The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-30
TraveIingSchOolS for Instruct
ing Farmers in Planting
LECTURESGIVEN ON TRAINS
Interest Manifested by Farmers in the
Scheme of the Burlington Railway
and University of Nebraska to
Help Farmers in Illinois.


corn fed road W. Il. Manss, its indus
trial commissioner, is running see,
corn specials through Illinois, Nebras
ka and Iowa, says the Chicago News
A seed corn special is temporary mer
ger Of great railroad and an agri
cultural school; 1t is farmers insti
tute on wheels.
| Two or more long passenger coache:
transformed into lecture rooms, a eou
pie Of private cars for the faculty. Z
locomotive with an engineer aboarG
who knows all the sidings, ''Y's," JERK
water lines branches, feeders aud MAR
lines which traverse the corn belt hall
a score Of professors and agricultural
experts, several railroad officials and d
train crew hungry for hard work and
used to It go toward the making OF
this high geared section of the agricul
tural department Of state university
Just now the Burlinston's seed corn
special is serving the corn raisers Of
Illinois. Later on it goes to Iowa.
Last month it was in commission six
\ days and 10000 Nebraska corn huskers
jammed its lecture cars. aud part of
that time an old fashioned Nebraska
blizzard was trying to blow the train
Off the rails.
Some one told Industrial Commission
er Manss last fall that II but one ker.
mel could be added to every ear of corn
IN the United States the national yield
IF that an,.aof xt-sx,,la IL, - :, 400
600 bushels. Being railroad man, he
asked, whats the matter with adding
100 extra kernels to every ear of corn
alOng our right Of way?1
A professor Of agriculture remarked
that any farmer could get that result
IL he only would select his seed corn
as they do it at the agricultural expert
ment station Of western state univer-
sites
Increased corn yield means Increased
freight business. SO 1t was not long
before the Burlington road and the
University OF Nebraska had coupled up
on the proposition to spread the gospel
of scientific selection of seed corn
among the farmers of Nebraska. Then
for week large proportion Of the
cora raisers of that state rode on
passes. This novel experience was one
Of the rewards received for attending
the unique school AT Lincoln two
passenger coaches were taken III hand
Seats were knocked out in one end Of
each car. and platforms for tile lee.
turers were built in the made spaces.
The professors took possession of the
cars, hung diagrams, huge photographs
and samples OF all kinds Of corn around
the platforms and festooned the select.
cd engine with cornstaIIzs and nubbins
in string
Every station agent, minor railroad
Official and travelling passenger agent
IN that section of the land was pressed
into service to tell the farmers about
the coming OF the corn special. Lone
before 'sManss' corn booster" as the
train was called. was ready to start
every farmer in the southeast quarter
of Nebraska south of the placid Platte
or north Of that elongater water
film knew just when the seed corn spe-
ciai would pass his way. Certain corn
shipping centers were selected for the
lecture points. From ten to thirteen
speaking stops were made each day,
and at every place two and sometimes
three lectures were delivered stimuli. |
taneously, for often both cars were
jammed and an overflow meeting had
to be held around the cannon stove III
the railway station
The special stopped to pick up farm. |
ers at stations between the sneakinc
points. Where the run was long enough |
to give the necessary half hour the
seed corn talk was given on the way. |
The 'pickupss then were handed passes
back TO their home towns.
What strangely impressed a city man
who was one Of the specials party in
Nebraska was the eagerness to learn
something new manifested By the ma.
iority Of the corn raisers who heard /
tile lectures Farmers drove over the |
wind swept roads fifteen and twenty |
miles. faced below zero gale blowing
forty miles an hour and slept all night I
in q railroad station Just to listen TO a +
thirty minute talk on the proper selec.
ton q seed corn Many Of them were
Of foreign birth. and the city man
learned that most Of them had been In
this country but few years They
wanted To learn oil they could and
were not ashamed TO admit it.
All these foreign born Nebraska
farmers were in that condition known
as prosperous. They cheerfuily admit.
ted they were getting along" and
pointed to their well fed, wen groomed
horses and brand new green high sided
farm wagons, to their piano box bug
gies, with speedy roadsters IN the rs
shafts, and to the fact that cigars and
not corncob pipes are the proper thing !
ia Nebraska these days.
At little station, which, however
possessed four busy grain elevators,
cream celorcd automobile flashed down
the road Its occupant was enyeIoped
in magnificent FIR coat 1t hadn't cost