The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-02-02
Growing Pop Corr
Dy 4. A. Kirkpatrick, MsNH<
ssta sUnlvsrelty Pam.

oss Of the greatly. neglected svsps
suitable fcr this state b pop -.
There Is practically no DestSos 9 ~
Nesthwest which ought Aoe - ~
0oss oil the pop corn needed Tor hens
consumption, instead of SuyiA6
through Twin City or Chicago JOINING
houses. % ct present II = q ths
easiest culture, and any farmerbog or
g1rl should easily bs able to grew .
plantation large enough 70 supply ~
family needs and have some le1s TO
dispose of to the local market
It IS q crop which can be readily
converted into cash whom harvested.
The price varies from 80 cents - 90
per hundred weight for the shelled
corn. The yield is about 1000 to 1900
pounds per acre; often running up a.
high a. 1000 pounds with certain vari.
0ties, on good soil and In favorable
seasons. Most Of tho supply nowa-
days comes from Northeastern Nel
braska, Iowa and Michigan. One
iowa grower crops more than tAou.
sand acres annually. The cost Of pro
auction ranges from 81 70 81 pe5
asrs. and the cash profit y ses6oa'
loss than $25 per acre. -
Tho soil for the crop should %
given the same preparation % for
0weet corn. Fall-plowsA clover o.
oeubble land will b bsst T1o gso0al
should be fairly rioh. A drsssiag Of
manure may 30 given before plovtnS;
but it should be disced thoroughly into
ne top soil before it 10 turned undsr.
In tho spring the ground should be
lisced or dragged 40 soon - 4 oan
b worked Then replow It; pack It
4 Il seems loose, and disc thoroughly
g frequent intervals up 20 seeding
time, to save, the moisture and cause
the soil to warm up.
In May, when danger Of frost 10
Dast, It may be planted With an ordi-
nary corn-planter, drilling 1t In with
the smallest-holed blades to be had.
Another satisfactory way is to stop
up the required number Of openings on
Q wheat drill, set the drill to the
Deoper size, and drill 1t in. Il this |
plan is followed press drill must b.
used in order that the soil ehall be-
packed over the kernels. By this
method the rows can be made little
closer, a thing which may DO bone
1oial If the soil 10 rioh. The sesd
should bs selected with 90 much care
- 10 used for asld-oosn sssd. II
should bs tested, tipped, and GRADED
INST 40 accurately o for tAat crop.
When the plants oosas ~. esltlva-
Ton should be begun at sneo. Prob
ably as good tool as any for the eul-
uvation will be the harrow tooth cul-
tvator used for truck crops. The
crop should receive shallow and fre
Quent cultivation and the working
should be kept up until the ground
= Completely shaded.
There are two ways q nsrveesttnG,
cutting and shocking and then husk-
ing from the shock, and husling from
tho standing corn. Generally the lat
ter method will be found the more de-
drable, because of the loss often coca.
stoned by rats and mice in the shocks
while the crop is curing. Corn which
hAs been gnawed, or which has b.
come "mousey" from the urine al
thsse little animals, can only b used
1or stock feed.
There is general impression among
users that the kernels Will not pop to|
their BEST advantage until theu have
been kept in storage at Least . year,
but this is not necessarily true. Pop
Dlng depends on the amount Of nois-
tuFe contained in starch esils Of the!
corn. It must reach only q certain
sage Of dryness. This 10 ussaNy
10nd in corn naturally. dssed q CIR
temperatures for ssaAon. This sor.
Inc must be dons on the oob. Whss
sAslled, even at the proper degree Of
lrynsss, it, popping qualities detsFior
~ irapidly. On the COB II viii hssp n.
1o0nitely.. Germ that has lost it, pop
Ping qualities from .bsinG shielded Or
isom becoming too dry can oftsn be
restored by soaking it for twelve
hours in tepid water. then drying It at
about IS degrees for twsnty.foE hours
Any ono anticipating the growing
u the crop on large scale should
% provided with ample curing cribs
Or bins, and with storage-rooms which
are vermin-proof. In these 1t can be
stored in the ear, and shslled and sold
as the market demands 1t. Otherwise,
hs will get the best results by selling
to commission man. Immediately
after harvesting. The price will aver
age lower, but he will not have thoI
loss from shrinkags. pests, and poor
storage.
The best varieties 70 plant conapriss
~ White Rice, the Red Rioo, the|
oASl varieties, the Tom Thumb. the
apisdals Prolific, and tho Queens
oe6en. The last two are heavier
19olAsrs and are usually good peppers
~ they are sometimes Disseminated
aaAst because OF the largs Gratns;
- claim being made that thsg have
1gd centers in the popped osa1oeA
-