The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-10

'Glad to meet you, Mr.. King Corn
Grower. Have you some specimens of
| your skill with you? If so, trot 'em out.
The visitor opened his big carpet bag
! and took out an astonishing number of
little tin boxes, like prestidigateur pro-
| ducing flowers from the inner recesses of
a silk hat. He removed the sliding lids
of these boxes, of which there were thirty,
and spread them out on the secretary's
/ desk. There were thirty small masses Of
corn, chrOmatic scale in maize. Box
| No. l was full of kernels almost as white
as periwinkles, while box No. 80 was as
black as darkness. All the tints and
shades known to the chemist were to be
found in this product of corn field lab
oratory.
"And here are some of the emblems of
my royalty" said the visitor, diving
deep down into his carpet sack and bring
ing forth two or three long yellow
wands, set with rows of golden drops.
"YOu think that kingly ear of corn,
do your" exclaimed the secretary of agri-
culture. "You think it can't be beat2
Well, wait here one minute and I'll take
the conceit out of you"
Uncle Jerry touched his electric bell
button, and in couple of minutes he
held in his hand long ear of corn.
"Now, size up here with me-" he ex-
claimed, merrily; 'now we'll see if you
are the King Corn Grower of America.
Measure up, nQwr'
But 10 and behold! the ear of yellow
corn which for many months had been
the pride of the department of agricul-
ture was shorter by an inch or more than
the ear which the visitor held aloft in
triumph.
Il acknowledge the corn said the
secretary; you are king; but now give
us an account of yourself"
The visitor needed no second invitation.
''My name is Wolfe-Dr. N. B. Wolfe
of Cincinnati" said he. 81 practiced
medicine for thirty-fve years. Now l
have retired and become farmer"
"Being millionaire, you can afford
to till the soil" interjected the secretary.
Eyes, and let me tell you what have
done with the soil. Let me talk corn to
you. Some years ago purchased four
sections of land, 1850 acres, in Reno
county, Kansas. intending to have cat
tie range. Mr.. Secretary, you never saw
a prettier piece of land. A stream runs
through it, and it lies as great basin,
from the rim of which every other spot
of its surface can be seen. In May, 1888,
l gave orders TO have one of the sections
put under pillow. To do this, the season
being late, thirty breakers were set to
work turning over the thick turf. Our
burrows were mile long. How long do
you think it took US to break and plant
square mileof ground? Just twenty-five
days. In the history of farming in Kan
sas never has so much been done in so
short time. Forty men and 125 horses
did the work. OF course that years
crop of sod corn didn't amount to much.
1t was not expected to.
Last spring we began preparations for
raising a real crop of corn. had some
ideas of my own about corn planting,
and put them into operation. The soil
had not been touched for year, but now
we put the listers in, blowing out fur
rows ten inches deep, with a two inch
subsoiler following to pulverize soft
bed in which to plant and bury the seed.
Again, our burrows were mile long, and
by the time the three or four horses at
tached peach pillow had dragged heavy
lister sixteen times across the field they
were tired enough to quit for the day.
Flowing and planting were done at the
TO hoI
field it looked like lake on breezy day.
There was a succession Of little ridges
about three feet apart. and their crests
rising a foot above the burrows which
ran between them. IN the bottoms of
these burrows the corn grew, and when
it had attained height of four or five
inches the crests of the burrows were
narrowed off and the earth thus disturb
ed fell into the burrows and covered the
plant completely. The surface of the
field was now perfectly level again, and
no corn could be seen. In short time
the bright green blades reapPeared, and
when they had grown up SIX or eight
inches the cultivstors were set 70 work
shoveling the earth toward the plant
Twice afterward the cultivstors went
through the field, and when the corn was
up Is or IS inches, and again when it
was about 50 inches. Then the crop was
laid By TO make itself
And how did the crop do?' asked the
secretary OF agriculture, now thoroughly
interested.
"How did it do2 Just wait till you
hear the figures. Every grain OF seed
seemed 70 have fructiied. Every stalk
bore good ear. many two ears. When
we came TO harvest we found great
deal of corn. 1t seemed as If the heaps
never would stop growing in my cribs.
1t was a perfect mountain of corn. Why.
from the 500 acres devoted to this crop
IS. 500 bushels of first class corn were
gathered. shelled. measured and weighed.
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