The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1911-09-14
THE COUNTY PICNIC
About One Thousand People Enjoy
ed the Occasion.

Mahaska County Short Course anC
the Oranges of the county, which was
held Tuesday at thes aIoWa Yearly
Meeting grounds, was a great success
and the largest like gathering of far
mers ever assembled in Proud Ma
haska. Fully 1000 people were pres
ent for the occasion, and if there is
one that says he did not enjoy him
self, he is surely hard to please and
ought to move to Canada. The at
tendance far surpassed last years
record and if it increases next year
as it has this year a much larger
place must be found to hold the pic
mic.
The program started at ten o'clock
in the morning. Over an hour and a
half was taken up with an inspection
and study OF the experimental farm
laid out and planted under the direc
ton of the Ames Agricultural college
The farm is situated east of the
yearly meeting grounds and seed corn
collected from 6S different farmers of
the county was planted for expert,
ment. Prof. Mosher of Ames was
present and gave details of how the
corn was planted and taken care of.
About $50 men and boys followed the
Professor through the field and lis,
tened eagerly to his splendid talk.
The seed corn was secured from vari.
GUS parts of the county and was TAX
en- out of the planter boxes last spring
as the farmers were planting. In
this way an average of the Mahaska
county corn was secured. The corn
was planted in plots eight hills long
and eight hills wide, each plot marked
with tag and the name of the farm
er from whom the corn was secured.
The corn was planted from one to six
inches in depth for experiment. In
the farm to determine what proper
ton of the corn was growing. The
highest percent was 861a while the
lowest was BOZ percent. By per-
cent is meant that an average of 861a
stalks matured out of one hundred
kernels planted.
After the trip through the field had
been made all went to the auditorium
where Prof. Mosher gave a most in
teresting talk of how the farm should
be managed. He started his address
by saying he was glad to see so many
grange members present and that he
felt sure it meant good work next
year. He also stated that this grange
gathering meant much for the young
men and brought them closer togeth-
er. This movement will keep the
people in Iowa, and when the next
census is taken | hope that the Hawk
eye state will increase in population
instead of decreasing. In the past
the young men and ladies have not
had the opportunity on the farm that
they have at present and the parents
must plan social affairs and enter
tainments to keep them on the farm"
Prof. Mosher showed how the corn
should be tested and how it should
be planted to net good results. He
also stated that the farmers must
plant every available inch of ground
to increase the yield DO not leave
space at the end of the rows to turn
around in and also plant close to the
fence. If every farmer would plant
his corn close to the fence and to the
end of every row that it would in
crease the yield for Iowa by many
thousand bushels every year" Prof.
Mosher also declared that if every
farmer planted tested corn the in
crease would amount from $4,000, 900
to $5O,O00,00O every year. The high
est yield comes from thick planting
and it is much better to plant four
kernels to the hill than two" One
statement that Prof Mosher brought
out strong was that corn secured
from seed houses would not yield
good. If you have not any seed corn
buy 1t from your closest neighbor.
Imported seed corn has been expert
mented by the Ames College and it
did not bring good results. Mr.. Mosh-
er closed his address by saying that
he hoped he would be present at the
picnic next year.