Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-11
SEED CORN in EAST.
COURIER is THE MEANS OF
STARTING A GOSPEL TRAMP
IN MARYLAND.

Following Example of the Burlington
Railway in Iowa, Baltimore Bust
ness Men Send Out Lecturers to Tell
System Of Testing Seed Corn,
The Courier seems to be more or
less responsible for the spreading OF
the corn gospel into Maryland and
| other eastern states. Last year, when
the special corn gospel train was run
over the Burlington road through
Iowa, in order to instruct the farmers
along the line how to select and test
seed corn, the Courier sent a special
representative with the train and pub
lished an extended report of the lee
lures delivered by the corn special
lists. Copies of those papers were
mailed to various persons, among them
| being Mr.. G. Bosley Littig, a promi-
nent commission merchant of Balti-
more, Md, and a member of the cham
Der of commerce of that city Mr. Lit
tig at once became deeply interested
in the missionary work of spreading
the corn gospel, feeling convinced that
If it We're a good thing for Iowa 1t
certainly was even better thing for
Maryland. The result of Mr.. Littig' s
investigation and active effort with
reference to this work is told in the
following article from the Baltimore
Sun of April /. Mr.. Littig, who is a
relative of the editor of the Courier
in private letter says:
"our first Corn Special has proven
a decided success While I know
these trains are common in the west,
it remained for Maryland to start the
ball rolling in the east. / expect now
the whole state will take it up another
year.
Our average yield is only about six
barrels per acre, while our maximum
yield runs about twenty-five barrels
per acre and we are all interested in
The article from the Baltimore Sun
is, in part, as follows:
One hundred bushels of corn to the
acre" Is the war cry of the Corn
Specia" party which left Baltimore
yesterday morning for a two days
tour by way of the Maryland and
Pennsylvania railroad. The object of
the corn special is to teach the farm
ers of Baltimore and Marford counties
Maryland and York county, Pennsyl-
vania, how to increase their yield of
corn by practical ard easily applied
methods, involving no extra expense.
The first days itinerary of the
scientists and lecturers that compose
the party ended at Belair, lectures be-
ing delivered at a number of places
between Baltimore and that point.
where several lectures were given
simultaneously to accommodate the
crowd of farmers which flocked to
hear them. Today lectures will be de-
livered at the stopping points between
Belair and Red Lion.
The Corn Special" expedition is the
result Of the, interest taken the SUBJ
ject of corn breeding by Governor
Warfeld and c. Bosley Littig, Of the
chamber of commerce. The success OF
the corn specials throughout the
west, where thousands of dollars are
spent each year in sending out expedi-
tions to educate the farmers. induced
Mr.. Littig to agitate the subject here
The Maryland and Pennsylvania rail-
road placed at his disposal train OF
two special coaches. and the services
of the best know agricultural experts
were secured. Thus 1t was that Mary
land attained the honor of being the
first state in the east to follow the
lead of the great grain states of the
west In helping the farmers increase
their corn crops.
How to Select Corn Seed.
Thousands of dollars and many
years of hard work have been spent
at the various agricultural experiment
stations and the result of this outlay
of money and time Is placed before the
| farmers by the corn special" The
! experiments conducted at the Mary
land experiment station have proved
that the farmers Of the state can get
a large increase Of corn per acre with
out any extra expense for fertilizers
seed properly. 1t is the method OF
selecting the seed that is explained by
the lecturers with the "corn special
! This method is as follows:
| The average yield of corn per acre
| in Maryland is 32k bushels, whereas il
every stalk bore one good ear the yield
would be 100 bushels, and there is nc
| good reason why this maximum result
should not be obtained. The principal
cause of the small yield is the lack OF
vitality in the seed. Many seed dc
not terminate and many others that
terminate grow weakly and slowly
The first principal of successful corr
| breeding, then, is to properly select
| the seed.
Test BY Sproutins.
To do this on a scientific basis, but
which, however, is 50 simple that q
boy can apply 1T, is to select twice as
many ears as will be needed for seed
the rate being about IL ears to the
acre Lay these ears out on the floor
of the barn in rows. driving long nails
| in the floor to hold them in place. Their
take a box about six inches deep anc
2 feet square and fill it half full o.
wet sawdust or sand. Lay on top o.
this bed Of sawdust piece of stou
muslin which has been marked of
| into squares with a led pencil and tn,
squares numbered.
Now from each ear of corn pici
about six grains, from different part.
of the ear and, having numbered tn,
ears place the grains on the muslin
within the square the number of which
corresponds to the number of the ea
from which the grains We're taken
| Thus the six grains from No, ear 81
in square No. 1 and SO on. A TOT
cover of muslin is then laid on care
| fully and the whole covered with bur.