The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-17
FARMERS IN REDWOOD
COUNTY PLANT CORN
This Will Constitute F0rty.five
Per Cent Of All Crops.
Especial to The Free Press

Fully forty-five per cent of all crops
in this section of the state will be
corn this year. Farmers have been
busy fertlizing and blowing corn
ground since they finished their
small grain seeding about a month
ago, and many are well along with
their corn planting today. The cOndi-
ton Of the soil is excellent and the
many corn growers in this section
are highly optimistic in view of the
encouraging outlook for a bumper
crop
Redwood county farmers are in
dulging in corn growing more eX-
tensively this year than ever before
because of the fact that they find it
profitable in the raising and fattcn-
ing of live stock. The grain is used
chiefly for fattening and feed, while
both the grain and stalks when
chopped fine and packed into silos
offer excellent feed for mich COWS
and stock in general. Any refuse
that is left is fed to sheep and
hogs SO that all waste has been
scientifically reduced to q minimum.
Rotation in Crops.
AS rotation crops are exceedingly
essential to maintain the fertility OF
the soil farmers find that old corn
ground makes ideal soil for spring
wheat and other small grains. Thou
sands of acres of corn ground have
been seeded to wheat, oats and bar
ley this spring without blowing.
Operations started when the frost
was sufficiently out of the fields to
permit the work of dragging and
heaping in piles all corn stalks,
which were burned. The fields were
then disked and seeded by drilling.
The small grain yield from soil OF
this sort is much heavier because
the soil is more settled and holds
the moisture better during dry, hot
weather. Redwood county agricul'
turists have been having good sue
cess with corn in this county for the
past twenty years, while each sue
ceeding year eclipsed the preceding
one for acreage and quality with
the exception of one or two In
stances when the corn crop was a
partial failure in the entire state
To many it would seem strange to
class Minnesota among the corn
states, but the fact remains that
corn is produced in every county
in the state. Twenty-Five bushels OF
more of shelIed corn per acre are
yields constantly recorded in the
northern part of the state, notably
at Crookston, Bemidji, Ten Strike
Aitkin and many other points.
Yields in Southern Minnesota.
In Southern Minnesota fifty, sixty
and scventy-five bushel yields are
common, and eighty-five to ninety
odd bushels are not infrequent. In
1908 there were two large yields, one
at New Ulm, eighty-five bushels, and
! the other at Albert Lea, ninety bush
| els of shelled corn per acre. A
search of large yields would record
many more of such nature. The en-
ergy of the experimental station IN
| co-operation with the farmers has
demonstrated the fact that corn is
now considered staple crop in al
| parts of the state. This insures prof
table stock raising, rotation of crops
and all round improvements in farm
ing conditions.
Corn raising is rapidly becoming
an important branch of agriculture
in Redwood county as well as
through the entire section Of the
state. Here the yield in both quail
ity and quantity is a match for the
old corn belt Of the United States
Corn Raising Years Back.
Statistics show that as far bach
as 1899, this state raised almost
100000 acres Of corn which yield
ed 47,OOO,OOO bushels. At the st
Louis Worlds fair u Redwood coun
| ty farmer walked off with one OF
the prizes for superior quality o.
corn. In October, 1909, Minnesota
stood first in condition OF clover
seed, Canada peas, tomatoes anC
grapes, and second in potatoes, ap
pies and milIet. To state it mildly
the condition of crops in Redwood
county vicinity of the state is never
low and always among the best
This speaks well for the crop as
producing feature.
| The rolling surface of the land IL
diversified by lakes and streams
| which add to the beauty of the
county and largely enhances the
value for agricultural purposes. The
principal streams are the Minnesota
| Redwood and Cottonwood rivers
which furnish ideal outlets for boil