The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1903-10-01
EASY NONEYFOR FARMERS
Prof. Holden'S New Idea About
How to Plan Corn.
SORT SEEDCORN BYHAND

IL Adopted He Estimates That It VIII
Add .48o,ooo,Coo Bushels to the
Crop Of the Corn Belt-And 1t
Would Require Only a Few Win.
ter Evenings Work.
Let every farmer III the seven
great corn States give few winter
evenings and 4SO,OOO, 900 bushels will
be added to the annual crop of the
corn belt"
In these words Prof. Il. G. Holden
Of the Ames Agricultural College sum-
mariZes the results to be expected of
the campaign instituted by himself
and the Iowa Corn Growers Associa-
tion.
1t isn't increased acreage that Prof.
Holden wants; it IL better results
from the present acreage. 1t Is not by
any artificial culture that he would
bring about these results. lie prom
ises that they shall be realized IL the
farmer does the simple thing OF put
ting a hundred live kernels Of corn in
every thirty hills.
Entirely new in agriculture Is tho
experimental work OF Prof. Holden.
and throughout Iowa he has convinced
meetings Of farmers that for once q
professor in an agricultural college has
reform that Is thoroughly practical.
In word. his plan requires only the
sorting by hand Of seed corn and the
filling of plates In corn planters In
such way as to drop the required
number of grains Of corn in each hill.
To find how much the farmers Of
Iowa are losing each year by not prop
erly planting corn, Prof. Holden last
year sent 1000 letters to all parts OF
Iowa asking the number of stalks in
each hill in corn fields. He found that
the stand was but - 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 corn fields he
| could find.
"I found" he reported to meeting
Of the Iowa Corn Growers Association
in Sioux City, from 80 to S6.2 per
cent. of a perfect stand. The average
loss was 2S.7 per cent.
"I do not mean by this that the field
that has five stalks in each hill is bet
ter than one with four and that hills
of six stalks are better than hills Of
five. I have found that the best re-
suits are obtained from an average
of about three and third stalks to a
hill.
"I have found one stalk in hill
will produce but one-third az much
corn as a proper number of stalks,
two stalks three-fourths of a yield and
five stalks three-fourths Of yield. In
making my tables l counted either
three or four stalks a 100 per cent.
stand.
For ten years the average yield of
corn in Iowa has been approximately
33 bushels. 4 yield Of thirty.five bush.
els with 20 per cent. stand, which Is
the average found in a number of
years, would become fifty bushels with
q 100 per cent. stand" Z
The acreage planted In corn in the
seven States growing over 100000, 600
bushels of corn in 1902 was: Illinois,
0,G23 $50; Iowa, 9,3O2.6SS Nebraska
1917 7,9G2: Kansas. 7,4j1 .G93; Missouri
CITE, ,108; Indiana, 4,52O,037; Ohio, g..
2OO,224.
The combined acreage was about 49,,
100000. 4 eain of ten bushels an acre
or 90 per cent. stand, which Prof
Holden thinks Is easily attainable
would mean an increase in the annual
yield of these States Of 100000, ,OOC
bushels.
On the big Funk farm at Blooming.
ton, ILL.,. Prof. Holden's theory wae
carried out last year. Several thou
sand acres were planted with seed
sorted by hand, through planters ad
justed to drop the proper number OF
kernels.
Previously, the best yield was IS
bushels al acre. Last year the aver
age was ~ bushels. or the gain. Prof
Holden estimates so per cent. was due
to the stand and 20 per cent. to the
excellent terminating power Of the
seed. In the experimental fields under
Prof. Holden's control the yield has
nevep been less than 60 bushels since
1896
The owner Of 1000 acres of corn
ground at Oldebolt, Ia., this spring
bought six corn planters and put then,
to work hurriedly. He has examined
his field and found a stand of Is ia
stalks to each hill. lie estimates his
loss at $20,00U. IIc has told that here
after he will plant according to the
Holden method.
"Aw, that isn't practical" objected a
farmer in one of Prof. HOlden's meet.
ings. "The idea OF me sorting grains OF
corn by hand. I have something bet
ter to do"
"All right." answered Prof. Holden
"We will say that you have the worl,
done by man to whom you pay SO g
day. He will sort at least q bushel OF
shelled corn every day.
"That bushel will plant seven acres
of ground. The fact that 1t has been
sorted will add at least ten bushels to
the acre yield. At an average price OF
30 cents a bushel that would mean q
return of sol for the ~ you invested
in having the corn sorted.
"But you can do 1t ns we'll OH winter
evenings when 1t will have cost you
nothing"
British India buys abroad $3.50, ,7O0.,
0O0 worth year, Of which the United