University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-10-31

Gent DlNlueHuS-DuuplS loul SlOp
Yields-Pay So and Increase You In
come $120" This is the heading Of
letter to farmers sent out yesterday
by student at the University of Mis-
souri,
The letter further says:
This is the proposition submitted
to you al the coming election. This
is but one OF the rsturns of the pas
sage OF Amendment No. II, the last
amendment on the ballot.
But how can a constitutional
amendment do all this? isn't this i
mere dream? you are asking. Let me
explain, then you may judge whether
It is a dream OF not.
Among other things the Univer-
sity does for farming, one is to find
on the Experiment Station at Colull-
bia the highest yielding varieties of
each of the principal grain crops ul-
der Missouri conditions. Thus, taks
wheat for example; the Station col
lects samples of all the different va
rieties from the whole country. These
are planted q variety tG 4 row. Th ~
are then carefully harvested and the
yield per acre computed. The best
lyielders are found in this way and
several rows are planted to each n
order TO see if they can average high
yields. This year the University has
found several varieties that yield more
than 80 bushels per acrs. The two
best were Niger 32.3 and Pocket 32.G
The average yield for the state, us
certified by the State Board Of Agri-
culture in their report Tor this year,
lis 153 bushels per acre. Just con-
trast 80 bushels and Il bushels. i
you were using these improved va
: reties, imagine what an increase t
would mean to your harvests and alsa
to your income. The Station is doing
the same thing in corn, oats, cowpeas
and alfalfa thai it is in wheat.
! In corn. for example, it has Is va
, rieties averaging over 30 bushels pei
acre, and averaging over 60 bushels
per acre-G4 and to bushels. BUl
you may say that these varieties
wouldn't yield that well on your farm
Z. | agree with you that they might not
Y In 1905 the University started coop
erative tests with individual farmers
all over the state to find the highest
yielding corn for each county. In !
years testing, covering 81 out of tbs
ia counties Of the state, the bes
n yielding variety has averaged "A bush
t els per acre The 1910 report CT tht
average yield of corn over the stat.
as 81 bushels per acre in 1909. Con
trast the yield of the common varie
K ties. 81 bushels with the A bushe
: yield of the better variety found b!
the University. An increase Of /
bushels per acre.
But what OF it, you say? Thes'
i improved varieties aren't doing mt
e any good, are they? That is just n,
O point, sir The University depends
: upon appropriations from the legisla
tture with which to carry on this worh
The funds at the disposal OF the legis
> lature are limited; millions genera
: revenue yearly. After the legislatuT,
V has granted the public schools thei
!, one-third. one and one-third millions
and then from the two and two-thiri!
millions remaining has provided TO
i the state hospitals and other charita
/ BILE institutions Q3 n alb and for tn.
I four normal schools and Lincoln In
: stitute. and the pay for the state Off
GERS. judges, and of the general assem-
bly,, and the expenses Of the severa
: departments-by the time this is don
e the otherwise unappropriated' money
e in the treasury out of which the legis
lature appropriates the funds for The
University is often SO small that the
amount they can grant is less thai
, the ordinary running expenses. II
E other times when the hospitals and
9 other interests do not require so much
it is able to give the University an
amount that enables it to start several
new plans to aid farming. But the
next legislature may have to cut the
2 income short; all the new plans must
2 be abandoned, which means pracLi.
= cally money wasted. The lack of a
fixed income makes it impossible 70
plan the work and carry out those
plans as they should be.
3 "'Thus it was the intention of the
University to grow these high yield.
, ing varieties of wheat and corn and
distribute the seed among the farmers
Of the state To do this it needs
. more land than it now has. This