The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-02-02
MINNESOTA CORN.
A Pennsylvania Farmer Writes to a
Blue Earth County Exhibitor
at the Worlds Fair,
For Seed COrn==Minnesota Reaping a
Harvest From the Agricul-
tural Exhibit.


l.. 5. Terry, Of Garden City, exhibited
sample of 1893 corn, at the Worlds
Fair, which, while it was of a superior
quality, was no better than several
other samples sent from southern
Minnesota, and he is receiving many
letters asking for seed. The following
is one recently received:
GIRARD, ERIE Co, PA,
January 18th, 1894. I
l.. S. TERRY, ESQ,
Garden City, MINI.
My Dear Sri saw your yellow dent
corn at the Worlds Fair. The man
In charge of the Minnesota exhibit
would not sell me sample, as he said
all corn in the agricultural building
was Infected with an insect brought
from somewhere over the sea. l hope
we are not going to meet such an enc
my TO our staple crop had already
bought an ear from Oklahoma from d
man not SO ScrupulOuS, and in two
weeks time there Matched out host
of insects in the paper enclosing it, l
burned all up. Wish l had taken
down name of insect and place it came
from. Do you know where it came
from and what it is called? l would
be very grateful for all you can tell me
about it.
La regard to your corn, I will buy a
two-buShel bag of shelled yellow dent
of you if you will tell me it is early, as
| think il would be, raised in such d
northern latitude. OF course | would
not expect a brother farmer TO charge
me fancy price, like the seed men,
nor to send me corn that would not
grow.
Be kind en- Ough to answer this. and
if all is satisfactory [ will remit the
price of corn and bag at once.
Yours truly,
O. P. DRURY.
sending the above letter to the
FREE PRESS, Mr.. Terry writes us the
following communica tion to which we
gladly give space:
GARDEN CITY, Min, Jan, oath, 1894.
Mr.. EDITOR:
l herewith enclose letter which is
one Of many that l have received from
different states, asking about the eX-
hibit of dent corn which l sent to the
Worlds Fair, price of seed, etc. Most
of them express surprise that such
fine corn can be raised in Minnesota.
As to the insects referred to in this
letter, l have never heard of the in
sects, and l think the man in
charge Of the exhibits was talking
through his hat Can you throw any
light on the subject? Referring to
Minnesota corn reminds me of talk
had with an Illinois farmer when re-
turning from the Worlds Fair. He
kindly offered to share his seat with
me in the crowded car. He said he
lived down on the Kankakee river, and
was going to visit his daughter in
Iowa. After learning that was from
Minnesota, he remarked: Il suppose
you can't raise corn up there" l
answered, 20 yes; we raise fine corn
in Minnesota" Said he, Don't it
most always get killed by frost before
it is ripe?" l replied VERY seldom.
There are plenty If fields this year
that gave US yield of SeVenty-tive
bushels and upwards per acre, and was
perfectly ripe and dry before frost"
He remarked, you surprise me. |
knew that you could raise wheat and
oats up there, but [ did not think you
could raise corn" He Dragged up Hi
nOiS as corn state. and said it had no
equal. | told him [ had just come
from the Worlds Fair and had COM
pared the corn exhibits of Minnesota
and Illinois, and [ thought Minnesota
the best. 1t almost took his breath
away, and he would not talk corn any
more.
| think the Minnesota exhibits at
the Fair were worth ten times their
cost to the state. People have learned
that we can raise something besides
billiards in this state. l.. S. TERRY.
Such a testimonial as the above
regarding the value of Minnesota ex-
hibits at the World Fair is certainly
gratifying. Mr.. Terry is one of the
best farmers in the state. He is not
only a thoroughly practical man, but is
also conservative and cautious in his
statements,
Mr.. Terry is wrong in his deduc-
tions when he intimates that the
gentleman in charge of our agri-
cultural exhibit was talking through
his hat" in claiming the existence of
destroying insects in grain. Weevil
supposed to have been imported ia
the Russian eXhibit) permeated all
exhibits to greater or less extent in
agricultural hall, and the devastation
wrought was plainly visible on all
hands. As a precautionary measure,
and to prevent the spread of these ia
sects throughout the country, the
Chief of the department., Mr.. Blu
chanan, issued request that all grain
be destroyed at the close of the eX-
position, and that none be returned
to the. states. In compliance with
this request, therefore, no portion OF
our agricultural exhibit was brought
back to the state except a few sam.
pies of grain taken to Chicago ia
sealed glass jars, and in which the