Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-21
#tiseellaneous 8eadina.
EASY WEALTH FOR FARMERS.
Prof. Holden's New Idea About How to
Plant Corn.

EHoI "cAII TSn
Prof. Holden's New Idea About How to
Plant Corn.
LET every farmer in the seven great
corn states give few winter evenings
and 480,OO0,OOO bushels will be added
to the annual crop Of the corn belt"
In these words Prof. P. 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-
ton.
1t isn't increased acreage that Prof.
Holden wants: it Is better results from
the present acreage. 1t Is not by any
artificial culture that he would bring
about these results. He promises that
they shall be realized II the farmer
does the simple thing Of putting hum
dred live kernels of corn In every thir-
ty hills.
Entirely new in agriculture Is the
governmental work Of Prof. Holden,
and throughout Iowa he has convinced
meetings of farmers that for once q
professor in an agricultural college has
q reform that is thoroughly practical.
In q word, his plan requires only the
sorting by hand of seed corn and the
filing of plates in corn planters In sucn
a way as to drop the required number
- -~sa;ac 80 oory, IN aanh 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 rs per cent of what
he has demonstrated will produce the
largest yield, and last years corn crop
was considered a good stand. The
other day he himself inspected twenty
four of the best corn fields he could
find.
II 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 27.7 per cent.
81 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.
1 have found that the best results are
obtained from an average of about
three and a third stalks to hill.
81 have found one stalk in hill will
produce but ne-third as much corn as
a proper number Of stalks, two stalks
three -fourths Of yield and five stalks
three -fourths of a yield. In making
my tables I counted either three or
four stalks 100 per cent stand.
For ten years the average yield OF
corn in Iowa has been approximately
So bushels. A yield Of thirty-five BUSH
els with 70 per cent stand. which Is
the average found in a number OF
years, would become fifty bushels with
a 100 per cent stand"
The acreage planted in corn In the
seven states growing over 1OO,OOO,OOO
bushels Of corn in 1902 was: Illinois,
1928, $50; Iowa, 9.3O2,6Ss Nebraska, T.
s17,962; Kansas, 7,451,693; Missouri,
6.775.19S; Indiana, 4,52O.s37; Ohio, g.
20O,224.
The combined acreage was about 49,
100000. A gain Of ten bushels an acre,
or a 80 per cent stand, which Prof.
Holden thinks is easily attainable,
would mean an increase In the annual
WELD Of these states Of 4S0,000,000
bushels.
On the big Funk farm at Blooming
ton, Ill.,, Prof. Holden's theory was
carried out last year. Several thou
sand acres were planted with seed sor-
ted by hand, through planters adjusted
to drop the proper number of kernels.
Previously, the best yield was fifty
eight bushels an acre. Last year the
average was seventy-two bushels. or
the gain. Prof. Holden estimates 80
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. Holdens control the
WELD has never been less than 60 BUSH
els since 1896.
The owner of 1000 acres Of corn
ground at Oldebolt, Ia, this spring
bought six corn planters and put them
to work hurriedly. He has examined
his field and found stand Of 133 stalks
to each hill. He estimates his loss at
$4,000. He has told that hereafter he
will plant according to the Holden
method.
Jaw, that isn't practical" objected a
farmer in one Of Prof. Holden's meet
ings. 1.-The idea of my sorting grains
of corn by hand. 1 have something
better to do"
"All right" answered Prof. Holden.
I'VE will say that you have the work
done by man to whom you pay 81 a
day. He will sort at least a bushel Of
shelled corn every day.
That bushel will plant seven acres
Of ground. The fact that it has been
sorted will add at least ten bushels to
the acre yield. At an average price
of 80 cents bushel that would mean
a return of s21 for the 81 you invested
I'm having the corn sorted.
But you can do 1t as we'll on winter
evenings when it will have cost you
nothing."-Sioux City, Iowa, Letter.
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A BANK TELLER's TALE.-The Bis