Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-01-04
Large Crops Of Corn.

L
The yield of corn per acre, according
to the reports of the National Depart
ment of Agriculture, is very small the
| present year. Strange as it may appear,
the largest yield is credited to Maine,
where the crop averages 33.5 bushels
| per acre. Kansas comes next with an
average yield of 1926 bushels per acre.
| In Florida, the land of flowers and per-
petual sunshine, the yield is very small,
being only 1913 bushels. The yield in
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota is
larger than in the three States that lie
south of them. In all the States where
cotton is the leading crop, the average
| yield of corn is very small. The entire
| ed to the production of corn. The
seasons are long, the sunshine bright,
the temperature all that can be desired,
and there is no loss on account of late
or early frosts. Still corn is not a
profitable crop. Much of the soil is
very poor, and protracted droughts are
likely to occur. In places where there
| is rich soil, very large crops Of corn
stalks and leaves can, be raised. The
| former have no market value, however,
and the cost of gathering the latter by
| the usual method of pIueking them from
the stalks is very great. Where corn
stalks shoot up to a very great height,
as they do in some portions of the
South, it is necessary to locate the hills
a long distance apart, and, as a conse-
/ quence, there are but few of them on an
acre. The amount of grain on stalk
of corn which is sixteen feet high is,no
| larger than on one that is but eight,
and the value of the forage is less. The
corn grown in the South is more valua-
Bile for making bread than that raised
in the North, as it is softer and sweeter.
This accounts in part for the preference
of the Southern people for bread made
of corn. -....
The average yield on corn in what
are known as ssthe great corn-produc-
| ing States" is small. owing to the large
| amount planted on inverted sod. The
sod is turned with a view of preparing
| the soil for some cultivated crop, and
| corn is preferred to any other. sAs the
planting is done late in the season the
sod is not sufficiently decomposed to
furnish much material for plant growth,
and its condition is such that cultivators
can not be used between the rows.
Still the yield of corn raised in this
manner is reckoned in with that pro-
duced on well-prepared soil, which is
often MANFRED and always cultivated.
A bad showing is accordingly made of
the productiveness of our finest Western
lands. On the other hand, remarka-
bly, good showing is made for the natu-
rally poor or worn out lands in some of
the Eastern States. The average yield
is reported, prot badly truthfully, as large,
or at least as larger than that of the
Western States. Tha aggregate amount
produced, however, is very small.
Possibly it is produced at a loss
if all the expense of fertilizers and
labor were estimsted. Nearly every
farmer has a small portion of
land in corn, and on this he puts
very large amount of manure and ex-
ponds vast amount of labor. The land
appropriated to this crop is the best on
the entire farm. Quite likely it has been
''in training" for some years before it
was planted for this crop. 1t has pFV-
duced CROP of clover which was turned
under. Perhaps coarse manure was
also plowed under and fine manure
scattered broadcast before the harrow
was used. Compost or some excellent
fertilizer was placed in the hills in order
to give the young plants start! A top
dressing of ashes or plaster is applied
after the plants have appeared. The
ground is worked withsra hand hoe as
well as with the cultivation. and pillow. A
large crop is the result.
Farmers in the more fertile portions
of the Western States can hardly be ex-
pected to take SO much pains with a
crop of corn, especially where land is
cheap and labor is comparatively high.
They find it more profitable to plant
more acres and to eXpend less in labor
and fertilizers. Still it is likely that
Western farmers would be the gamers
by following the example of Eastern
farmers more closely than they do. Not.
enough pains are taken in the produc.
ton of corn crop in the most favored
regions of the West. Land is often ap-
prOpriated to the crop that is unsuita-
BILE either on account of deficient drain
age or other natural defects. 1t Is poor
" plowed, and all the subsequent work
till the time of planting is sighted.
Not enough attention is paid to procur-
ing reliable seed or a variety suited to
the climate of the region where it is to
be planted. As many acres are to be
planted some is put in too early and some
too late. Much planting is done when
the soil contains SO much moisture that
the seed will rot in the hill. The plant
| ing is often done with a machine, and
as good work is not done as when the
work is performed by hand. Manuring
in the hill before planting is never prac-
ticed, and a top dressing of mineral or
other fertilizers rarely applied. All the
work of cultivation is performed by the
use of implements drawn by horses, and
the hand-hoe is never seen in the field.
Corn has recently been so high that there
is no longer economy. in attempting to
raise crop in this manner. More at
tention should be given to preparing the
land for the crop, to. the application of
manure, and to thorough cultivation.
The hand-hoe should be used in, con-
nection with the cultivator. In short,
everything pertaining to the production
OF the crop should receive more atten-
tion.-Ch Chicago Times. = s.~3-S sFE.L;slsEs