Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-09-28
watching developments closely.

roads will succeed in advancing
rates at this time. At the Chicago
hearing, according to reports by
Iowa commissioners, the railroads
contend the increase is necessary to
raise money with which to make
improvements which will add to the
safety of passengers and the pro-
lection of shippers. The Illinois
Central also announces it wishes to
get sufficient means to establish
reading and rest rooms for working
trainmen. Another claim is that
rates should be sufficient to warrant
IL per cent on the investment.
Testimony was to the effect that now
the earnings pay little better than
per cent on the investment.
While in Illinois the railroads are
! eking to raise rates on the north
IL iowa the people have been trying
ttS wer them. Now the ruling has
bee ,anded down at st. Paul a
specl master in chancery has filed
repGT. With the United States Cir
cult coLv recommending that the
new con 'dity freight rates" and
the 2-cent-s ? passenger rate be
held uncons tional and confisca-
tory. This is,,'. important case to
Iowa, for if the opinion of the spe-
tial master is sustained by the Unit
ed States court it wipes out the
states rate making power and vests
this entirely with the Federal gov
ernment. Amidst all this rate con-
ficti it is gratifying to Iowa TO know
this state has the lowest rates of any
state adjoining it.
The extension department of agri
culture of the Iowa State college of
Ames urges every farmer of the
state of Iowa to exercise care in Sc
lecting seed corn this fall.
Thousands of Iowa farmers had
to replant their corn last spring and
then had only one-half to two-thirds
of a stand, because they waited un-
til husking time to save their seed.
If every ear of corn that is to be
used for seed in Iowa next year
could be harvested this fall not
later than September 80 and hung
up where it. would dry out thor
oughly before the freezing nights of
October and November have weak
ened and killed 1t, it would add
millions of dollars to the wealth of
Iowa.
They want to urge the farmers
not to wait until the time of husk-
ing to save the occasional good ear.
Much of the seed planted in the
spring is bad, not because it was not
cared for during the winter, but be-
cause it was selected as the corn
was husked and had already been
killed or weakened by freezing.
Twelve or fifteen ears will plant
an acre, and the farmers cannot af-
ford to leave these ears in the field
and to husk the corn during No
vember and run the risk of having 1t
weakened or killed by frost.
The farmers should go into the
best and earliest planted fields and
select well matured ears from the
most vigorous stalks strip off their
husks, tie them in strings of fifteen
to twenty ears each, and hang them
in the attic at once. where the cir
culation of air is good and protec-
tion may be had from the freezing
nights of October and November.
On the 100000 Iowa farms an
average of forty-five acres is de-
voted to the growing Of corn, and
while seven bushels of good seed
is sufficient to plant this. an abuId-
ant supply should be provided
least two or three times this
amount, so as to have plenty to Sc
lect from next spring, and so that
they may furnish some of their less
fortunate neighbors who have fail
ed to save their seed. What is done
must be done now. and the extension
department of agriculture of the
Iowa State college asks the hearty
cooperation of every citizen in the
general observation of seed corn Sc
lection.