The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1904-09-03
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CORN CROP AND IT'S NEEDS


Indian corn is the greatest of our
cereal crops used for the feeding Of
cattle and hogs and the food of man
kind combined, and its Importance to
the farmers in all parts of the country
can hardly be over-estimated. And yet
there is no crop that varies SO much in
production per acre. Though one soil
expert will make us believe that all
coils have the same average amount
OF soluble plant food, there is no doubt
that the understanding roots Of the
corn plant find more food in some soils
than IN others, no matter how careful
~ they are cultivated nor how well
watered, and the farmer who neglects
to accumulate more plant food in his
soil, usually finds that his corn crop
shows the effects Of his bad treatment
sooner than any other. Much has been
said and written 81 late in regard to
the Improvement of corn by selection
OF seed, and there is no doubt that by
proper breeding the corn crop can be
greatly increased independently of the
improvement of the soil. But both
should go hand in hand. Most of the
eo-called corn breeders give great
deal of attention to the character of
the ear and grain, and these are i'm
portant points. But the breeding
that looks simply to tie i'm
provement of single feature of the
plant can never be as successful as one
that takes the whole plant into con-
sideration. In breeding corn one must
know what his particular section needs.
II he is in region OF short seasons
and early frosts, he must take earli-
ness of the plant into serious consid-
GRAFTON, as well as its productiveness.
II he is In the south, where he has
time enough to mature any variety Of
corn, he need give attention only to the
character OF the plant and its produc-
tiyeness. In the south the farmers
have for generations been breeding
simply for the biggest ears. They have
gotten the big car, and only one a
stalk and that, on strong land, mp out
Of mans reach, and such tall
growth that 1t seems necessary to plant
the crop wide apart. The result is
that single stalks six feet apart, with
q single ear at best on them and some
with none at all, make It impossible to
get large crop. The breeding then
that is needed In the south is breeding
Tor a more dwarf and sturdy plant and
one that uniformly carries two ears or
more. The editor Of one of our farm
papers recently told an inquirer who
wanted to known how 10 overcome the
tendency of corn in the south to grow
60 tall, that 1t was climate effect
which no breeding could overcome But
right here, in the south, 1t has been
overcome and we have corn that
bears uniformly two or more ears near
the ground and of stature that admits
Of its being planted nearly as closely
as in the north. and which on sandy
uplands has made So bushels OF corn
per acre, while the ordinary corn per
around it on similar land made about
ten to fifteen bushels. In breeding
corn, we must form in mind an ideal
of the plant we want to produce and
breed towards it year after year, for
the result can not be had in single
season. Then we want to remove dis
turbing influences. In hundreds Of
fields we see nearly one-third Of the
stalks without any ear. These barren
stalks are the strongest males in the
field and, If allowed 10 ripen pollen,
will make more and more barren stalks
the next seasons. Cut out the tassels
) from such as soon as they show. then
select the stalks that bear two ears
and to get the plants down to more
dwarf and sturdy character. Use for
time only the lower ear for seed; II
will not be the best ear, but it will have
tendency to get nearer the ground
and to beat the ear above it. When you
have the ideal plant then will be time
enough to select the best ears. Corn
Is always best when bred in the section
where it is to be planted, and seed
brought from far north or south of any
locality must always be acclimated be-
fore it will adapt itself to the new con-
ditions and do its best.
Having the ideal corn plant, the
next important thing is the production
Of big crops is the preparation of the
land and the feeding of the crop. The
one-horse plow has been the cause Of
more poor crops in the south than any
one other thing. The gullies in our hills
have been largely due to the scratch
blowing Of the past. The shallow plow-
ed soils fills with water and runs OF
on the hard soil below and q gully Il
started and is annually enlarged by the
frosts of winter. We need deeper break
ing Of the soil to enable 1t to hold more
water for the crop and to withstand
droughts and to prevent washing. But
efter we have this soil deeply plowed
and well prepared, we do not want to
pIow In the corn field afterwards. LAY
ing by corn with turning pillow and
big furrow Is responsible for much OF
the short crop and also for the washing
Of the land. for the water collects In
the deep burrows till head forms and
breaks over and down the hill the
This would not happen If the crop was
cultivated shallowly and fiat so as to
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