The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-04-22
FARMER AND PLANTER.
PREPARING FOR CORN CROP.
THE Farmer who would Attain tine
Maximum Yield Must Pay
Attention to Details

Corn is the greatest crop Oh inc
,,o-;can farmer. There are but few
.ections of the United States in wnlcn
it can not be grown with pronI ius
universal adaptability as feed ior al
our domestic animals, as well as us
culinary uses in the housenoids VI
land. makes its economic sIa'u'
unioue. Its constantly increasing use
in the manufacturing trades is great
factor in extending its usefulness
which, while creating a market ue
mand for the raw material, seems 10
he able to maintain market prices ior
the grain in a stifi competition VII"
lts feeding value on the farm.
It is likely that the days OF very low
corn prices are past There are many
farmers and feeders who through IL
rorance or carelessness-and tne
farmer who to-day is ignorant is IN
daed careless-in feeding waste corn
extensively. but it is improbable tna'
any section of our farmers Will ever
again have corn ito burn a. 'neh
cheapest source OF fuel.
While our corn crop from year "
wear is immense in its aggregate anu
| furnishes statisticians with ngures
ouite beyond human comprenension'
the average yield to the acre Is very
small in comparison to what Is pos
| sible under favorable conditions. Gooo
corn-growers who season aiter sea
son are growing crops that yieio ap-
proximately one hundred busheis VI
shel,ed corn to the acre are not con-
fined to any single section of the coun-
trv. I am personally acquainted Win
them in the corn belt and on DON
sides of Mason and Dixon's line. Large
Yields therefore not being phenomenal
of locality. it follows that they are
the result, broadly speaking, OF oe'-
] ter farming-that is. the most careiui
} selection of seed in regard to its strain
: of productivity, its adaptability TO 10
cality and to soil-conditions; manur-
J ing and preparing the land; planting
the crop in season-not too early, SC
: It will have to expe1d vitality over
8 coming unfavorable weather; not toe
] late. so that its endeavor to properly
q reach maturity is made at expense o
y quality and quantity-and finally, tn
thorough cultivation and success1u
harvesting of the crop.
n These conditions to good yields ar
; SO Independent that 1t is impoesi
bile for one to designate the most I'm
portant, SO the careful farmer who de
sires to attain the maximum Vel
> must pay close attention to all Q
70 them in all their details. The see
= NAV be from a good crop grown
!. good land with careful culture; tn
ID ears may be constructionally perfec
N and meet all the finical requirement
of a college score-card. and the ind
yidual grains, by reason OF some SCI
n sonal influence, be low in germinatin
power and vitality; hence the caref'
grower will be sure to test the &c
IN mination of his seed.
ed A given strain Of corn may produ
}e excellent crops in Iowa, and plant'
directly to different soil in Ohio pro-
q. very disappointing. The seed tn
makes me one hundred bushels
- southern Pennsylvania likely wou
not do as we'll for my friend in 20
necticut. Obviously, then, in our
lection Of seed, IL necessary to lea
our own farms or neighborhoods,
would seem wise to make selection
near home and from as nearly mol
conditions as possible. Logically IN
corn crop seed-improvement should
started and maintained where "cha
ty begins"-at home.
In the matter Of farm rotation
crops. while it is not unusual for W
good Yields to be secured by plow1
\ a sod and planting two years to co
> It is the exception, and not the rule
find the second crop, other conditi'
mn being equal, as good as the first
and Good blowing is necessary. Thoros
a aUa pulverization and compaction OF
tiles soil. and the making Of a unife
seed-bed, must be done. The best
will perish or fail to do its best l
- moor bed. An invalid stalk, that gr'
no ear. or at best only nubbin,
N the yield. A dozen such stalks or m
. ing hills in each ordinary row
make the hundred-bushel yield iml
sible. know an expert corn-gro
INC SO Jealous of vacant hills in his d
sU0 that he grows substitutes in spot
INA be transplanted in the field-mis
49, Does that filing of the vacancies
nil Does 1t not cost more than 1t co
to-" / suspect it does. But tn
and know: The man who will take
the pains is much less likely to have
Id, vacancies to fill than the man
ricrs. thinks a few misses are unimpor1
,orta- II is the misses that help keep d
MIMI our crop-averages. 1t is the man
=, works from seed-tise to harves
!. No. avoid the misses who is securing
Yields that the other man discret
Nm The quality Of the farm ma
lUU will. of course. determine its walt
the crop. My preference is to
the manure into the plowed land
and ing the processes of tillage.
ues Of would not store manure for this
essee, nose. when / might haul 1t as
q ten and apply to sod to be plowed
|. Sea where the land is good and its
'chied aration thorough. given an apl
prece- tion of farm manure, commercis
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