The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-17
Prof. Holden Has Plan for ADD
Ing to II 480,0OO,OO0 Bushels
WOULD HAVE The SEED SORTED
Iowa AgrIculturIsts Have Formed Assocla-
iIon Of Thuss Who Believe In the
Value OF The Idea.

Sioux City. Ia. Aug. i7.--'Let every
farmer IN the seven great corn states
give few winter evenings and 10000. 600
bushels will be added TO the annual corn
crop OF the corn belt"
In these words Professor p. G. Holden.
OF the Ames Agricultural college, sefr-
marizes the campaign Instituted by him
self and the Iowa Corn Growers associa-
ton.
1t Is not increased acreage that Pro-
fessor Holden wants; IL is better results
from the present acreage. IL is not by
any artificial culture that he would bring
about these apparently gigantic results.
He promises and demonstrates that they
will be realized II the farmer does the
simple thing OF putting a hundred live
kernels In every 20 hills.
Unique In the science OF agronomy is
the experimental work OF Professor Hol-
den, and throughout the state Of Iowa
he has convinced meetings Of farmers
that for once a professor I'm an agrcul-
tural college has a reform that is thor
oughly practical.
In word, his plan requires only the
sorting by hand OF seed corn into lots OF
uniform size and the filing of the plates
IN corn planters in such a way as 10 drop
the required number of grains OF corn
in each hill The missionary work is
being extended 10 other states. and II is
proposed 10 have every farmer in the
corn belt eventually find how 10 plant his
corn 10 get the best yield.
The Iowa Corn Growers association
has been formed by farmers and only
farmers who believe Professor Holdens
theory is right
w. c. Whiting of Whiting, Ia, in
charge o fthe agricultural division OF the
Iowa Commission for the Louisiana Pur-
chase exposition has personally presented
10 Ames college and the Corn Growers
association trophy valued al $l50 which
will be awarded annually for rs years
for the best results in corn growing ac-
cording tn Professor -Inldap,S- theory
The trophy represents an ear OF corn
Is inches long. the husks of silver and
ear OF gold. standing on an ebony case.
Upon the base are four scrolls OF silver
decorated by tiny golden ears OF corn
upon which will be inscriptions OF the
names Of the winners and the object
for which the cup was given.
To find how much the farmers OF Iowa /
are losing each year by not properly |
planting corn Professor Holden last year /
sent one thousand letters 20 all parts 1
of Iowa. asking the number OF stalks I'm 4
each hill Of corn fields. He found the /
stand was only rs per cent OF what he /
yield. and last years corn crop was gen
orally considered a good stand. The other
day he himself inspected "A OF tho best
corn fields he could find.
II found" he reported 10 a meeting OF
the Iowa Corn Growers association I'm
Sioux City from 80 TO So per cent Of
perfect stand. The average loss was 3S.7
per cent. | do not mean by this that the
field that has five stalks in each hill is
better than one with four and that hills
OF six stalks are better than hills of five.
obtained from an average OF about three
and one-third stalks to a hill Our ex-
periments have shown that one stalk IN
a hill will produce but one-third as much
corn as q proper number OF stalks two
stalks three-fourths Of yield. and FIVE
stalks the same In making my tables /
counted either three or four stalks a 100
per cent stand.
For ten years the average yield OF
corn In Iowa has been approximately 35
bushels. A yield of 81 bushels, with a
Is per cent stand, which Is the average
found In a number of years. would be-
come5o bushels with 100 per cent stand"
The acreage planted to corn IN the seven
states growing more than l00.O0Q.0O0 bush
els OF corn I'm 1902 was: Illinois, g62s.6s0:
Iowa, s,So2.6 Nebraska. 7Sl7,952; Kan
eas. 7.45l 500; Missouri. 67l5 1885, Indiana.
4.520. 6S7. end Ohio, 3.2co224
The combined acreage was about 4S.O00-
0oo A gain OF ten bushels TO an acre. or a .
% per cent stand. which Professor Holden
thinks is easily attainable would mean .
an increase Ina the annual Yield OF these i
states OF 4S90o0,Ooo bushels.