Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-20
The National Corn Show
Bv Frederic u Haskin

New Hampshire, a state certainly far
below the average in soil fertility, yet
with the highest average of per acre
yield in the United States. Did every
corn field in the United States do as
well as the New Hampshire corn fields
in the years from 1879 to 1908 the an
nual corn-huslxing of the nation would
produce one and fifth billions more
bushels than 1t does now. In other
words, the brains of the New Hamp-
shire farmer applied to the corn
fields of the nation, would smte the
rocks of latent wealth and make
stream of gold amounting to three
quarters OF a billion dollars flow there
from. And even New Hampshire's
average yield per acre is poor farming
as compared with that which the ma
tional corn exposition aims to teach.
The old saying that "blood will tell
applies with as much force to plant
life as it does to animal life. In one
of the recent text books on corn there
is an illustration of the old-fashioned
pod corn ear and the celebrated PAS
cal ear" which was the champion oil
America in 1907, and which sold for
$3.50, or nearly 10 cents per grain Inc
difference between "razorback ana
a prize winning Poland China hog was
never so marked. A few years ago
throughout the corn belt began sys-
tematic study of corn. They give
free information and advice to farm
ers.
The railroads, with an eye to the
millions that may flow into their cor
fers directly and indirectly through an
enhanced production of corn, nave
given their aid to the movement by
furnishing "corn gospel trains" which
carry the good news of the new evangel
of progressive farming to all sections.
The farmer is given object lessons OF
what may be accomplished by correct
methods. For instance, he Is SHOWN
that at a cost of only cents per acre
to test the seed he sows, the farmer
may vastly increase his harvest. one
striking picture held up to him is that
of two fields with only a barhed wire
fence dividing them. The seed OF the
one was tested. That of the other
was not. The result in the tested
field was seventy-seven bushels to the
acre, and that in the INFESTED field
was thirty-five bushels. All careful
students of corn culture agree that the
application of scientific methods to
corn culture through the country
might easily be brought up to sixty
bushels per acre.
At that rate the United States could
supply the world with its corn, and
| have enough left TO substitute every
grain of wheat grown on the globe.
The versatility Of corn surpases that
of any other grain. At a recent expo
sition no less than one hundred separ
ate and district commercial products
| made from corn were exhibited. Be-
sides furnishing human food in many
forms, and the cup that cheers in many
varieties, it yields the glucose that con-
| stitutes the basis of dozens of by
products, edible and otherwise. 1t pro-
| duces dextrin and gums used in siz-
ing and printing cloth. 1t furnishes
starch for the table and starch for
the laundry. The stalk furnishes fod-
der for the cattle, cellulose for the
protection of the vitals of warships
and for the making of smokeless
| powder.
America expects to make much out
| of Its foreign market for corn in the
next decade or two. Eastern Asia is
becoming interested in corn as a food
stuff and those who have studied the
situation declare that there are not
enough vessels on the Pacific ocean to
carry the vast stores of corn that will
| be required to meet the demand which
may be created in the orient. Fur
thermore, other parts of the world are
| becoming interested in this peculiarly
! American product, and while Argen-
| tina shows some signs of becoming a
| competitor as corn-growing nation IL
will be many years before 1t viii be a
| formidable rival.
Pellagra, said to be due to damaged
! corn used for human food, is a disease
occurring most frequently in Italy and
other southern European countries,
where the corn is of an inferior quail
ity and where 1t is improperly cured.
| Instead of injuring the export trade in
| American corn for human consump-
tion pellagra may increase the de-
mand, since export corn is usually the
best grown on American soil, and can
therefore be used with more confidence
than the inferior kinds grown in south
| ern Europe
| Tomorrow-Automobile Show Season.