Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16
DIRECTORS ASK
FOR CORN TEST
COMMERCIAL AND MERCHAN .
ASSOCIATIONS GET BUSY RE-
GARD,NG SEED SHORTAGE.
NEED FOR TESTING
Farmers are Urged to Make Individual
Tests for the Seed Corn This
Wharf.-The Rock lslend Sends
r. -- Out Circular.

Seed corn, it's shortage and the
need for farmers to make their own
seed tests, was the chief feature Oh
the matters discussed yesterday at the
directors meeting in the Commercial
association. The scarcity OF seed corn
among the seed houses OF the country
and the great need for a sumclent
amount of seed corn that will bear the
proper crop If planted, was discussed
at some length by the directors, and
measures were taken to aid the farm
ers in protecting themselves 70 tne
end that the corn crop for 1912 shall
not be a failure through neglect OF the
agriculturist.. A committee consisting
of Maj T. P. Spilman, j. N. "We1den'
teller and D. F. Morey was appointed
to meet with the Retail Merchants as
sociation Thursday for the further dis
cussion of the seed corn problem. Al
the meeting of the merchants there
will be some farmers present and the
matter will be gone into In detail. Inc
two business mems associations nave
received letters from seed houses ana
others telling of the dearth Of seed
corn and announcing that the FARMER
will have to test his own seed to in
sure the right quality for planting this
year ....
Local Condition Bad. 49,.
Secretary Weidenfeller of the Com.
mercial association has interviewed
local seed men and they have informed
him the same as did the seed concerns
that wrote from out of the city. The
likelihood. of securing seed corn in the
desired quantity and OF the right
quality is considered out of the ques-
ton,
J. r. Shepherd informed the associa-
ton that he will test free of charge
a quantity of seed corn for the farm
ers If they will but bring it to his
place of business in sufficient quantity
to make the test.
rs. Issues a Circular.
The railroads are getting busy with
the seed corn problem, and the FOL
lowing circular letter issued by the
Rock Islands freight department at
Des Moines shows things OF interest
to the farmer. The circular follows:
All Agents: ...-.... I
Read this circular through and
then get busy. NJ, ..
Undoubtedly a great many people in
your town lave read in the newspapers
and received reports from other !:
sources that the condition of seed corn /
In Iowa is very bad Notwithstanding /
the widest publicity has been given by
the newspapers, the communities are
not waking up for they believe that
the conditions do not apply to their
vicinity, especially Where
seed corn was gathered early and kept
under cover.
I wish to call your attention to the
following facts; Mr.. Adams, OF Sac
county plants 1900 acres of corn /
every year. Last fall his son took
sacks and gathered 1000 bushels OF
seed. put in in a seed house that had
been heated all winter and notwith-
standing the corn was handled under
the best possible conditions, the result
of his test showed that 80 per cent OF
this seed will not grow and he is now
testing every ear for planting the
1000 acres for this year.
The agricultural commissioner tells
me there;is not a bushel OF seed corn
in Iowa that is safe to plant without
testing. Get busy with the farmer,
banker and newspaper men; get some
body to make tests and report the re-
suit to the newspaper. Have the
newspaper publish it under scare
head"
The farmer in Iowa must find his
own seed corn for the conditions in
Ohio and Indiana are bad; so short in
Illinois that an ear test will have to-
be made to get seed. Acreage will be
reduced in Minnesota even with an
ear test. Practically no seed corn In
South Dakota: only half of the seed
corn saved in Nebraska will germin-
ate. Kansas and Missouri have had
the severest famine in seed corn they
have ever known and in most OF the
counties Of Oklahoma there is not a
single bushel of seed corn. Iowa seed.
men have so little seed corn that they
can supply only slight demand.
We must overcome this Indifference
on the part of the farmers and mer-
chants, as it will make thousands Of
dollars difference in the freight earn
ings of the Rock Island lines in Iowa
If the farmers do not know what they
are planting. There are over 100000
acres of corn grown along the Rock
Island lines in Iowa. Get busy with
this and let me hear from you.
Yours truly,
A. w. Eberhart,
Division freight agent.