The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1906-01-20
why NOT RAISE CORN?
O.B, Allaire of San Antonio Writes
An Interesting Article on That
Important Subject,
IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN WHEAT
Some Suggestions That Farmers Of
the Rio orande Valley Might
Do Well to Heed.

San Antonio, n. M, Jan. Is, l9OO.
To the Chieftain:
desire if possible to create
more interest in the cultivation
of field crops of corn in this por-
ton of the Rio Grande valley.
have been under the impress
sion for years, and | believe the
impression is general here, that
corn is not profitable crop to
raise. Upon investigation and
inquiry among our farmers as to-
why they plant so little corn,
they ali admit that corn does
we'll here, but say it has a long
season of growth and as rule
there is danger of loss of the
crop on account of shortage in
the supply of irrigation water
necessary to keep the crop grow
ing through the season.
While / am free to admit that
all the above is probably true,
yet in my opinion it amounts to
absolutely no excuse for neglect
ing crop so important i'll this
locality. l have no idea how
many hundred car loads of corn
are brought into this valley every
year from Kansas and Ne
braska at a cost to the consumer
which exceeds the market value
of wheat pound for pound.
Last season / undertook to
raise some field crops in small
way and, having a piece of land
recently cleared of timber full of
stumpS and too rough to be irri-
gated, l thought | would plow it
and, as the soil (river bottom
/. land) was moist and in good
planting condition, decided to
drop corn behind the plow, hop
ing to get at least some fodder
to pay for the seed. This work
was done between June 1st and
June 2lst, too late to mature
crop of grain, which was not a
part of my plan. This corn had
only one blowing after the corn
was 2 to #. high and no irriga-
tion. At the end of the season
the growth was as thrifty and
the stalks as we'll filled with ears
as a crop in the Mississippi val
ley grown under similar cOndi-
tions, and was agreeably sur
nriSad NJ fha raSttltC
| had a tenant who planted a
few acres earlier and he got a
splendid crop though mine plant
ed so late failed to fully mature.
His corn had one irrigation, but
no cultivation. The seed used
was partly native corn of Indian
and Mexican origin and partly
sorn taken from car of No. ,
Kansas mixed, such as is sold
and used here for stock feed.
During the growth of these
crops | made a careful study of
the conditions from time to time
through the entire season and !
became convinced that corn could
be made a profitable crop every
year under our normal condi-
tions. To accomplish this, some
radical changes are necessary to
get best results. 1t will be nec-
eSsarv to develop strain of seed
corn that is adapted to our high
altitude, dry atmosphere, and
cool nights. 1t will not do ia
use for seed anything that comes
handy or that can be borrowed
from a neighbor. Like produc-
es like" and seed must be care
fully selected and developed.
The farmers of Illinois and
other states in the Mississippi
valley are spending hundreds Of
thousands of dollars every yeal
in their efforts to breed seed corr
of the highest possible standard
Some are breeding for high pro
tein content, some for low pro-
tein, some for high oil, other,
for low oil, and some for higl
starch, etc. They have attained
remarkable results in developing
these various types and have
proven by careful selection, aid
ed by laboratory analysis, tina
from a common origin any typ,
desired can be produced.
fortunately for us, we cal
take advantage and get the ben
eft of the work already done b.
eastern breeders; but there j
still much that we must do in tn
way of acclimating these improv
ed strains and finding out whicI