The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-13
SECRETARY WILSON
GIVES HIS VIEWS.
Early Corn Seriously Damaged--oat
Crop is Fine.
IBy Associated Press.l

LBy Associated Press.l
Traer, la, Aug. 13.-Secretary VIII
son, Of the department of agriculture,
has completed his tour of the corn belt
and is resting for a few days on his
farm and among his ,ownsmen at this
place
The weather of the future" said
the secretary to az Associated Press
reporter will have much to do with
regard to he final yield Of corn and
final figures can not ne given by any.
body at the present time. Late corn
will be benefited by favorable fall
weather, and early corn, growing un-
der the best conditions will fill out
better with sufficient rain fall in the
near future.
Il have been travelling through the
corn belt" he con inued, more with
IA view to studying the conditions that
have brought about present resuls
than 20 ascertain the precise amount of
damage done to the corn crop by the
hot weather, in order that may have
bulletins prepared in the department
for distribution among the farmers,
showing them where they may inn
prove their methods.
Il observe that the corn is serious
ly injured" said he, '1n a good many
localities in the corn belt. l observe
also that the corn is quite promising
in other localities. The reasons for
the variations are found in conditions
tracing back to the planting season,
and also to the system of agriculture
pursued by the several corn growers,
There has been some injury owing to
he protracted heat to all corn fields
but much less where rotation in crops
has been observed than where the
land is perpetually cultivated and
where crops are grown for the pur
pose Of selling the grain.
"a common observation regarding
he corn crop this year is that the tas-
sci upon coming our has been with
cred by tine heat and failed TO fer.
tli2e through the silk This is the
case more or less in all the fields thar
/ have visited but pollination has been
much more perfectly performed wnere
the soil was fun OF organic matter
from plowed under grass roots, than
wnere he cora has been grown SO
long thu. the organic matter has been
oxidized burned 0ut Of the soil
Where there was Rl ~ Of organic
matter il the soil and through culti
yatlon had the effects oi the neat up
on the tassel has been to a great ex-
ent balanced by the amount of mois-
ure that the plant could get to Off
set evaporation. IN cases where the
ground was saura ed by excessive
rains in the spring (and this has oc-
CURED IN many felds) the roots
spread near the surface rhey could
not &c; into the saturate ed soil because
they could not fna oxygen there.
THE growth under these conditions
was re arded and when the heat came
such fields were In bad condition to
resist Il particularly where cultivation
was not as frequent and as thorough
as It should have been. In many
cases corn fields under he latter con
di.ions seemed -underslzed,
and quite a per cent should be cut
up now for fodder. Some farmers
are cutting such corn for fodder and it
win make better fodder han the aver
age because the stalk still retains the
strength that Otherwise would have
gone into the ears.
Early corn has suffered most
where an the conditions. including or
sanic matter "a he soil and thorough
cultivation have not obtained, but
where those conditions have obtained,
early corn is the finest.
"ConditiGas can not be altogether
determined by latitude Some Of the