Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-11-15
MAINE CORN cRoP.
An Increase In Acreage Would Prove
Profitable.

soil conditions and the peculisr sdapta.
piiity Tor growing such variety OF crops
IS fact not appreciated, condition cali
ing for prompt recognition. New Eng
land was the homo Of the flint corn and in
New England climate 1t has thrived when
ever man has given it opportunity. Peo-
pie have, in years past, come to rely on the
prairie, or bottom land OF the West. for
their corn supply, simply because, in that
new territory, large acreage produced such
volume as to drop the price where east
ern lands could not be allowed to COM
pete. The failure to realize possible crop
yield here added its restraining influence.
New England has always led in yield per
acre, but the standard has been so low a.
to be Encouraging.
To-day 1t 10 well esta blished that, in
stead Of forty bushels, it is comparatively
easy to grow eighty and that one hundred
elicits NO surprise. 1t has been demon
| strated o7er and over again that flint corn
can be grown at from rs cents to 40 cents
per bushel, and, when actual food value il
reckoned, the cost is materially reduced.
Successful and permanent agricultural
development rests upon some form of stock
husbandry, and this is made possible to-
day only by the production Of home
grown crops. Because OF its adapta bility
and utilization, the corn crop ranks first
with the stock-grower.
Within the past few years q decided in
crease in acreage, in yield and in food
vofua hns ham u, II v,anao1 IN III v1.vt. ~
New England. That this is to increase 10
q certainty, and that this will lead to the
multiplication Of live stock is also reasona-
BILE. Following this will come q more de-
cided and aggressive agricultural senti-
ment.
As elsew here, that increase will come
through more thorough preparation OF the
land, closey attention. to principles OF
fertilization, more frequent and continued
cultivation and the system OF seed selec-
ton which will insure greatest vitality, in
creasing size OF stock or ear, and, with
these, general adding to the food value
OF the kernel.
The lesson OF preparation has been pre-
sented already; that OF frequent light cul-
tivation must be emphasized. By the
time the shoots are six to eight inches
high the roots which never go very deep,
will have well nigh met between the rows.
To continue deep cultivation after this
period would be to destroy these roots.
As the feeding rootlets are always at the
extremities, the necessity for the preser-
walton of every one possible is clearly
manifest. To neglect cultivation will in
crease evaporation of moisture and de-
crease the available plant food in the soil,
simply for want of a vehicle for liquefac-
ton.
No crop grown is so susceptible to en-
vironment as corn and the low average
production tells OF poorly prepared or in
differently fertiiized land. The signifi-
canoe OF seed improvement through selec-
ton can hardly be realized even by the
most enthusiastic, but to fix desired
characteristics, that prepotency may be
esta blished, requires systematic work, and
terially increase crop yield and also food
value. This cannot come by selection OF
seed at husking time, but requires the test
ing OF ears and selection from those Civ
I ing heaviest yield of seed ears.
In Maine, in 1910, by this test, the seed
coming from one field, selected at husking
| time with sole reference to promised value,
gave yield, in row tests, varying from
l27 bushels OF seed ears to two, and from
eighty seven TO none per acre.
| The elimination OF poor seed would add
from fifty to seventy-five per cent. to any
crop.
How can this be done?
BY taking ten carefully selected ears
and, when land is ready, planting two
hundred kernels from each, marking row
and ear that full record may be kept
Give good cultivation, removing all side
shoots and, later, all nom bearing stalks
Detassel every other row before the poller
natures, top the stalks as ears begin t.
glaze and then select seed for next veal
from that detasseled row giving highest
average OF good sound seed ears.
Doing this. one will grow the next yea
an acre for seed which came from one ear
Continuing this few years, there will b.
established strain superior in ell es
sentials OF yield and food content. NJ
man can afford to send far from home TO
seed, the danger of failure being too great
Better take what you have and develop a
indicated.
Except in the southern portion, New
England cannot afford to spend time i'm
proving dent corn. The final analyst
proves the flint more valuable as food, 81
that the balance is in its favor.
In the arbitrary show requirements Their
is danger of positive injury to crop-pro
ducing power; hence growers will do wei
to cling to the strong, vigorous, goo'
length ear, well-filled With large, full
rounded symmetrical kernels, and no
magnify the sttractiveness OF cylindrical
fully tipped ears. Having one purpose
the growing of the maximum crop, tn
standard Of utility alone can govern.
Selecting long ears, made up OF larg