Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-02

talking! If they had their way, my
fellow citizens, they would silence me
with giant powder!"
Not at all. SIR replied one of the
jeering minions of capital. "They
would use insect powder on you."-
Chicago Tribune.
Towne-What's become of that cook
you had?
Browne-Ah! she's gone. She would
make light of serious things.
Towne-And you fired her?
Browne-No, but the kerosene did
CORN FERTILIZATION SLOW.
Student Shows How Kernels Appear
After Stricken by Drouth.
A few weeks ago the reports of not
only our own correspondents, but of
crop correspondents generally was to
the effect that the early planted corn is
ruined, that the tassels were blasted,
and that the silks We're dying without
the ears being filled, writes correspon-
dent in Wallace's Farmer. Later re-
ports which have been coming in during
the past ten days are to the effect that
many of these earlier ears which We're
only partially filled are now filled out,
much to the surprise of these correspond
dents. This process has by some been
called second fertilization" and by
others LIBERALIZATION both Of which
terms are incorrect. The opinion seems
to be quite general that the fertilization
of the ear is a short job, that 1t takes
place within day or two at the most
and that all the silks are fertilized at
approximately the same time. Let us
see what really takes place when corn
is fortified. First. the tassel comes out
and on some bright, warm morning it
blossoms; that is the little yellow bod
les called the anthers. within the husks
of the tasse, as we might say, open and
hang suspended by a thin thread or fla
ment and shake out the yellow pollen
grains with which they have been filed.
Microscopical examination has shown
that on the main upright spike of the
tassel the pollen grains are quite little
larger than on the side spikes of the
same tassel.
The ear has been getting ready for
these pollen grains by sending out a
SILK from each grain. Each of these
silks is split at the END and all along
this split portion are minute barbs, the
mission of which is to catch the pollen
grains as they fall and hold them until
they can deposit the live germ When
the silks are ready for the pollen they
also exude viscld or sticky substance.
which aids in retaining the falling pol
len grains. When the silk succeeds in
retaining the pollen grams the live ele-
ment in the latter proceeds to travel
down the silk till 1t reaches the grain,
where 1t accomplishes its work.
When the pollen has passed down the
silk the end of the latter dies-its mis-
sion has been accomplished. But IL con-
ditions are such that the pollen is not
plentiful this silk will retain it's life for
many days The law of nature is that
animals and plants shall multiply and
reproduce themselves, and nature grows
them and supplies them with nutriment
for this purpose. She does not, there
fore, allow them to die until she has put
forth every effort to mature seed.
On this subject Professor Speer, who
was number of years ago director of
the Iowa experiment station, made
some very interesting Investigations. He
says: If from any cause no pollen
grains should adhere to the silk when
it is in proper condition to be fortified
it will protrude farther and farther
thru the husk until fertilization shall
take place. Generally the silks of corn
do not extend more than from two to
four inches beyond the upper end of the
husks, but by covering them with thin
paper sacks I have prevented the fer
tilization of many ears and caused the
silks to protrude from twelve to sixteen
inches beyond the husks in search of
pollen. After being covered for fourteen
days most of these remarkably long
silks were still in receptive condition
Professor speer goes on to say that
the first silks that come are out from
the lower end of the ears that those
from the top grains are from two to five
days later in appearing. He says that
while in some cases he has noticed the
upper silks not within twenty-four
hours after the lower silks appear, in
others cases he has noticed as much as
ten days difference between them. He
also observed another very interesting
thing, namely that the grain on the
lower end of the ear, or those first fer
tilted, sometimes rob the later fertil-
lied grain. For example, he says: ION
July 30 covered with paper sacks
many ears that were just beginning to
show silks. Five days later / uncovered
them and cut off the silks from their
lower halves close to the husks and left
them uncovered. August 18th husked
them and found that all the grains Of
every ear had been fertilized and that
their upper ends were filled with larger
and more vigorous grains than on the
lower ends. On other ears on adjoining
hills the grains We're withered and dead
for more than an inch from the upper
ends of the cobs." In other words, where
there is lack of abundance of nutri-
ment matter the supply. Is monopolized
in measure by the grains first fertil-
lied.
In his conclusions on the investigation
Of this subject Professor Speer said that
when the lower silks appear four or i've
days before those of the upper ends OF
the ears, the lower grains OF corn
Will be old enough and sufiiclently
strong 20 rob the younger and weaker