Telegram-herald., 1890-04-29


Glad % meet you, Mr.. King Corn
Grower. Have you some specimens Of
your skill with you, II so, trot EN- out"
The visitor opened his big carpet bag
and took out an astonishing number Of
httle TN boxes. ike prestidigateur pro-
ducinZ flowers from the inner rscesses Of
silk hak 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 I was fun Of kernels almost as white
as periwinkles, while box No 80 was as
black IS darkness. All the tints and
shades known 70 the chemist were 10 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 beat?
Well, wait here one minute and I'll take
the conceit out Of you"
Uncie Jerry touched his electric bell
button, and in a couple OF minutes he
held In his hand a long ear Of corn.
Now, size up here with me-" be ex-
claimed. merrily; now we'll see IL you
are the King Corn Grower of America
Measure up. now"
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 moro than
the ear which the visitor held alott IN
triumph.
II 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. ~ practiced
medicine for thirty-hve years. Now l
have retired and become a farmer"
Being a millionaire, yot can afford
b till the soil" interjected the secretary.
Yes, and let me tell you what | have
done with the soil. Let me talk corn 10
you Some years ago purchased four
sections Of land. 1850 acres, in Reno
county. Kansas. intending 70 have a cat
tie range. Mr. Secretary, you never saw
a prettier piece Of land. A stream runs
through it, and It lies as a great basin,
from the rim of which every other spot
OF its surface can be seen. In May. 1888.
7 gave orders to have one Of the sections
pus under plow. To do this, the season
being late. thirty breakers were set TO
work turning over the thick turf. Our
furrows were a mile long. How long do
YOU think it took us TO break and plant
square mile Of ground3 just twenty-five
d8ys. In the history Of farming in Kan
sas never has so much been done in 80
short time. Forty men and l9j horses
did the work. OF course that years
crop Of sod corn didn't amount to much.
It was not expected 20.
Last spring We began preparations for
raising a real crop of corn. had some
ideas of my own about corn planting
and pat them into operation. The soil
had not been touched for year. buJ now
we put the listers in, plowing out fur
rows ten inches deep. with a two inch
subsoiIer following % pulverizs a soft
bed in which % plant and bury the seed.
Again. our burrows were a mile long. and
bv the time the three OF four horses at
tache,l toeach Dlow hsd dragged heavy
lister sixteen times across the field they
were tired enough 70 quit for the day.
Flowing snd planting were done at the
same time When We bad finished our
field r looked ike q lake on = breezy day.
There was a succession q little ridges
about three feet apart. aud their crests
rising a f'ot above the burrows which
ran between them. In the bottoms -
these frlrrovs the corn grew. and when
Be had attained height n four or hve
inches the crssts = the burrows wsrs
narrowed oT and the earth thus disturb
ef feU INFO the furrows and covered the
pians completely. The surface q the
feld vas now perfectly levsl again and
no corn could 30 seen. In short tius
the bright green blades resppearsd. and
when they had grown mp SIX cr eigh'
iuches the -ulrivarors were set 70 work
shovehnz The earth toward the plant.
Twice after~arf ths culrivstcrs vsn'
through IRE self ard when m corn va
M Is -r "a inc 49, ard again when 4
rss abosit 81 inches. Then the crop vs'
isif rv so make itseif
And how did re crop 5oS- ssk-d the
secretary Il sSricul5ars. no- shorouzhi y
interested
How did 70 90 Just vsis tIl vou
bear the sr1rss E-srT grain q seei
seemed - have f-uctsfed Fverv sfal {
bore god ear. many t~o 49,. Wheu
r-. -anse - hsr~es- - found q great
deal - crr-- It seemed a. n the heaps
never wsut step grc~trz n m cribs
- r-ls a perfect mountain - corn W3v
fr-,. he so scres devoted - this cr0r
g 7ac bushels ~ frsr clsss corn ~ers
s-hareri. saeIled. measured And Fsizhed