Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-08-22

Is It possible that the present tyne
OF farmer has reached the limit OF
his capacity to improve IL may be
SO AT any rate. besides ali 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 IL 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; IL Is the doctrine that has
long been preached. but I would slim
ply add my testimony from the re-
suits of my experiments with the
hope that 1t may lead others to try
along the same lines There is moth.
ing difficult about It. there is certain.
~ nothing costly; IL amounts to sim
ply little more thorough and intelli-
gent heart interest In ones labor.
To secure a corn that will yield ten
fold what he has been accustomed
to getting the farmer must breed for
results. lie 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
productiyeness, he must try 20 keep
It pure. avoid inbreeding and main
tain its stamina, with the same
watehfulness and care that all breed
ing demands.
Il does not require a scientific edu-
cation to grow more and better corn,
OF better crops Of any kind It does
require brains. One OF the first
things to be done is to get out of the
slip-shod ways OF working Corn. es.
pecially. is one OF the most abused
crops Of the farm. Because II Will
grow and give some returns with a
lot OF neglect--it gets IL.
In no one respect Is the average
farmer more careless than IN his
choice of seed, and this may be said
to be the prime essential. The farm.
er Is blowing. manuring, performing
all the operations from planting time
to harvest, year after year. and with
some of these he takes considerable
pride; for instance. know farmers
who are perfect plowmen; they knew
1t and are proud of their skill. bur
these same farmers are hide. bound IN
an old custom of throwing their corn
in their crib just az IT IL husked. asd
when they want seed In the spring.
time. they go to the crib and pick
out sufficient likely ears from what
are left to meet their needs. and let
II go at that
IT in an enigma how man can be
so skilled as workman In many re-
speets. and yet absolutely inert to
one Of the most vital phases Of secur-
ing perfection In thai work II needs
no argument for il has been demon.
strated over and over again that the
breeding of plants can be followed
With az much certainty as 70 results.
as the breeding OF animals. Then
Why not do it, The only added eutlfu-
ment which nine out OF ten require
Il the exercise of more intelligent care
and precision In fone Of the details
II seems strange, but II In never
theless a fact. that most farmers are
aware Of what may be done In plant
bre eding. and know the general prif.
eipies. but they viii not wake up u
a practice Of them IN their own IN.
terests.
II ge are to increase the corn YIELD
We have got 70 get II In the breed.