Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-18
John COWNIE BLAMES HOLDEN
FOR POOR SEED CORN IN IOWA
Methods of Fifty Years of EnceNo Reason
for Sed-D;s1a;ns

! gathering seed corn and trusting to
atmospheric condition to dry, 1t, by
hanging it in corn cribs, granaries,
barns or other outbuildings, proved
no better than IL the corn had been left
| in the field.
! The excessive moisture in the at
mosphere prevented drying and the
cold weather in the early part Of No
vember destroyed the vitality of seed
| corn thus exposed. while corn for seed,
gathered in September and taken at
once into the dwelling house where
there was fire heat and a dry atmos-
yhere retained its vitality and proves
in termination all that could be de-
sired.
! have referred to the failure of seed
corn in 1910, and it will be remembered
that we had a severe frost on the night
of Oct. -. 1909, and coming unexpected
~. those farmers who practice drying
their seed corn in "a cool airy place"
paid the penalty by the failure of their
seed corn to terminate. and the seed
tester was again called into use. with
the result as have shown with mathe-
NAUTICAL accuracy of loss Of at least
$40 600, 900 to our state.
But never in the history of our state
has a single farmer. who gathered his
seed corn in September and placed it
at once in his dwelling house. where 1t
had fire heat. failed to secure a good
stand so far as the terminating quality
OF his seed corn was concerned.
The question then arises. why do the
farmers Of Iowa persist in exposing
their seed corn to uncertain atmospheric
conditions and thus invite risk Of loss
when they have at hand the means to
save their seed corn. with the full as
surance of termination Of practically
every kernel and no test whatever re-
CURED
Lack Of knowledge in regard to
proper methods in saving seed corn by
following blindly the teaching of those
who. while claiming 20 be experts in
the matter of seed corn. do not even
know the first principles of the subject
and by misleading those who are al
ways trusting to other people to do
their thinking i: the prime cause of the
present unfortunate condition.
Some Erroneous Ideas.
One great misfortune Of the average
farmer is to find excuses for his own
negligence. when If he held himself
strictly accountable for his mistakes
and blunders, they would not be so
often repeated. And too often those
who should know better encourage
farmers in deceiving themselves by
laying the blame on certain conditions
beyond their control.
In recent interview in a Des Moines
newspaper Prof II. H Cotterell. agri-
cultural expert for the Rock Island. is
reported az saying. THE dry weather
last summer destroyed the vitality Of
most Of the corn. Late rains added to
this difficulty by making the corn grow
the second time"
And many farmers are excusing
themselves by placing the blame for
poor seed corn on the weather. as stat
ed by Professor Cotterell and with
equal reasons they could place the
blame for the loss of the greater part
| of the oats crop a few years ago on
the wet weather. when the grain was
in the shock. waiting for the thre.shing
mahcine." Had these farmers who lost
their oats crop by leaving it in the
field. stacked their grain in a proper
manner which they had ample time to
do before the rains came. they could
have averted the loss of millions Of
dollars TO the state. and good sum
to themselves
Those who have knowledge in regard
to saving seed corn. know that what
Professor Cotterel states in regard to
the dry and wet weather injuring corn
for seed is altogether erroneous. for
the corn had just as much vitality last
years as it ever had. as proved by those
who saved their seed corn in proper
manner the loss like that of the oats
crop. being caused by the neglect Of the
farmer at the proper time. in saving his
sede corn. or by following that anti
quated and costly method Of drying it
! in ''cool airy place"
Spreading Disease.
Now. what would be thought Of
man who. having spread the germs of
disease among people. and after they