Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-02-09
||0Ru RAISING IN
EASTERN WASHINGTON
rotlsge Professor gives Interesting
Information Regarding Corn
Raising in this State.

The IOllOWlHS iiISiO9'iiiS "iNiNiC
from Professor Geo. Severance will be
of value to the ranchers who are seek
mo diversified farming as means of
rreserving soil nutrition. The subject
ylf corn raising is assuming prominence
in Eastern Washington and will be-
come more so as the years go on.
Professor Severance writes:
4 In natural fertility of soil it is
Questionable whether there is in the
n limited States a more favored spot
than the Palouse, and there are very
few places where larger percentage
h Of well-to-do farmers may be found,
\ vet in the majority of cases the wealth
Il has been accumulated not by success
ful farming in the true sense of the
word, but because lands were very
rich and cheap and so many acres
were farmed that very low net returns
per acre would aggregate liberal in
come. Many less favored spots in
4 the East yield a much larger net
revenue per acre, and with the rapid
+ Development of the Palouse with the
breaking up Of the large wheat farms
and the increase in land values we
/ must follow the example of the east
ern farmers and practice more intens-
i've farming to increase our net
l revenues.
l Among the many considerations in
Olved in such improvement, the fol-
/ lowing three may be mentioned as i'm
pOrtant in relation to the corn crop:
l First-Our land is idle one third of
4 the time and a crop is needed that
kwill give US good returns from our
summer fallows without reducing the
rresent wheat returns. Results of
many trials both at the experiment
tssion and by farmers have proven
Ehs the introduction of a carefully
Icultivaaed corn crop ON our summer
Ifallows will usually be followed by
even better wheat crops than are pro-
&eed on our summer fallows as or
dnarly handled. Furthermore, as
A kg1corn will pay profit on all labor
connected with its production there is
charged against the wheat crop for
preparation of the soil only little
dsking after the corn is off.
Il Second-Our land is becoming very
fo1 On many of our farms a large
acreage of grain is almost entirely
crowded out each year by wild oats
which by no means return the value in
hay that should be secured by a first
class crop of grain from the same
acreage. The portion of the crop left
Tor grain is often much reduced in
yield through choking by foul stuff
and the returns are still further reduce
IOy cut in price owing to inferior
quality of grain. With the introduc-
uon OF the corn crop the early prepar-
suon OF the land for the crop will
conserve the moisture and encourage
Me termination of weeds and with
cean cultivation Of the crop the upper
surface of the soil will be largely
lfeed OF weed seeds before the season
Is over. The objection frequently
urged againste arly plowing and clean
eultlVation of the summer fallow, that
we Wheat will lodge, is overcome by
'ae use of the corn crop. Early
pOwing and clean cultivation will
''ean the land rapidly of foul stuff but
sucn soil is in the very best condition
,Of the formation of available plant
lOOo and with nothing growing all
summer the available food accumulates
excess, overstimulating the wheat
aOp following the excessive growth
VI straw. Proper care of the corn
IOp will be effective in cleaning the
.anu and at the same time the grow
mg corn will use up the excess of
'Oluoie plant food so that the sue
'eeuing wheat crop will not be over
.'nuiated. Furthermore, a piece
IN $ell tended corn ground will be in
'e'er moisture condition at wheat
''euing time than the average sum
~er 1allow of the PaIouse.
Inird On every grain farm a
anoer of hogs should be kept to save
y gram wasted in the fields, and
.he cattle to use up the roughage,
~ II they are to utilize this to best
vantage, they should have some
snppp,,ementary N J, feed and nothing will
D. sne bill much better than corn.
s4ecularly is this true if dairying is
~, branch of the business.
many faimers still doubt the pos
hn.y of growing corn success
NY bs IN the Palouse. While we do not
ese that it is now or ever will be
EA'eess a.. as primary, we believe
smn, success as a secondary crop is