The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-12-15
One Day Institute at Bancroft.

Therefore, o friend and master, play on"
One Day Institute at Bancroft.
The one-day institute at Bancroft
was not largely attended, several things
interfering with the attendance of many
who wished to listen and take part in
the discussions. The meeting was
called to order by N. K. Potter in
Phillips hall and Prof. G. d. Smith of
the Agricultural College took up the
subject Of corn. He advised getting
the best ear or several ears from your
own field, keeping it carefully and
getting seed for the crop from that
ear; don't go away from home for seed.
The best ear is the one that has largest
proportion of corn to cob; longest ker-
mel; corn packed on tight; all space oc-
cupied, the cylindrical ear is best; do
not get short or tapering ear for seed.
The land for corn should be manured
and manure should be from cows and
be drawn out right along all the winter
and not allowed to lie in yard. In pre-
pairing for the seed corn use the south
three rows in the field, having first,
second and third best pull off the
tassels on the second and third best at
haying time; take half bushel from
these rows for seed for second year and
third Hyear II Is easy to get best
seed FOR entire planting; dry the seed.
thoroughly before. it freezes; keeping
cattle Isl also necessary to have good
1-corn crops from year to year; good
rotation is corn, wheat. clover; plow as
early as possible in spring; use hand
plow.
N. K. Potter took up the discussion Of
corn stating that he agreed with most
| that Prof Smith said. The corn ques-
tion was one of the greatest of the day;
he thought the idea of Prof, Holden, of
Illinois, for national corn day, like
Thanksgiving day. was a good one.
Prof. Holden married a Shiawassee girl,
Miss Burnett, who came from one of
the most honored and honorable families
in the county. Mr.. Potter did not be-
lieye in going through the field and
picking an ear of corn here and there
for seed; but go and cut the stalks
which have good looking ears on, dig a
hole and put the ends Of the stalks in
the ground for maturing; he had no
trouble in getting seed; pick it even
from load when drawn to barn yard; he
had furnished Gov Rich with seed corn
and several years later had second
call from Mr.. Rich-the hired man hav.
ing failed to save seed; and he had al
ways saved his seed by cutting the
!. stalks and believed that no failures of
corn crop is necessary if seed is careful
| ly dried and hard and not allowed to
freeze; good seed will not rot and will
grow under most unfavorable circum-
stances he was raising white smut
nose corn and found it as profitable as
Dent variety; don't make a mistake in
time of planting; if possible plant by
18th or 10th of May; the land should be
manured and prepared as early as pos
sible and if it is rained on before plant
ing time break the crust and go ahead:
cold tar every bit of seed carefully-this
will drive away the worms and crows
and birds will pass your field by; plant
as soon as possible after tarring but it
will do no harm in particular If you are
obliged to wait few days; put or 5
kernels in the hill of the white smut
nose, or of the Dent; take seed from
center of ears; shell by hand plant
three feet nine inches apart with hand
planter, cut by hand; plow clover land
for beans or potatoes, follow with corn;
tile drain every low spot and the extra
crop will pay cost of drain; corn stalk
manure will make the poor spots good
oats do not huyt the land; have raised
90 bushels to an acre of "a pounds to
bushel and the land was not injured in
| the least.
Prof. Smith discussed the subject of
sugar beets stating that there was alb
solutely no question but that the sugar
beet had come to stay and therefore
thorough study must be made to deter
mine the best methods and conditions,
rotation, etc, for it. 1t was new sub
iect and he did not like to undertake it
] without the assistance of some local