The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-02-18

droViag Pap Corr.
BY K. a. Kirkpatriek, Mime
sofa University Farm.

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One of the greatlyneglected crops
suitable for this state is pop corn.
There IL practically NO portion of the
Northwest which ought not to pro-
duce all the pop corn needed for home
consumption, instead of buying it
through Twin City or Chicago jobbing
houses, as at present. 1t is OF the
easiest culture. and any farmer-boy or
girl should easily be able to grow a
plantation large enough to supply the
family needs and hare some left to
dispose of to the local market
It is crop which can be readily
converted. into cash when harvested.
The price varies from SO cents to 81
per hundred weight for the shelled
corn The yield isaabout 1000 to / 500
pounds per acre; often running up as
.nigh as 1000 pounds with certain ,vari-
cites, on good soil and in favorable
seasons Most of the supply nova
days comes from Northeastern Ne
braska, Iowa and Michigan One
Iowa grower crops more than thou
sand acres annually. The cost of pro-
duction ranges from SIP to SIS per
acre, and the cash profit is seldom
less than $25 per acre.
| The soil for the crop should be
given the same preparation as for
sweet corn. Fall-ploWed clover or
stubble land will be best The ground
should be fairly rich. A dressing of
manure may be given before blowing;
but it should be disced thoroughly into
the top soil before it is turned under.
In the spring the ground should be
disced or dragged as soon as 1t can
be worked Then replow It; pack it
if it seems loose, and disc thoroughly
at frequent intervals up to seeding
time, to save the moisture and cause
the soil to warm up.
In May, when danger of frost is
past, it may be planted, with an ordi-
nary corn-planter, drilling it ineswith
the smaHest-holed2 blades to be had.
Another satisfactory way is to stop,
up the required number of openings on
a wheat drill set, the drill to the
proper size, and drill it in. II this
plan is followed press drill must be
used in order that the soil shall be
packed over the kernels. By this
| method the rows can be made little
closer, a thing which may be. bene-
| fetal if the soil is rich. The seed
should be selected with as much care
as is used for field-corn. seed. It
should be tested, tipped, and graded
Just as accurately as for that crop.
When the plants come up, cultiva-
! ton should be begun at once. Prob
ably as good tool as any for the cul-
tivation will be the harrow tooth .cul-
| tivator~ used for truck crops. The
crop should receive shallow and fe-
| quent cultivation and the working
| should be kept up until the ground
| is completely shaded.
/ There areatWo&WaJs-of-ha harvesting
| cutting and shocking and:sth .husk.
ing from the shock, and husMng from
the standing corn. Generally the lat.
ter method will be found the more de.
sirable, because OF the loss often coca.
stoned by rats and mice In tho shocks
while the crop is curing. Corn which
has been gnawed, or which has he.
come 'tmousey" from tho urine Of
these little animals, can only b used
| for stock feed.
There is a general impression among
users that tho kernels will not pop to
| their best advantage until they have
been kept In storage ct least q year,
but this is not necessarily true Pop.
ping depends on the amount of mois.
ture contained In starch cells Of the
corn It must reach only 4 certain
stage Of dryness. This is usually
found In corn naturally dried at air
temperatures for asseason- This cur.
ing must be done on the cob. When
shelled, even at the proper degree OF
dryness, its popping qualities detrior.
ate rapidly. On the cob it will keep in.
definitely. Corn that has lost its pop.
ping qualities from being ashelled or
from becoming too dry can often be
restored by soaking it for twelve
hours In tepid water; then drying It at
about 66 degrees for twenty-tour hours.
Any ono anticipating the growing