Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-10

minimum. If We add to the New
Hampshire figures of $22.40 per acre
rheisame land rental charge 81 and the
same fertilizer charge SIS we shall have
a focal of $32.40. This will represent
something close to a maximum of
what it ought to cost to grow an acre
of corn in Maine.
Now an acre of corn can not be cX-
pected 10 vield more than 1a4 tons OF
dry slower. Reckoning the feeding
/ value of this as SO per ton we have
IS the value of the stover $3.50. De-
Quoting this from the totals we have
as the net cost of producing an acre
Of corn in Maine something between
$3.50 and. $500
He also presented figures in detail
| showing the great advantage OF using
improved seed corn. At the current
market price OF corn this fall, 50 to
Csc bushel III Boston, there is not q
great profit III corn growing for the
| man IL Maine who raises OILY 40
| bushels Of shelled corn to the acre. no
| matter now economical his cultural
| methods. But if he uses improved
seed from which he can get a yield OF
! so TO 20 bushels to the acre his corn
is costing him only half what he has
| to pay the grammar for it.
Let us turn to the second opportun>
! ity; the production of seed. While
have not at hand the figures for the
present years pack we are safe in
assuming that Maine stands at least
third in the amount of sweet corn
packed among all the state in the
country. This industry creates a
great demand for seed. Now one Of
the most important principles brought
out by recent scientific studies on
corn breeding is the great Importance
of what is called local adjustment"
in seed corn. What this means is that
on the average and in the long run
corn planted from seed grown in the
same locality and acclimated or ad-
iusted to the conditions of that local
ity will yield more cars. larger ears
and finer ears than will corn grown
from seed brought in FROM somewhere
else. This principle has been shown
to hold true for yellow corn, and the
work OF the Station during the past
four years with sweet corn shows be-
yond the shadow of a doubt that il
applies to this crop as we'll.
On the average the best sweet corn
grown in Maine today is produced
from Maine grown seed. Many Of the
packers have known this for a long
time. but would not say SO because
they have not been able, try as they
would to get anything like enough
Maine grown seed Of high quality to
plant their acreage. Does not this
mean ain opportunity for corn breeding
in Maine? For high quality sweet
corn seed the grower can get "a per
bushel at any time. The only extra
cost Of producing this is involved in
two items: Che extra brain work
which goes into breeding a high grade
product, rather than merely growing
an ordinary one; and the extra cost
of curing, plus the shrinkage' in value
of the slower if it stands in the field
till the ears are matured for seed,
A similar opportunity lies open in
the breeding of yellow corn for seed,
That the native flint corn of New
England has -deteriorated during the
last IS years owing to lack of atten-
ton to its breeding no one doubts who
has taken pains to acquaint himself
last century agricultural fairs in New
in theory, ana did much to stimulate
the farmer to improve his crops. A
regular feature Of the fairs in those
days was competition as to yields Of
crops, the land being measured and
the yields determined by disiIfterestea
judges. If one will take the trouble
to read the prize awards of New Eng
land tairs along about 1900 to -S25 he
viii quickly find that in order to stand
any chance at all in the corn conpe-
tltlons enc had to get yield of 100
or more bushels Of shelled corn to the
measured acre. This was the flint
corn. How much of it will do that to-
day? t4r
Inc general report from the recent
corn show in Worcester was to tho
effect that the Hint corn shown was
seriously lacking in breeding. With
the reawakening Of interest in corn
growing in New England there is al
ready a great demand for improved
acclimated seed. This demand viii
increase markedly i'm the next fev.
Years. Does not the breeding of seed
to supply this demand offer an on
portunity to the Maine farmer?
nope that what I have said will
serve in some small measure to indi-
cate that it is worth the whole of tle
members of this association first ~
grow corn, and second to breed corn.
The first great requisite of SUCCESSFUL
asricuitusie to feed crops wen. The
second, and not less important, is 10
Continued on Page Eive.}