Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-02-10
NOW FOR A Big CORN CROP.

It seems early in the year to talk
about growing bumper CO rn crop in
1905, but it is not a day too early. The
western corn grower is having his in
nings now, and 10 beginning to under
stand what has been apparent for many
years to close observers that the corn
lands of the west have great, special,
and permanent, we had almost said
immutable, value.
With q corn crop estimated at 2, $780,
OOO, 900 bushels we find corn selling At
from thirty to forty cents on the farm.
and there are we'll authenticated indiv-
idual Yields even in a year like this of
seventy five and eighty bushels per acre
At these high prices but little corn is
going abroad. although we believe for
the last few days it has been on an ex-
port basis. In other words. we are be.
ginning to see pretty clearly that the
country has developed sufficiently to
take care Of crop of corn Of 1850, ,OOO-
600 bushels without putting the price
90 low that it furnishes little or no pro-
fit. There was time within the mem.
ory Of almost any of our readers when
4 crop Of this magnitude meant fifteen
or sixteen cents in the country markets
and other times when it was cheaper to
burn corn than coal Under these con.
ditions we feel like saying to our read.
ers; Do your best to grow big corn
crop in 1905. Do the best you can.
You are not likely to find corn drug
in the market year from now.
There is a great deal Of boasting
about the Iowa corn crop which we be-
lieve is now estimated at 328, O0O, 600 bu-
shells. Our newspaper friends seem to
forget that we have at least twice
grown larger crops, and to forget that
thirty six bushels per acre is no big
crop of corn. We onght to be ashamed
Of ourselves out on these prairies. of
the fertility of which we are go fond of
boasting, when down in Maine, New
Hampshire, and Vermont, where they
used to say, that they had to sharpen
the sleeps noses in order that they
might eat the grass that grew between
the stones, they grow more corn to the
acre than we do. Thirty. eight, thirty
seven. thirty.six bushels per acre on
these thin, barren, rocky hills. The
last time Secretary Wilson was in the
office we told him that those fellows
down there must be reporting bushels
of ears instead of bushels Of corn; but
We notice that they are reporting in
"shelled" bushels now, and this ought
to make the Iowa and Illinois corn
growers blush. Inssmuch as the aver
age is thirty.s bushels and quite q
number of farmers grow easily fifty,
sixty, and seventy, and some Of them
eighty bushels, it is apparent that as
many are growing over it, and that
these people even at present prices
don't have any profit over the cost of
production and very reasonable rent
or q low rate of interest.
How, then, shall we go about grow
ing bumper corn crop? There are
some things which nature, or rather,
the God of nature, must do. We don't
know what He will do in the shape of
temperature and moisture; but know
ing what He has done in the past and
having faith in Divine promises, We
will assume that He will give US rain
from heaven, and fruitful seasons;
sometimes more, sometimes less. &C.
cording to His good pleasure. In view
Of this no man ought to grow less than
fifty bushels Of corn per acre; and
should always aim to grow more than
fifty to make up for the farmers that
grow less.
The first thing we have to do is to
select, now that we have plenty of time
the fields on which we will grow corn
next year. The wise man will, of
course. select sod. Why? Because
sod ground, whether clover. timothy,
or h1ro rro oc or on.y mivf,,ro of tho