The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-02
SEED CORN SPECIAL
IN THIS SECTION
This Week Devoted to southeaste m
Iowa for Benefit Of the
Farmers.
[Gate City Special Service

l6uIS SllS SPSCldi kSSTNiCG.
CENTERVILLE, April 2.-That !
there will be more seed corn tested in |
southern Iowa this spring than ever
before is evidenced by the grateful
manner in which farmers are receiv-
ing the suggestions of the experts
from the Iowa State Agricultural col
lege with reference to efficiency in
raising crops The first day of the
second weeks itinerary Of the Bur
lington seed corn and soil special was
a great success. Despite threatening
skies and bad roads both the audience
coaches were packed with farmers all
day to hear the gospel Of good seed
AT Lamont, the home OF the head Of
the church Of Latter Day Saints the
lecture was delivered up town in the
new large auditorium and there was
packed house ready for the words of
the speakers when they arrived. This
was one of the best meetings of the
day. Representative Smith of the
state legislature, head of the Saints
Publishing house had assumed re-
| sponsibility for breaking crowd rec
ords of the day and the general call
had been put in on every rural tele.
/ phone line in the community. The
address here was delivered by Profess
sor Burger At the train today the
lectures were given by Professor A.
A. Burger and Professor A. L. Rich
ling. Later in the day Professor M.
/ l.. Mogher joined the train and alter.
mated 80 as to relieve one of the
others in speaking. Big crowds greet
! ed the train at all stops; Mt. Ayr, La
moni, Davis City, Garden Grove
Humeston and Corydon
This week is to be devoted to south.
eastern Iowa and reports are that
there will be big crowds at all places.
Tests that have been made along the
line demonstrate that the educational
campaign is timely as seed corn is
shown to be in bad condition, averag-
\ ing about only fifty per cent fit to
plant.
The. discovery of the rag DOLL will
encourage thousands of farmers this
spring to test seed who have never be-
fore adopted this scientific method
That men with grisely boards and
gray heads should be making rag
dolls is the simplest method of max.
l ing seed test. 1t is made by tax.
| ing long strip of cloth about foot
d wide, marked off in squares that are
t numbered. Then six kernels, two from
J nub, two from center and two from
{ butt-are taken from the ears to be
i tested and placed in squares cores
) ponding to the numbers given the
| ears. Then the cloth is rolled VI
| around little twist of old newspaper
) and rubber bands slipped about eacf
end. 1t is then thrown into pail O
) water until it is thoroughly soaked
3 Then placed in warm place for {
Il week or ten days. After that time i
may be carefully opened and the seer
!, examined as to their termination
, value. This test is so simple and sc
! inexpensive that many hundreds O.
new converts to seed testing have
been made among those who have lis
p tened to the speeches. If the crowds
! continue as large as they have beer
it is conservatively estimated that OF
/. this itinerary of eleven lecturing days
10000 farmers will have received the
educational extension work Offered
from this special train. The itinerar,
of the coming five days has on i
: some excellent Iowa towns and thi.
number may be increased. Tomorrow
the train goes to Moulton, Bloomfield
Milton, Pennington, Donnellson, Sal
EN- and Weaver, going to Burlington
2 for the night.