St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-06-23
Increasing the Corn Crop:

country about the supply of corn. There
was a general impression that it could
be raised with considerable profit in
in nearly every State and territory. In
most of the States enough was raised to
supply the local demand. In some
states it was a leading crop, and it was
that it's profitable production could be
greatly extended in others, where the
attention of farmers was mainly devoted
to the growing of cotton, tobacco, and
the small grains. There was scarcely
any demand for it for expectation, and
its employment for making glucose and
starch wac not known. It was used to
considerable extent as food for human
beings, and was very generally employ
ed for fattening hogs in sections where
it was extensively grown. TWAS rarely
fed to other horses than those engaged
in work on the farm, and was still more
rarely fed to COWS. There was no fresh
beef or mutton sent abroad, and there
was only limited demand for highly
fattened meat at home. AAs conse-
quence, sheep and steers were gener-
ally fattened on grass, with the aid Of a
few roots. In mostof the Western States
corn was drug in the markets. With
poor facilities for transportation, COM
paratively little of it was sent to Eas-
tern cities. Corn was often so cheap
and plenty that it was burned for fuel.
Farmers preferred to raise small grains
for the market, for the reasons that
their price was higher and they would
stand transportation better. In parts
of the country where corn was very pro-
ductive it was generally thought that
the business of raising it was greatly
overdone.
A short time has been sufficient to
produce great changes in relation to
corn. Its uses have multiplied and
increased, it is now employed to make
starch and glucose, as well as to make
alcohol, whisky, highwines and vinegar.
Considerable quantities of it are con-
verted into malt. In all the great dairy
districts it is extensively employed for
feeding mich cows. There is a grow
ing demand for fancy fattened beef and
mutton for export and home consump-
ton. To fatten steers and sheep as the
market requires it is found necessary to
feed corn in large quantities. Vast
quantities Of it are now sent to almost
every country in Europe this side OF
Russia for the same purpose. American
corn is used to feed both beef and dairy
cattle in Denmark It is also used to
feed the coach and dray horses in most
Of the large cities in Great Britain and
France. Now, while the uses for corn
have increased and multiplied in most
remarkable manner, its cultivation has
not extended in any considerable extent
into any new sections of the country,
and has not greatly increased in foreign
countries. The entire country from
Puget Sound to the Gulf of California is
opened up to settlement, but no corn is
raised except in a. very few favored
localities. Dakota and Montana are
fast being peopfed with farmers, yet
scarcely any corn is or can be produced
there. Few of what are called the new
States and Territories produce much
corn. They are deficient in warmth or
moisture, or in both. Corn was never
profitable crop to raise in the Southern
States, and as the soil becomes
exhausted of its fertility its production
becomes still more difficult. People
have finally become convinced that the
extent of country adapted to the
profitable production of corn is quite
limited. 1t is embraced in a strip of
country about two hundred miles wide,
and terminating about a hundred miles
west of the Missouri River.
If the amount of corn in the country
is to be largely increased it must be done
by improved methods of cultivation in
the places where it succeeds best. Much
of the land in the Western States that is
capable of producing the largest crops
of corn is in no condition to do so dur
ing seasons as wet as the present one.
1t is covered with water in the early
spring, and can not be plowed till it is
too late to plant without mourning the
danger of an early frost in the fall. By
draining it with tiles it can be made to
produce more corn than any land in the
country. It is naturally rich in mineral
and organic matter, and its only defect
lists inability to part with the moisture
that accumulates during the winter and
early spring. The drains will not only
carry off this water, but will extend the
growing season several weeks. Experi-
ments made in the counties Of this State
show that the average yield Of corn is
increased one-fourtn by putting down
grain-tile. The cultivation of the crop
is also rendered more easy and the or
binary risks are avoided in great
measure. Improved methods of pre-
pairing the soil, Of putting in the seed,
and of cultivating the growing crop
will do much toward increasing
Generally the farmers Of
Pennsylvania, and others of the Eastern
States produce more corn to the acre
than the farmers do in the most fertile
j the Western States. They have
much poorer soil, but they prepare it
better, pay more attention to manuring,
ind employ the hand-hoe in connection
With the horse-cultivato in working the