Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-05-02
IMPROVING CORN.
Successful Experiments of Great Ampofs
tance at Illinois acknowledgements
millions Gained for Farmers.

y ShA9 &10A
kins, chemist at the experiment sta
ton of the University of Illinois, an
nounces hat his work of improving
the quality of the corn kernel mas
been successful beyond his eXpecta-
lions. and he is hopeful that in years
to come the farmers of h ountry
will reap millions of dollars because
of it. On four different plats OF
ground on the university farm Dr.
Hopkins has raised corn of a high
percentage of fat, very little fat, high
percentage of protein and low pro-
tein content. All this was done by
breeding from the same Z
The need of several different kinds
of corr OF different quality or compo-
sition is obvious. For general feeding
purposes, corn with a higher protein
content is needed, and corn of higher
starch and oil content is wanted by
the glucose factories and distilleries.
1t is necessary, in d to produce
the highest grades of pork, to have
corn of less oil than is found in the
ordinary grain. In both Germany and
Canada, large quantities of other
grains are being substituted for
American corn in pork productions,
because it is too rich in oil and pro-
duces too soft meat.
The saving to Illinois farmers,
should they succeed in producing corn
of a desired quality, would be enor-
nous. Estimating the surplus corn
crop OF Illinois at 49, 200, 900 bushels
! per year, of which 10000, 900 are sold
to glucose factories, o showing the
increase in fat Or oil which was at
tanned on the university farm, would
mean an additional $1,000,0 900 in the
pockets of Illinois farmers. Corn oil
/, sells at five cents a pound, and an
! ordinary bushel contains about Jour
and one-nalf pounds, while the i'm
proved variety contains five and one
half pounds.
In a bulletin soon to be published,
DR.. Hopkins says:
The many different uses that are made
of corn and the enormous value of the
crop to the United States and to the state
of Illinois in particular, is sufficient rea-
son for investigating the possibility. of
making. Improvement in the eml
any desired Improvement will, or course.
depend upon the use which Is to be made
of the crop ~rodueed For example II
starch, glucose, sugar, strip or alcohol,
it is desirable that the grain contain q
high percentage OF ann
ents. protein and fat, should be reduced
as much as possible If the corn is to he
used for feed for growing animals OF
manufactured into corn flour for human
food, a higher percentage of protein will
certainly increase its value. 1fit Is to be
used chiefly for fattening stock, perhaps
an increased percentage of fat would b.
| an Improvement.
The method of procedure which has
been followed in all the experiments was
to make analyses, of samples from a large
number of ears, select for seed those ears
which were found to contain a high per-
| centage of a desired constituent, plant IN
an isolated field, to avoid cross-fertiliza-
ton with other corn, and grow the croI
under as good field conditions as possible
of ears are selected. and samples OF each
ear are analysed. seed being taken, as
before, from those ears which are found
to be highest in the percentage of the
constituent which it is desired to in
crease. Each year this process is re-
peated.
Pfans were made to carry on four sep
arate experiments, at the beginning OF
1897, to change the composition of corn;
To increase the protein content; to de-
crease the protein content; to increase
the fat content; to decrease the fat con-
tent. 1t is, of course. manifest that, il
SA0 N05S 49,
increased, the percentage of carbohydrate
is decreased, and vice versa. A set 81
ri ears of each kind of corn was s%electeS
and planted, being carefully tended, each
plot being widely separated to avoit
cross-fertilization. When the corn wa:
harvested, ten ears were selected frol
each plant and two rows of kernels Wert
taken from each ear and mixed to form
a composite sample to represent the goot
corn grown in each plot.
The average composition of the corr
from the hig-protein plot showed a pro
tein content of lilo per cent; while 10.5!
was the average of the low-protein plot
The seed of '9S's crop was selected as be.
fore and planted in the same manner
The work for 1898 was quite similar t
that of 80, but since then more Important
results have been obtained. In 1899 tn,
high-protein plot produced corn with M
average protein content of 11.46 per cent.
and the low-protein corn contained go
per cent. protein. In 1900 the same plot,
produced corn of 1892 and 9.34 per cent
protein, respectively. The difference, 81
per cent, represents four years breeding
and the results indicate that as the year.
ADVANCE the difference between the higi
and low protein content will vary at al
increasing rate.
The experiments proved that the ia
content was much more easily changed
content of high-fat plot planted IN 1s
was 4.73. and the low 4.04. a difference O
SO per cent In 1895 the high-fat plo
raised corn, with a fat content of SIS pc
cent, and the iow-content plot average,
S.9o per cent, a difference of 1.16 per cent
considering the central half of each plot
the percentage of fat in the crops wer,
found to be 500 and 1884, respectively,
difference of 2.53 per cent. The investiga
ton throughout proved that the fat con
tent is more susceptible to the infiuenc,
of seed selection than is the protein
doubtless due to the fact that the primar.
materials from which fat is manufac
tured, carbon dioxid and water, are usu
ally furnished to the plant in unlimite,
supply, while the formation Of protein
is essentially dependent upon the suppl,
of availagle nitrogen in the soil.
The protein in the corn kernel is con
tanned principally in the glutenous lave
surrounding the main body in the kernel
This layer is very thin at the crown O
the kernel, but thick at the sides. Th
germ. in the center of the tip end of tn
kernel. is also rich in protein, althoug.
the entire germ constitutes only about i
per cent. of the kernel. On the basis %
this knowledge of the general structur,
of the kernel and the m COMPOST
ton of its several parts, it is possible L,
select corn of high protein content ant
I'of low protein content by purely mechan
ical means; a fact of the utmost impor
lance to the farmer, as it will enable hin
to select his seed without having a knowl
edge of chemistry.
Sheriff Richards AsxaiIamt Ca..urcd
Benkelman, Neb., April 2S.-Theo
dore Moore, the man who Saturda,
night shot Sheriff Richards and es
capped from Jail, was captured yester
day afternoon by the posse. Moor,
stole a horse Inc led his pursuers {,
lively race for nearly forty miles