The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1903-10-29
Pushing North the Corn Belt.

! -
Pushing North the Corn Belt.
A communication from the Mime
sofa station says: Owing to the colo
wet season, the corn crop in Mime
sofa and surrounding states is ripen
ing SO late that q very serious shori
age is threatened in homegrown sect
for next years planting. The expert
ence Of last year should be taken as
valuable lesson, and every bushel o
the best ears Of the best yielding
varieties which ripen this season
should be selected, thoroughly driet
and carefully stored for use or sale
for planting. The ears Of first quality
should be saved to grow in hills, OF
thinly in drills to produce grain; and
those of second quality should be
saved to plant thickly In drills for fod-
der or silage. There is always good
market for the second quality Of Min.
nesota dent varieties to plant thickly
for fodder corn, though at less price
than for corn suitable to grow for
ears.
There Is a growing appreciation Of
the small varieties a. northern dent
corn to plant thickly for Solder. 1t is
useful for wintering horses aud sheep,
as well as for cattle. 1t Is very easily
grown, cleans the land Of weeds for
grain crops, and yields enormous
quantities Of food per acre. When
grown thickly, corn does not bear
ears, but the substance Of the grain
Is largely distributed throughout the
stems and leaves. 1t is much more
valuable per ton as dry fodder or as
ensilage than slower from which ears
have been husked, or than fodder corn
grown from the seed Of the larger
varieties. Fodder Of these small vari-
cites Of dent corn Is a strong com.
petitor of the hay crop.
Where the corn Is husked into the
wagon from the standing stalks, the
best ears may be thrown into a box on
one end or side Of the wagon, or they |
may be picked out as the corn Is being |
unloaded into the crib. Seed corn is
often injured in ways not fully under.
stood when stored in bins or cribs,
even though 1t Is well protected from
outdoor weather. The moisture from
1--we stock which collects on seed corn
stored above stables, Is generally fatal
20 good seed. The grain should re-
main on the cobs until nearly corn
planting time, and purchasers should
prefer to buy seed corn on the ear to
)e grown for grain.
Minnesota has rapidly increased the
.rea devoted to corn in the past TWEEN.
y-fve years, but 1t is not sufficient to
ct 1t rest as it is. There Is need for
much more rapid increase in order to
upply the demand within the state.
last year and this year have been ex.
eptionally adverse to the production
corn, but with the varieties now Sc.
ured and improved the corn acreage j.,
lay proftably be increased to more
nan double or treble the present area.
hese adverse short seasons viii help '
, eliminate all the undesirable and Z
oor varieties. Those varieties which +
pened this year and last and yielded r
ell In the various localities are Of
Dry great value to Minnesota. From =
lese varieties every bushel Of good h
lrs should be saved for seed, and h
rmers can well afford to pay high a
ices for such seed, II properly saved. !,
lowing this opportunity Of selecting N
I'd properly curing large quantities Of ri
oice seed to pass will be misfor, n,
ne which will be felt by the entire #
ate. n,
The varieties which have been found ht
ripen during these two very short di
asons in northern Minnesota should ce
preserved and used as a basis in m
eeding more hardy and better yield. ar
! varieties. The dent varieties ar
itch ripen this season in the south GO
I portion Of the state are worth N
lions of dollars and should interest wl
,eders in every county. The state In
large and the amount Of seed used ~
nually (about 100000 bushels Of nv nv
d corn alone) Is great, so there is an an
lie danger Of over,estimating this
portant work. Seed corn for field
in should be taken southwark
her than northward. Bringing the 49,
ger yielding varieties northward ~. Wv
adapting them to the new condi. ",
Is should be left mainly to men who w., sns
e experience in corn breeding, The ~, ,as
n belt has been and Is now being ~,
he'd northward by the introduction t w.,
acclimating Of varieties and espe- Wv
ly by carefully breeding varieties a"
ady introduced. Corn breeders ~
lld use mostly those varieties al, W. oS
ly adapted to their locality. This LII
work should be continued, butt NJ
,nseryative way, by those who are aul w.,
Jared for the work. qus'
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