Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-12-31
THE BOSS CROP.


q abundant, yet it is intrinsically more
: valuable than gold. II all metals were
doomed to destruction, except a single
pound OF iron or gold, and Il man were
given the choice of saving which should
be retained, he would be foolish indeed
II he chose the pound of gold. He
could use this soft metal for very few
useful purposes. while with the iron in
the form OF steel, he could manufacture
many articles of prime utility as knives.
needles. and others of the most indis-
pensable kind. Indian corn is held i'm
small esteem, because it is grown so
cas- ly and so abundantly, in almost all
climates and locations, and on great
er variety OF soils than any other lead
ing crop. We find it flourishing on the
borders OF the realm where the sun I'M
locks the soil from the grasp of the ice
KING but few days IN summer scarce
~ a quarter OF each year. And it grows
with Increasing luxurance rs we de-
scend toward the tropics. 1t reaches
Its greatest perfection in what is appro.
prlately termed the Corn Belt en-
braced in the States of Illinois and
those lying eastward and westward of
this commonwealth. AS food 70" man
and beast no other crop in our country
approaches corn. Pound for pound
and bushel for bushel. il supplies very
, nearly rs much nutriment as wheat it.
self, though on account of its abund-
ance seldom costing half so much.
corn' taking series of years together,
Is Tar more certain than wheat The
I fap
most soils. even those best adapted to
It's temporary growth, and usually only
does well on the same ground in alter
nate years. 1t is subject TO diseases
and numerous insect enemies; while
corn has been in continuous healthful
cultivation from the first settlement of
the Western world, and is to-day the
most reliable paying crop. from rocky |
New England, two thousand miles /.
westward across the fertile prairies.
to the Rocky Mountains, and also
southwark to the Gun. No other 1
cereal crop has for 2j0 years been so /
Tree As whole from injury by insect
pests. 1t is a Sun Crop" peculiarly /
fitted to our hot, dry American climate.
We have seen the Indians gathering
their winter supplies on the upper
Missouri, where the few DAYS in which
there was no frost, scarcely allowed
Their khea corn TO get foot above the
surface. But as if determined to do its
best, 1t then sends out its punches of
ears and perfccts the kernels.
Oh the magnitude Of the corn crop.
very few persons have any real CON
ception. We talk glbly Of millions.
and even billions, Yet the human mind
Is little able to comprehend a SINGLE
million in detail. Oar corn crop Of this
year (lSS6) is thought to be fully sixteen
million bushels. The latest
government estimate is | $50 million
bushels. which will be found rather
high, we lave reason TO believe. Inst
year the ascerta.ned crop was above
l,9oO million bushels. and no doubt the
average annual product OF corn in our
country will soon reach two billion
bushels, or two thousand separate mill
ions. Yet single million. loaded into
railway cars, five hundred bushel, in
each, would require tire Ht0Suia such p
ears, and make up a continuous train
light miles long,-Io aid 10 the read ,
n conception, we quote, for a few .
ines from an annual address at the I
Nebraska State fair, last year. by the !
editor of the Prdirie F'arHer. Refer {
ne TO the siN-State Corn Patch, " en- I
)racing Indiana, Illinois. Iowa. Mis- :
'ouri. Kansas and Nebraska, the corn :
produce Of which the previous wear F.,
lsS4)was l,O90. 3jl, 900 bushels. he said. Q
- he aggregate population producing /
his crop was just abont ten millions. a
II IVY bushels FOR every man. woman i
ma Chld, the inhabitants of both cities z
nd villages being included.
or practical purpose. rs YOU will
ee further on. | want YOU to get some
lea OF the rdStRcSS of this corn crop
on are growing. To say thousand
nd ninety million bushels does not tell
he story plainly enough. Let rs loaf a
upon wagons. One can think of 40 O
uShels thus loaded, with the team and n
river taking it TO market. Start off a
ne team caStwayd. allowing 30 feet in "
DAD for wagon. team. aud little head "
'ay. Start another team following. e
nth 10 bushels more, and then another n
nd another. the forward team headed Il
Or New York and the others following q
H. until our corn crop of last wear i'm q
ms one siN-State patch is all loaded UP. s
'"tft bp YOU tullk lNc forward team ! III
'ould be, when the last load is onp O
Down IN ONO? In Pennsylyan a? In v
'ew York; Out in tn. Atlantic? Over o.
! Europa? Away IN Asia? Over in +
apan? Into the Pacific Occano Stretch n
~ still across the broad surface OF that. fc
n to San Francisco? Across Cali Il
)rnia? Follow in the mind eastward fl
nc string of wagons taking 30 feet w
lch. with 40 bushels each of rood b
lcIled corn. 1t would stretch over ii
II the distance we have named. The
cad of the line woul come round
'roSs California and down from the
ockv Mountains string of such
'ams clear around the world. and I'll
hen the head of the line got to US, not b,
ne JuShei ont Of sir would vet be on O,
ne wagons! This one years crop. in r.
nly this six-Statc patch. would fill sir L.
''0S of such wagon loads ciear around ~
r. @ortd, with about four thousand -,
lies Of wagon loads more still To- get y,
TO Line, The line of wagons would - -