The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1906-01-20

are best adapted to our local con-
ditions. Having done that, we
must continue to select and devel-
op every year a supply of high
grade seed for planting the main
crop.
In this line, l have secured 27
ears grown here last season.
These ears yielded from 71.43
per cent. to ST. per cent. of she'll
ed corn. Each ear will be plant
ed by itself in a separate row
next season and the results care
fully recorded. In addition to
the above, ! have arranged for
sample ears exhibited at the
Farmers Institutes in Illinois and
selected by an expert breeder,
also sample ears from the De-
partment of Agriculture, Wash
ington, grown in Texas and 9TH
er localities. For my main crop
] have supply of Reid's Yellow
Dent, the oldest and best eStab-
lished strain in Illinois, originat-
ed and developed by Jas l.. Reid,
East Lynn. ILL.,, from whom any
of your readers interested in the
subject can obtain supply of
seed for planting.
do not believe that irrigation
is at all necessary or advisable
for crop of corn on our low val
ley lands. The ground should
be plowed in the fall so as to be
in condition to absorb and retain
near the surface all the moisture
falling in the winter. Then
plant as early as possible, or as
soon as the ground is warm
enough to promote termination
of the seed. AS soon as the corn
is up begin to cultivate. Guilt
vate every ten days or two weeks
so as to thoroughly pulverize the
surface and keep it in that condi-
tion until the crop is at least }
feet high. This will prevent
evaporation of the moisture from
the soil and the underfiow in low
lands will, by capillary attrac-
ton, provide an ample supply of
moisture to meet the demands of
plant growth, this making irri-
cation unnecessary.
| believe corn can be made a
far more profitable crop here
than wheat, especially if il can
be grown without irrigation, by
proper selection and treatment
of soil. A bushel of corn is
worth more than bushel of
wheat. In either case the cost
of preparing the land is the
same. The seed for an acre
costs less than wheat, the crop
should be far larger per acre, all
the work except huSking can be
done by horse power, and the
harvesting can be done at leisure
without hiring extra labor, while
the stalks remaining in the field
make excellent and valuable win
ter pasture.
We do not need to develOpe
strains of corn for various uses.
We have no starch factories,
glucose factories, or distilleries
to utilize the crop. We should
aim to produce the largest possi-
BILE number of bushels per acre,
regardless of color, shape or size
of ear or cob. When we can
produce corn at cost of 40 cts.
per bushel CSC lbs) or less, we
can then profitably, in combina-
ton with our alfalfa, fatten our
own hogs and cattle for Our
home market, thus stopping two
of the heaviest draws on our
purses and be able to retain al
home the enormous sums we are
now sending east every year for
these two necessary items in our
food supply.
| inclose you photograph oi
two corn cobs-the small one
yielded 81 so per cent shelle6
corn; the large one, less than Sc
per cent. They show what car
be done in the way of breeding
for corn instead of cob.
Yours very truly,
{. Il. ALLAIRE.
Marriage Licenses Iaaued.