Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-12-08

&WDNNA EAREN&MENk p - sWse1
One county after another In the
state of Iowa il adopting the method
OF conducting experiments on the
county poor farm. They don't turn
the poor farm inss an experiment sta
ton, as sens of our eastern exchanges
seem to conclude from what Wollaces'
Farmer has said about 1t before, but
simply sci apart field or part Of q field
for the purpose Of making tests that
are of particular interest TO the people
Of that section.
The first test usually made is that
OF collecting as many different samples
or corn as are actually grown In the
county giving each variety The same
amount Of ground OF like quality, plant
ing them at the same time, and giving
them the same care. The object is 70
determine which OF these varieties Is
the best for that environment and at
the same time the measure Of loss
which the farmers have experienced
who have been grown the poor varie-
ties from year to year. This has
brought out some astonishing results.
There is a difference Of from twenty TO
thirty bushels per acre, and sometimes
more, between the yields OF these diff
ferent varieties, showing that some-l
body has been growing corn at loas-
Possibly one years test win not de-
terlnine this definitely. Noexperiment
! is worth much unless It has been dupii-
Gated time and again and the average
taken.
The agricultural college co-opsrates
with these various counties TO the ex-
tent OF sending man to the farm to
direct the method oi preparation, TO
LAY out the ground, and to teach the
Imam In charge how 80 keep fhe cor
| rect data and thus furnish exact infor-
| nation that will be Of value. This ex-
pertinent with corn is, as we said, the
lfirstexperimenttried, and II Is sufficient
to convince the farmer Of the value o.
this line Of work. Similar experiments
will be tried In the years to come with
the different varieties Of wheat anc
oats.
| Incidentally, the poor farm in coun
ties where this method has beer
adopted becomes q center OF great pub
lie interest. 1t lis a favorite place lol
picnics during the growing season
where the farmers can see for them
selves just how these experiments arr
coming on. Why.should not farmer
be interested In the poor farms It be
longs to them. It can be made grea
help to them in their work. Why no
do 1t.
The question may be asked: VIII
not, have these experiments carried Of
at the agricultural college? For th
lsimple reason that even In state lik
Iowa, more uniform In its characte
thany any other state In the union
there is great variety Of soils, wild
! difference In temperature, elevation
rainfall; and the varieties OF corn thi
will do we'll In southwestern Iowa ma
not fill the bill In northwestern Iowa,
along the dividing ridge between Il
east and west; and the corn that do
well on the sandy soil OF the Muscatir
bottom lands might not be at all u
corn that would grow on the clay bill
Another very interesting experlme
that might be conducted along with y
one We have mentioned, and we ho
will be another year, Ii to bring
Improved varieties, the very best th
lean be had, from Illinois, Indiana,
IOhio, or from Kansas and NebrasE
land plant them side By side with 7
varieties that have been grovn
years la The county. We believe
will be found, when this test is mat
| that the varieties that some farm
has been grown himself on bis q
methods, carefully selecting for fifte
Tor twenty years, will outyield unt
lsimilar conditions any corn that r.
be brought III from d great distal
\ leither east or west, no matter b
good that corn may be.
j We hope that when the farmers N
3 at the county fairs this fall they =
b take up this matter with their boz
8 oI supervisors and appropriate at le
3 Ione hundred dollars from the pul
z lftnd for tlae nurnose eli making /