The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-08-15
BY HORACE MARkLEY.

is 1t possible tnat tne present type
of farmer has reached the limit OF
his capacity to improve? 1t may be
So At any rate, besides all this there
is an agricultural press, of vast pro-
portions throughout the states, work
ing to educate the farmers and keep
him posted on everything that may
be of help to him in his business.
Many farmers take several such pub
locations. Then again, the tools that
are available to the farmer for his
work are far superior to what they
have been in the past, and are i'm
proved every year. Is 1t possible that
the farmer is not as a class taking ad-
vantage of the best tools for his
work?
What is the first thing to be done
in the growing Of better corn crops?
| think, in seed selection. There Is
nothing startling or original in this,
| admit; it is the doctrine that has
long been preached, but l would sim.
ply add my testimony from the re-
suits of my experiments with the
hope that it may lead others to try
along the same lines. There is moth
ing difficult about 1t, there is certain
ly nothing costly; it amounts to SIM
ply little more thorough and intelli-
gent heart interest in ones labor.
To secure corn that will yield ten
fold what he has been accustomed
to getting the farmer must breed for
results. He has got to improve the
corn in the same way that he would
raise the standard of his stock or his
fiocks. And once he has secured a
type Of corn that shows increased
productiveness, he must try to keep
it pure, avoid inbreeding and main
tain its stamina, with the same
watchfulness and care that all breed
ing demands.
1t does not require a scientific edu
cation to grow more and better corn
or better crops of any kind. 1t does
require brains. One Of the frs
things to be done is to get out of thu
slip-shod ways of working. Corn, es
pecially, is one of the most abused
crops of the farm. Because 1t will
grow and give some returns with
lot of neglect-it gets 1t.
In no one respect Is the averag
farmer more careless than in hi
J choice of seed, and this may be sal
to be the prime essential. The farm
| err is blowing, manuring, performin
!, all the operations from planting tim
? to harvest, year after year, and wit
: some Of these he takes considerabl
| pride; for instance, ] know farmer
= who are perfect plowmen; they kne'
3 1t and are proud of their skill, br
e these same farmers are hide-bound
8 an old custom of throwing their cor
In their crib just as 1t is husked, an
il when they want seed in the sprin
Il time, they go to the crib and pic
i. out sufficient likely ears from witt
are left to meet their needs, and i
g 1t go at that.
y It is an enigma how man can |
l. so skilled as a workman In many r
it spects, and yet absolutely inert
10 one of the most vital phases of secu
" ing perfection In that work. 1t nee,
k, no argument for 1t has been demo
a. strated over and over again that Il
o. breeding of plants can be follow
lie with as much certainty as to result
lg as the breeding of animals. TIL
Id why not do it? The only added equi
lg ment which nine out of ten requi
Is, is the exercise Of more intelligent ca
&C. and precision in some Of the details
SIX It seems strange, but 1t is new
'e- theless fact, that most farmers q
i'd aware of what may be done In pla
as breeding, and know the general pr
I'D ciples, but they will not wake up
it, practice Of them In their own
he terests.
80 If we are to increase the corn vi,
we have got to get 1t In the bre