Middletown transcript., 1911-11-25
P. R. R. FARMERS TRAIN
Stops an Hour at MiddIetown-
Fine Lectures on Farming. Etc.

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Fine Lectures on Farming, Etc.
/ The special train of the P. R. R. on it
educational tour to teach by lectures AMI
object lessons improved farming method
to the farmers on the Md, Del, and Va
peninsula made it's second stop at Middle
town nn Monday morning at 1880 and
SOME ~ 'r more persons, farmers and soms
of the ealing citizens from town, filed
the car and heard with profit and pleasure
too, the three lectures given by Supt.
Hayward Of the Delaware College Expert.
mental Farm at Newark, Mr.. Collier, a
farmer and able lecturer on agriculture,
from Easton, Md, and Mr.. Oswald, a
young man from Western Maryland who
has been successful as an apple grower.
Prof. Hayward spoke on the great ad.
vantages to be derived from growing the
soy bean, both for its fertilising properties
and also for its value as food crop and
for it's expressed oil which Of itself, being
Is to 20 per cent, should pay for the crop.
It's protein content is superior to cotton
seed as food, especially for dry stock.
He spoke Of the attempts being made to
find soy bean especially high in oil per.
centage to be grown for the oil and the
cake for caltle-food.
Prof. Hayward told how the soy bean
brought poor land up by storing up
through its nitrogen fixing" roots, high
ly valuable plant food and making humus.
He spoke also of the great profit thus OBJ.
tanned from growing crimson clover and
using lime.
Mr.. Collier advocated great care in the
selection and keeping of corn seed. There
are $l5, 900, 900 bushels Of corn used year
ly in the United States for seed purposes,
and if each seed should germinate, il
would mean 28O, ,OOO, 900 increase in bus
hels of corn worth $1O1 .OOO. 900 at present
prices.
Mr.. Collier showed in small frame
about 20 inches square, divided into little
compartments, how various samples of
any seed, say hay, clover, grass etc. could
be tested for its percentage OF good seed,
that would sprout. He showed how the
terminating seeds in each square could be
counted, and thus the best sample OF any
given seed, determined-an that best
sample was the one the farmer should
buy.
He also showed the same method OF
testing corn seed, each seed being pinned
down to allow its being shown. He told
how farmers should select their corn seed
not in the crib but from the growing
plants themselves where every good or
bad feature Of the growing corn can be
noted. The Missouri plan is ''select
number Of the best plants OF growing
corn in the field; then pick out the very
best plants among the number, then
choose the beet ears from among those
best plante, and finally, select the best
grains from those picked best ears OF corn.
store your seed corn in a
Iatticed crib where it will freeze, but in a
tight, dry room, or better still use the old
fashioned way of thrusting the butt ends
of the ears on nails driveu in post in the
sheltered room, where the air can dry it
out we'll and quickly.
Freezing bursts the germ and it either
will not sprout at all or if it does will |
yield poor, weak quality of corn.
Mr.. Collier said all farmers should look
to this years corn crop, as it will show
an unusually big percentage of mouldy, |
spoiled corn because Of the extreme damp
ness OF the cob arising from the very vet |
season. Some sample Of the same variety Of
corn may produce 400 per cent more
than others-even grains from off the
same cob owing to different pollenizations.
Hence the necessity Of great. care in select
ing the seed, corn every grain of it. %
bushels to the acre was the old yield while
rs to 100 or even more is the modern yield
where careful seed selection is practised.
'But', said Mr.. Collier. "don't fail to
Iced your land''; 100 bushels to the acre
iced on 25 bushels-to the-acre, land,
will prove DISAPPOINTMENT Use soy
beans and crimson clover and lime.
He told about bis judging some contest
,orn grown by some Virginia lads that
showed 130 bushels to the acre and better
out it had cost more than the corn was
worth in fertilizers etc. to grow it. The
egnmes, soy beans, crimson clover etc.,
ire cheap ways OF getting the soil richer
ind will give the biggest margins of pro.
it.
Mr.. Collier gave an illustration of the
moisture conserving character of these
oy beans &c, in crop he saw raised in
lis section, where for months from
lpril 28th there was no rain. and still
hey got 70 to 80 bushels to the acre while
"a the same soil in another field with no
,eans ETC., only 80 bushels.
Speaking of moisture, ton of hay
leeds 500 tons OF water; one pound of
orn needs 800 to 800 pounds Of water
o TO 90 inches ON field to produce crop
( corn, 8 to 8 inches OF water going {
hrough the corn plant itselfl'' n
To insure pure seed free from accidental ]
he recommended planting
eed corn in isolated plots. j.