Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-18

patent nostrum thst, while It could not
cure. would alleviate the distress caused
by the disease that he Ind inflicted
upon the people? And this'is just what
is being done now in regard to seed
corn, and while we have laws against
the practice Of medicine and the filling
Of prescriptions by those who have not
passed q satisfactory examination. un-
fortunately we have no law preventing
these so-called corn experts from I'M
posing their erroneous methods In re-
gard to seed corn upon suffering
people.
And this corn tester that Is being
so widely advertised is now consid-
cred by the unthinking. the credulous
and the ignorant. to be indispensable
to the farmer. when in fact, 1t is
fraud, the manufacture and sale Of
which should be made criminal Of
Tense. punishable by Imprisonment and
a fine or both
In the face. Of the foregoing facts
what can be said Of this corn gospel
we are hearing SO much Of lately, two
stalks where one grew before and the
added increase in the yield OF corn.
when the facts prove the contrary. and
there Is no person. unless totally ig-
norant, prejudiced or willfully blind,
but knows that the failures from poo1
seed corn have been more frequent in
Iowa during the last twelve years than
ever before in the history of the state.
Testing Seed Corn in Schools.
In his public addresses In his can
vas for the republican nomination for
governor. Professor Holden is urging
the testing Of seed corn in rural schools
and on this subject he says. Within
a few years the mornings will be given
over to the book work in the schools
while the afternoons will be devoted to
corn testing and agricultural! work"
God forbid that our children should
be required to waste their time testing
seed corn that had not been properly
saved by their parents. and the child
Inundated when he learns that his
father was a back number by following
the teaching of these so-caIIed corn
experts. While his school companion
whose father gathers his corn early
and dries it by artificial heat. secures
100 per cent, and testing is altogether
unnecessary
Neither can Professor Holden have
very high ideal of the farmers calling,
when he expects that our school teach
ers are qualified to teach agriculture
to the rising generation. Agriculture
is science requiring many years of
study and practical work to master It
and before this subject is introduced
into our schools. teachers must be
trained for the work. for unless this is
done we will have the same conditions
in our public schools as we now have
in the corn department of our agricul-
tural college.
Prof. W. L. Mosher Of the extension
department of the Iowa State College
al Ames. states that only 65 per cent
Of the seed corn planted in Iowa, the
average season. is strong. but he fails
to state that this condit ion rs the re-
suit of the teaching Of the college with
which he is connected in urging cold
instead of heat in drying seed corn
Our State Dairy Department.
In striking contrast with the work
Of our agricultural college in regard to
saving seed corn. Is the work Of the
dairy department. where thorough.
practical, efficient and valuab BILE service
to the people of our state is being done
And with the able assistance OF our
state dairy commissioner Mr.. w. B.
Barney. q man who won success on his
own farm. and w. w Marsh, Of Wa
terloo, and others. IS doing such SPLEEN
did work in the dairy interests of our
state. adding to instead of taking from
the wealth Of our farmers. as is being
done by these &o-called corn experts
with their erroneous gospel in regard
to seed corn.
Conclusion.
I am aware that 1 will be severely
criticised by some people for writing
this article but ii will not be the first
time that those who dared to stand for
right against wrong. have suffered:
even he who came to seek and to save
those who were lost. paid for his teach
ing with his life.
Having given hftyfive years of hard
labor. close observation and painstak-
ing investigation. to not only the max
ing Of a greater, but also better Iowa
can no longer remain silent on this
subject and see our great state. made
go by the labor and privation Of as
noble men and women as ever lived
brought to shame and millions of dol
lars lost to our people thru methods
that have been proved erroneous and
false
And let no one charge that this ar
ticle is written to injure Professor Hol-
den in his candidacy for the governor