oollenization in
some particular fields, while the pollcniz.i-
tion process in other fields was vigorous,
and  grain producing.
That there is much barrenness (degeneracy), throughout all organic life, no
wide-awake naturalist can fail to see. All
plant life, as well as animal and even
human* life, has its drones and weaklings.
We have only to look around us to see
many scrub animals, many incapable, outcast human b ings, many imperfect unproductive plants. The writer has been
receiving the past mouth, numerous letters from corn growers throughout the
corn states, expressing alarm at the condition of the corn crop, which in some
fields, has more than 70 per cent of barren
stalks, and ..-iking him what was the matter with their corn-, as they "oould not
count for it."
Alter more than 29 years practical field
experience as a corn breeder, the writer
believes that there are as many drones
and weaklings in most corn fields, proportionally, as there are iu hives of bees, or
communities of men. And that the drones
(stalks which are lazy or barren, and
which produce very little, or nothing at
all in the way of grain), do more, through
the curse of barrenness ami its attendant
degeneracy, to reduce our average yield
of corn, than poor soil, adverse seasons,
and lazy men. combined, A careful counting of the productive, and barren stalks
in many fields of degenerate corn, during
the almost universally good corn years of
1899 and 1900, revealed the fact that in
many instances, more than 40 per cent of
the maturing -t.-ilks were entirely ban en.
or nearly so.
Barrenness, according to the writer's experience, is on** of the strongest marks
of degeneracy. And reveals itself in various ways, such as dry rot, smut, low
germinating power, excessive stalk growth
nubbins, and entire grain absence. Late
reports from reliable corn growers, in
widely soporated localities in the corn
States. Bay that the per cent of barren
stalks in various fields Of both well-bred
aad degenerate (run out.) corn, ranges
from 7 per .cut to 74 per cent, depending on the degree **f degeneracy of tbe
corn   grown,   in  each   particular   instance.
It is the writer's candid opinion that the
curse of barrenness which so thoroughly
pervades all degenerate vegetable life, is
annually operating to reduce its productiveness, as well as its breeding standard,
through the medium of degenerate, impotent pollonization. Indeed, the one term
embraces the other. There is no question
iu- the writer's mind, that such degenerate
—barren—polleniz.ition operates in various
ways, for the reduction of both quantity
nnd quality of the product.
Eminent naturalists agree that throughout the entire animal ami vegetable kingdom, the productiveness of fruit and
grain plants depends entirely on vigorous,
progressive pollonization. They also
agree that it is the physically degenerate
(thoroughbred scrub) individuals, whose
constitutional vigor lias 1 n mnch lessened by discontinued breeding presure, in
the hands of the average farmer, that are
much  more  susceptible to,  ami  invariably
first succumb to either extreme hot or cold
summer weather. This was especially
true during the unseasonably hot weather
of last July, while the early planted corn of
the entire corn belt was in the blooming
and grain  forming stag**.
The writer having made many personal
visits during the past month, to widely separated localities in the corn belt, is fully
convinced that the decrease of corn yield
in about 75 per cent of the early planted
(say half the total acreage), corn this year
will be not less than 15 bnahela per acre,
and in some fields much more, due to the
barrenness so rampant in many run OU|
varieties of com.
During years when weather conditions
tire very favorable, the tendency to barrenness is forced to latency. But during
either very hot. or very cold summers, the
innate barren tendency becomes active to
the extent that grain barrenness becomes
rampant in the extreme.
Fully 60 per cent of the stalks, in about
75 per cent Of the fields, throughout the
corn belt, this year, are either entirely
barren, or nearly so. owing to sexual int-
potency. which caused abortive pollonization. And as fully 40 per cent of the
pollen which took part in pollenizing even
the best ears, in many fields, was barren
(degenerate) pollent, it naturally follows,
by tho light of past experience, that by
the sheer force nf inheritance, there will
be an unusually large per cent of barren
stalks in all 1902 fields (and even in succeeding years), which are plan-ted with
sucli degenerate seed.
A letter just received from an extensive
corn grower in McLean county. Illinois,
states that in three different counts, in
his field of well bred corn, recently, he
found no barren stalks. While other com
in his neighborhood had a large per cent
of barren stalks, and was far along in
the path of degeneracy. The vigorous,
progressive, profuse, and long continued
growth of extreme temperature resisting
pollen in a field of well bred corn, which
had greatness as the basis of a successful
cross, followed up by several years of
well-balanced breeding pressure, insures
complete and vigorous pollonization, and
.-on-sequent superior grain yield, in spite
of extreme temperature during the grain
forming stage.
By reason of its having been carefully
rogued (nature's weaklings destroyed before they formed their pollen) during a series of years, it becomes more free from
barrenness, in a geometrical ratio, its the
years go by. Ami owing to its great
vigor, and flexibility of organism. ,lni* to
well-balanced breeding pressure, it still
further benefits in the way of increased
yields, and high quality, hy removal to
ether ami divers* soils ami climates.
To make clearer the process **f "rogu-
ing," will say that each summer, before
tin* diseased, small, ami barren stalks have
their tassels cut off before their pollen* is
formed. Thus the pollen of tin* strong,
vigorous, healthy stalks only, is allowed to
participate   in   tho   pollonization   process.
BVery farmer who will annually set
aside an acre ,tt least, on whioh to plant
his best seed corn, ami diligently rogue
such acre just before it ripens its pollen,
oan do muoh to decrease the curse of barrenness in his corn crop.
