Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-04
Annual Gathering of Marshall
County Farmers ClosesWith
Election of Officers
PROFESSOR cHRlsry ON CORN
Assistant Professor of Iowa State
College Delivers Excellent Lecture on
Selection of Seed Corn - Institute
With Corn Contest Next Year =
Will Experiment at County Farm.

tute, which closed with the session o
Thursday afternoon, proved very sue.
4 cessfui, not so much from what was ac.
tually done, but on account of tina
which was planned for the coming year
IL Is believed that the stimulus tina
will be injected into the corn CROWN in.
dustry will be the means of again plac-
ing this county in the front ranks oil
the banner corn counties of the state
Experiments IN the raising of corn
viii be carried on at the county farm
by the assistance and under the direc-
ton OF the experimental station al
Arnes, that should prove beneficial.
Another institute will be held next
year and at that time prizes will be
awarded in the corn growing contest
which will be under the direction OF the
OFFICIALS of the state institution The
details of this contest will not be an
nounced for a short time, but it will
probably be open to farmers boys I'M
der the age of 20 years. A number of
valuable prizes in each class will be
hung up by the institute. This is done
with the idea OF holding the interest of
the younger generation and teaching 1t
| the improved methods of selecting seed
corn that will produce the largest yield.
Will Experiment. at County Farm.
Experiments on a small scale, similar
to those carried on at Anes, in the
growing OF corn, oats and other grains,
will be inauguralted at the county farm
at the expense of the county. 1t is
will be from $50 to $500. This is to
determine the best varieties of grain
adaptable for growing in this county.
Different varieties will be sent there by
farmers, who think they have some es-
pecially good kind, which will be plant
ed and data KEEP. as to growth and yield
for the benefit of the farmers. Super
|intendent +. e. Barber will have charge
OF the work, and the Arnessexperimental
station will lend all the assistance pos
sible. The sentiment to inaugurate this
experimental station which has proved
of great help in other counties was un-
animous
New Officers EeIcted.
The new officers chosen for the COM
ing year were SIS follows:
President-W II. Arney. of Taylor
township
secretary-W H. Wilson, OF Taylor
township
E The officers. with ora member from
csoh tssr,r-rsjp. Siii constiSass the ~
ecutive board. The additional mem
bers chosen were: j. W. Gaunt, Lib
erty; ]. II. Kilazer. Bangor; George
Hauser, Liscomb: ]. Is. Classen, Wen
ma; Carver Ferguson. Marion; r. d.
Wilcox, Taylor; G.. e. Arney, Iowa:
Wafer Hixson, Marietta; H. r. Mill
hiser Marchall; n. P. Clemens Minerva:
Martin Richeson. State Center; +. e.
Barber. Washington: George r. Hud-
son. Timber Greek; John Chinn, Lee
Grand; J. l.. Wiley, Greencastle; John
Paul. jefferson; T. j. Shearer, Logan;
Ollie Luttekin, Eden, and James Ander-
son. Linn. This. president was chosen
as the delegate from the county to the
State Agricultural Societys annual
meeting.
Christy on Seed Corn.
G. j. ChTisty assistant professor of
agronony at the Iowa State College.
held the floor for an hour and q half
In his discussion of seed corn. While
Professor Chrissy is scarcely more than
a beardless boy. he has facts and fig
ures at his finger tips. His rehearsal
of the subject proved most interesting
and held the very closest attention OF
his audience. He went into details in
explaining how and why the largest
possible yield could be produced in
Marshall county. In the proper method
of selecting seed corn, he followed, step
by step. from the time the corn was
picked from the. stalk In the fall, until
it was bearing again the following year.
From data gathered in various parts of
the state, he said, there was an average
loss of 2Sss per cent in each stand of
corn planted. when compared with what
Il should have yielded The average
yield per acre for the entire state, he
said was thfrty-two bushels, when it
might just as we'll have been sixty
bushels. He gave the following rea-
sons for this:
Lack of uniformity in the number of
Kernels planted in each hill.
Choosing seed corn of poor vitality. |
Lack of care in the selection of seed
corn.
Poor methods of handling and stor- |
ing it over winter
Failure to ascertain whether or not |
t would germinate.
Lack of care in planting.
He took up each one of these causes |
md explained how it could be reme-
lied, using large charts in illustrating
lis points. He then gave the method |
Used at the experimental station, where
he average loss per stand had been |
educed to 6 per cent.
Seed corn Mr.. Christy said,
should be selected about Oct. 25, be-
ore the heavy frosts come, and the
ars should be chosen while Still on
he stalks, by taking those which had
urned down, and where the husISs had
zen loosened. These ears should be
AIKEN and stored in some dry place.
on boards in the loft of the
orn crib, until not later than Nov 10
hen they should be removed to some
lace warm enough to prevent them
rom being frozen. There they should /
ack, and not thrown in a heap, which
liable to cause the kernels to sprout.
curing the middle of the winter tests
hould be made, with kernels taken
'om the butt, middle and tip of each
ar to ascertain whether or not they
rould germinate This is done by
facing the kernels between folds of