Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-02
THE CORN CONVENTION
Prejudice and Envy Arrayed Against an
Important Move.

THE CORN CONVENTION.
Prejudice and Envy Arrayed Against an
Important Move.
It is not often, we take it, that the
editor of the Newton Republican writes
in ignorance of his subject, or from
prejudice. but his column ebullition
about the Wichita corn convention and
the action of Wichita's board of trade
evinces that he wrote in one if not from
both. The editor Of the Republican has
not lived in this country as long as some
of US, or if he has he has not paid as
close attention to the corn crop as some
other people. The EAGLE, years ago,
learned, and from observation, that IN
some seasons both early and late planted
corn returned a splendid yield, while the
great bulk of the crop planted at the reg
ular, or at the most approved time, either
totally failed, or did not yield but half
crop. Now Sedgwick county alone, this
wear. ought to have harvested four mil
lion bushels more corn than she did, or
will harvest. There was a cause for this
failure. The question is,-and that's
what the board of trade and everybody
else wants to find outs there any
remedy.
The Republicans fiippant talk about
every body rushing to the corn field the
first spring day may be smart, but there
is no corn in it. If the editor of the Re-
publican had kept a close watch of thecorn
fields of Harvey county, the last season
through, he would have discovered that
the particular fields which failed of a
satisfactory yield did not so fail for lack
of vigorous growth or full maturity of
stock and blade, nor because it became
fired" from drouth. There was rain
enough to have made good corn last year.
He would have found that during, or
within ten days or within brief space,
the flower or tassel, containing the pollen
or the fructifying force for the silk and
ear below, had turned white and dead
had blasted. However green and flour
ishing the stalk there could be no corn
there. Adjoining fields planted a week
or two earlier or a week or two later he
would have probably found all right.
This blast or blight from whatever
cause, whether it be from hot winds,
from want OF humidity in the atmos-
phere, from chilly nights, or from an I'M
SUSPECTED cause, occurs at certain time
in the season. The EAGLE, noticing this
fact several years since suggested the idea
of obtaining and planting as seed a
northern or short season, quick matur
ing corn, which would bloom or tassle
by the last days of June instead of the
last days of July. The Republican can
sheer and make light to its satisfaction,
but every farmer, so far as we know,
who followed that suggestion, has har-
vested good corn crops. Some of them
have annually sent north for the seed
corn which natures in one hundred
DAYS. Others sent but the once, replant-
ing from the seed thus raised. But we
have the first case of failure to record.
Sedgwick county had number Of
thousands of acres so planted, this year,
and in every instance the ear was
formed and practically matured before
the season of blast had arrived. One
gentleman who has successfully used the
same northern seed for four years, har.
vested five hundred acres of splendid
corn this fall.
The board of trade of Wichita,
putting these facts together, We're
convinced that somebody ought to
make move to generally discriminate
and to encourage this knowledge to the
end that the necessary money and trans
portauon might be arranged for to Sc
cure and place this earlier maturing seed
within the reach Of our farmers, TO the
further end that millions upon millions
of bushels of corn in the aggregate
might be added to the product of south
west Kansas, to the wealth of the farm
ers and the trade of her towns. Outside
of Wichita and outside of her board of
trade there is no other city or organiza-
ton in southwest Kansas wealthy or
strong enough TO undertake this matter.
at least. 1t seems there were none. and it
viii go forward despite the strained
humor of the editor of the Republican
and despite the gall and envy OF the
papers and places who have used his arti-
Gle Is text or excuse for belittling q
very important and far reaching matter.