Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-08-21
Iowa Mans Plan to Increase
the Yield.
LITTLE WORK sAID TO BE NEEDED
The seed Kernels Are sorted ps
Hand Aceording TO sise and the
Planter-on One Farm the Yield
Increased From Fifty-eight 90 Sew
enty-two BasheIs-Trophy offered

In these words Professor T. q. Hoi
den OF the State Agricultural college,
Ames, Ia, summarizes the campaign
instituted by himself and the Iowa
Corn Growers association, says SIOUX
City dispatch TO the Kansas City star
1t is not increased acreage that fro'
fessor Holden wants; II Is better to
suits from the present acreage III
not by any artificial culture he would
bring about these apparently gigahuc
results. He promises and demonstrates
that they will be realized IL the FARMER
does the simple thing Of putting nun
dred live kernels of corn In every thirty
hills.
Entirely unique In the science OF
agronomy Is the experimental work Oh
Professor Holden, and throughout the |
state Of Iowa he has convinced meet I
ings Of farmers that professor IN an
agricultural college has reform that
is thoroughly practical. In word, his
plan requires only the sorting by hand
of seed corn into lots of uniform size
and the filing of plates in corn planters
I'm such q way as to drop the required
number of grains of corn In each hill.
The missionary work IL being extended
to other states, and II Is proposed to
have every farmer In the corn belt
eventually find how to plant his corn
to get the best yield.
The Iowa Corn Growers association
has been formed by farmers, and only
farmers. who believe Professor Hol-
denis theory Is right. w. c. Whiting
of Whiting, Ia, in charge OF the agri-
| cultural division Of the Iowa commits
| sion for the Louisiana Purchase expo
sition, has personally presented to the
| Ames college and the Corn Growers
association a trophy valued at $3.50,
which will be awarded annually for
seventy-five years for the best results
in corn growing according to Professor
| Holden's theory The trophy Is entire
ly unique, representing an ear OF corn
eighteen inches long, the husks OF sill
yer and ear of gold. standing on an
ebony base. Upon the base are four
scrolls of silver decorated by tiny gold
en- ears of corn, upon which will be In
scriptions 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 prop
erly planting corn, Professor Holden
last year sent 1000 letters to all parts
of Iowa. asking the number Of stalks
in each hill in cornfelds. He found
the stand was only rs per cent Of what
he has demonstrated will produce the
largest yield, and last years corn crop
was generally considered good stand.
The other day he himself inspected
twenty four Of the best cornfields he
could find.
II found" he reported to a meeting
of the Iowa Corn Growers association
in Sioux City, from 80 to 1872 per cent
Of a perfect stand. The average loss
was 2S.7 per cent. l 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. have found
that the best results are obtained from
an average Of about three and third
I stalks to hill. Our experiments have
y shown that one stalk In hill will pro
duce only one-third as much corn as O
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 q
100 per cent stand.
For ten years the average yield OF
e corn in Iowa has been approximately
II thirty-five bushels. A yield of thirty
FIVE bushels with 10 per cent stand
L which is the average found in a mum
= Der Of years, would become fifty bush
els with q 100 per cent stand"
e The acreage planted to corn in tn,
J. seven states growing over 100000,
bushels of corn In 1902 was: Illinois
Is 9,623, $50; Iowa, 9.802 1888; Nebraska
1871, 962; Kansas. 7.451. 500; Missouri
6,775,194; Indiana, 4.o20,6S7; Ohio
i. 9,2OO,224. The combined acreage wa
i about 4S,OOO,OOO. A gain of ten bushel
d an acre, or a 90 per cent stand, whicl
I Professor Holden thinks Is easily al
g tainable, would mean an increase II
b the annual yield Of these states o
g 480, 100000 bushels.
a On the big Funk farm at Blooming
% ton, ILL.,, Professor Holden's theory wa
. carried out last year. Several thou
sand acres were planted with see
&c sorted by hand through planters ad
!. justed to drop the proper number O
II kernels. Previously the best yield wa
II fifty eight bushels per acre. Last yea
the average was seventy-two bushels
OF the gain Professor Holden est
-, mates 80 per cent was due to the stan
y and 20 per cent to the excellent germ
., mating power of the seed. In the e1
perimental fields under Professc
y. Holden's control the yield has neve
~ been less than sixty bushels since 1S9,
4. THAT isn't practical" objected
n farmer in one of Professor Holden
,r meetings. "The idea Of my sortin
Of grains Of corn by hand! l have SOM
thing better to do"
NJ "All right" answered Professc
n Holden. 1--WE will say that you hire tt
70 work done by man to whom you pa
:. ~ per day He will sort at least
bushel Of shelled corn every day Tn.
ar bushel will plant seven acres
ground. The fact that 1t has been sor
is I'd will add at least ten bushels to Il
le acre yield At an average price Of
ct cents bushel that would mean q I
at turn of $21 for the 81 you invested
er having the corn sorted. But you C,
tn do it as well on winter evenings, WIN
ce 1t will have cost you nothing"
at The imperfect stands Of corn, Fl