But Judicious crossing of well bred
varieties followed np by diligent and well-
balanced breeding pressure, during a series of not loss than 10 years, or until a
cosmopolitan (al home everywhere) character, or in other words, a flexible, bo.iy-
antly adaptive organism is established. It
will  flan   1.**  in   position   to  produce  maxi
mum yields in tho locality in whioh it has
been bred up. ami still greater yields in
< ther  and  diverse' localities.
The writer will take the greatest pleasure in giving any further desired Information on the subject in hand to all who will
send   postage  t**   meet   cost   of  replying.
Voorhies.   111. -1.   • '.   Suffern.
Men Wbo Have Helped tne I* armor.
Kiiltu-s ludlana Farmer:
Benjamin Franklin.
(Kiel April 17, 1790.)
On hearing of the death of tho man who
"knew how to subdue thunder ami tyranny," Congress passed a resolution that the
members should wear mourning for one
month out of reverence for a citizen
"whose native genius was not more an
ornament to human nature than his various exertions of it have been to science,
t** freedom, and to his country." In the
National Assembly of Franco, Miriibeau
proposed the wearing of mourning iu order
ti* "participate iu the homage rendered
in the face of the universe to the rights
..I' man. and to the philosopher who has
s.i eminently propagated the conquest
of them throughout the world."*""*
But "tho man.*.-sided Franklin'' was
more than a "celebrated American philosopher, statesman, diplomatist, ami author."
He was the great apostle of thrift ami
prudence, whose wise sayings have probably bail more influence for good than
those of any other proverb-maker of
modern times. His Poor Richard's Almanac, tirst published in December. 17.">2.
was the means by which he gave the world
tho every-day wisdom which won him
friends ami tame and made him genuinely
useful to the common people of his own
time and country, and later to the people
of all countries. This first issue was
called "An Almanack for the year of
Christ 1733.'' It was popular from the
start, and three editions were published.
Franklin- continued to print this almanac
for 25 years. The last one was "a skimming of the cream from the 24 previous
issues,'' and was called The Way to
Wealth. Paul Leicester Ford gives the
following interesting facts:
"Seventy-five editions of it have been
printed in English, 50 iu French, 11 in
German and nine in Italian. It has been
translated into Spanish, Danish, Swedish,
Welsh, Polish, Gaelic, Russian, Bohemian,
Dutch, Catalan, Chinese, modern Greek,
and phonetic writing. It has been printed at least 400 times, and is today as popular as ever."
Franklin* was not a farmer, as were
Washington and Jefferson; yet no one can
appreciate more thoroughly than the farmer this fragment of Poor Richard's wisdom:
"He that by the plow would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive."
And who can understand better than
the fanner that "it is hard for an empty
sack to stand upright"?
Franklin's fable of the tax-gatherers is
characteristic. A crowd were waiting
for the beginning of a public sale and some
were complaining about the heavy taxes.
Some one asked a certain Father Abraham what he thought of the times. The
old man- answered, "If you would have my
advice, I will give it you in short; for a
word to the wise is enough, as Poor Richard says." The people gathered around
him and he went on:
"Friends, the taxes are indeed very
heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay,
we might more easily discharge them; but
we have many others, and much more
grievous to some of us.     We are taxed
twice as much by our idleness, three times
as much by our pride, and four times as
much by our folly; and from these taxes
the commissioners cannot ease or deliver
us, by allowing an abatement. However,
let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them
that help themselves, as Poor Richard
says."
The following sayings are typical of Poor
Richard—and not without wholesome lessons for most of us:
"Drive thy business, let not that drive
thee."
"Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
"He that riseth late must trot all day,
and shall scarce overtake his business at
night."
"A man may, if he knows not how to
save as he gets, keep his nose all his life
to the grindstone, and die not worth a
groat at last."
"A fat kitchen makes a lean tn
"Beware   of   little   expenses; -.ill
leak will sink a great ship."
"Necessity has no law; I know -... .. :**.-
torneys ot the same."
"He that is of opinion that mont
do everything, may well be suspec:
doing everything for money."
"Dine with little, sup with loss;
Better still; sleep supperless."
"Cheese and salt meat
Should be sparingly eat."
When Franklin was in London he was
given to understand that his country was
not equal to England because it had no leisure class. The wise philosopher admitted that his country lacked that mark of
advancement, an.l said: "The husbandman is in honor there, and even the mechanic, because their employments are useful"; and then added that his people "are
pleased with the observation of the negro"
that the white man"make de black man
workee, make de horse workee, make de
ox workee. make ebery ting workee; only
de hog. He, de hog, no workee; he eat.
he drink, ho walk about, he go to sleep
when he please, he live like a gemplemau."
As an investigator of scientific problems,
Franklin had no equal in his day. His
discoveries in electricity were fundamental.
For his demonstration that lightning is
merely a discharge of electricity he received tho Copley medal from the Royal
Society of London in 17.">.'i.
As a promoter of education, he has few-
equals. In 1743 he founded the American Philosophical Society and the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is
also indebted to him for her first and
greatest library and her first hospital.
Franklin's public life is known to evetj
school boy. It is enough to say here that
he was a member of the Continental Congress in 1770 and of the committee
that drafted the Declaration of Independence: that he was one of the most
influential members of the constitutional
convention; that he was the chief member
of the commission which secured the treaty
by which France recognized the independence of the United States; he being ambassador to France at that time: and tha
he, with Jay ami Adams, concluded the
treaty of Peace with England in 1783.
With mi- international fame as a philosopher, a statesman, and a diplomatist, what
wonder that Jefferson, when some one in
Paris asked him. "You have come to fill
Franklin's place?" should answer, "Oh. no.
sir; no man living can do that!"
Franklin was 84 years and 3 months old
tho day ho died, having been born January
17  1706. D. W. Working.
Denver, Colorado.