The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-09-02

Let every FARMER In the seven sred'
corn states give a few winter evenings,
and 100000, 900 bushels will be added
to the annual crop of the corn belt"
In these words Professor P. q. Hol-
den of the State Agricultural college,
An1es, Ia, summarizes the campaign
instituted by himself and the Iowa
Corn Growers association, says Sioux
City dispatch to the Kansas City Star.
It is not increased acreage that Pro
sessor Holden wants; it is better re-
suits from the present acreage. It Is
act by any artificial culture he would
bring about these apparently gigantic
results. He promises and demonstrates
that they. will be realized If the farmer
does THE simple thing of putting hun
bred live 'k6rnels of corn in every thirty
hills.
b Entirely unique In the science of
agronomy Is the experimental work of
Professor Holden, and throughout the
state of Iowa he has convinced meet
5ngs Of farmers that professor in an
agricultural college has q reform that
Ia thoroughly practical. In a 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
in such a way as to drop the required
humber of grains of corn in each hill.
The missionary work is being extended
TO other states, and it 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
q, has been formed by farmers, and only
Farmers, who believe Professor Hol-
3eIl's theory is right. W. G. 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 $500,
which will be awarded annually for
seventy-five years for the best results
In corn growing according to Professor
Aolden's theory. The trophy is entire
1S unique, representing an ear of corn
eighteen inches long, the husks of sill
Ser 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
tweDty-four of the best cornfelds he
could find.
Il found" he reported to a meeting
of the Iowa Corn Growers association
Ia Sioux City, from 80 to S6.2 per cent
of perfect stand. The average loss
was 2S.7 per cent. do not mean by
this that the field that has five stalks
ID each hill is better than one with
four and that hills of six stalks are
better than hills, of five. l have found
that the best results are obtained from
an average of about three and third
stalks to a hill. Our experiments have
shown that one stalk in a hill will pro-
d0ee only one-third as much corn as
proper number of stalks, two stalks
ehree-fourths of yield, and Eve stalks
The same In making my tables l
counted either three or four stalks
400 per cent stand.
"Eor ten years the average yield of
corn in Iowa has been approximately
th3tty-ive bushels. A yield of thirty
i've bushels with 70 per cent stand,
which is the average found in num-
her of years, would become fifty bush
els with a 100 per cent stand"
The acreage planted to corn in the
seven states growing over 100000
bushels of corn in 1902 was: Illinois,
e,e23680; Iowa, 9,302,68 Nebraska,
7,s1796 Kansas, 7,451. 693; Missouri,
6,7T5194; Indiana, 4,520,637; Ohio,
S,200224 The combined acreage was
about 100000 A gain of ten bushels
an acre. or 90 per cent stand, which
Professor Holden thinks is easily at
Sainabe would mean an increase in
the annual yield of these states of
3S0,000,0O0 bushels.
On the big Funk farm at Blooming
Ron, Ill, Professor Holden's theory was