The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-04-19

UOT has COme W IL, teuS VI tuou
sands of him, as the story of this
springs planting shows.
The best example of the new,
fortune-making farming l found in
Johnson county, Indiana, on the
farm of Leonard B. Clore, corn
king of the world" winner of more
medals and cups for corn quality
than any other man in the coun-
try. / found him in his corn field,
directing the blowing force. The
corn king" is now in his 43d
year, broad-shouldered man with
a pleasant face and manner. He
isn't corn king" because of his
large production, for he has only
1913 acres, but because of the fact
that he gets more kernels upon
the ear and more ears on the stalk
than any other corn grower on
earth.
Anybody can raise some kind
of corn" he told me, "but when
we see the fat fields of the thrifty
farmer, the arched neck and noble
bearing of the well-bred horse, the
fat, sleek cattle, We cannt but
realize that there is something in
the principle of breeding and selec-
ton. Good corn is not an acct
dent. 1t is a development of seed,
assisted by scientific treatment of
the soil"
From the little farm where
quality is the thing sought for, /
speeded through the corn states.
Everywhere King Corn was COM
ing into his own. Millions and mil
lions of acres were bling broken
up; the pillow everywhere had the
right of way. In few favored
places the seed was going in.
The farms back east looked
more like truck gardens after l
had been over the 25,000-acre
farm of David Rankin, near Tar
kio, Mo. After had talked with
that S5-year-old corn raiser and
stockman, in his little 10x10 office
back of the Tarkio bank I began
to understand how it was that
America raises more than three
fourths of all the corn grown in
the world.
| began to see why we harvest
nearly fourbusheIs of corn to every
bushel of wheat and why our corn
crop last year was worth three
times as much as our wheat crop.
Wheat goes into the family flour
bin, while corn-S0 per cent OF 1t
to the table in the shape
of pork chops. steaks and roasts.
That's how the corn farmer gets
biggest profits. And the more
bushels he can force out of his
acres, the more profits.
Rankin has farmed for more
than 65 years. But he has not
farmed the way most farmers
farm, for when asked him "How
many bushels of corn will you sell
this fall?" he stared in manner
that fully expressed his pity for my
ignorance.
"Sell," replied the biggest farm
er in Missouri, why / don't sell
corn by the bushel; sell 1t by the
hundredweight of meat at the
Omaha and Chicago stockyards. I
am planting $1,000 acres in corn
right now and III have to buy corn
to get all my steers into shape this
fall"
Two hundred horses and mules, |
nearly as many men, all bossed by
Rankin, are blowing the ground.
Upon one of his corn fields a |
6, O00-acre field-the largest corn |
field in the world saw 40 big |
pIows turning the stubble under;
as many harrows following close
ly; and scores of men ready to
place the corn seed in the thou
sands of rows.
what" / asked Abner Funk.
who owns five large farms near
Bloomington, ILL.,, and who Is the
largest corn raiser in Illinois, the
king pin corn state of them all,
what makes good corn pro-
ducer?"
SWELL" replied he In his 1000
acre corn field, good seed, most
OF al, plenty of contented help, and
% knowledge Of the best time to
plant and cultivate and the turn
ing of the corn into meat right ON
the farm, SO that the manure will
put back into the soil the food the
corn has taken out of It,"
That's why they expect that the
corn crop Of 2.s4s,000. 900 bushels
Last year will be exceeded by al
5000, 900, 900 crop this year.