Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-01
THE COUNTY CROP EXPERT
MOVEMENT,

bureau in Wapello county and employ
crop expert to act as the general
adviser of the farmers of the, county
Is gaining strength. A meeting OF
those interested in this movement,
both city and county residents. will be
held at the Y. M. c. A., auditorium
next Tuesday afternoon and Prof. c. j.
Coverdale Of Ames college. who has
been active in the organization OF
farm bureaus will explain the PROPOSE.
ton. r..
The crop expert has become big
factor in increasing farm yields and
Improving farm life, He is bringing
he BENEFITS Of the agricultural col
eyes to the farmers door. The crop
xpert is the general adviser of the
.rmers Of his county. He organizes
rmers' clubs, arranges corn contests.
YES practical demonstrations in and
struction in crop rotation. soil build
ing, farm management. live stock,
aairyinE and horticultural work, and
:o-operates with the school authorities
in having the rudiments Of agriculture
made q part Of school courses. An
other of his duties is to establish seed
plots on the county farm and on pri-
vate farms to improve the seed corn.
wheat, oats, rye and other products OF
the county. His services are at the
disposal of the farmers at all times
Tor consideration of farm problems.
Montgomery county is one of the
lew Iowa counties now employing such
an expert. He has organized town.
ship clubs throughout the county and
brought Ames professors down to de-
liver addresses frequently. He encour-
ages these organizations to take up
III sorts of matters looking to town
ship Improvement. He furnished the
press of the county with articles de-
signed to aid the farmers In improving
crop yields. One of these letters
which was recently published in the
county papers is given
herewith to show the sort Of advice
the crop expert is giving the farmers.
He says: ~rs# s. 49,
About six ears from every hundred
saved before frost have been found to
be weak or dead. To plant fifty acres
It will require about 800 ears. II
ears OF these 800 Will not
grow then by planting without testing
there will be three acres OF the fifty
that have been tended and for which
rent or taxes has been paid, and from
which no crop has been obtained.
That is, 95 per cent stand on forty
seven acres will produce as much corn
Is 90 per cent stand on fifty acres.
Planting thicker the corn that Is of the
best quality does not give an even
stand. Land will produce more corn
r il is planted according to the
rength of the land. Hundred bushel
crops require hundred bushel soil and
hundred. bushel seed and a hundred
bushel man. -.
AAgood season is important, but
when q farmer raises seventy-five
bushel crop and his neighbor over the
fence is raising only a forty-flve BUSH
ell crop, there are three things to
which the trouble can be traced: The
seed. the soil or the man. The man is
the most important, for the man has
II in his control to plant strong seed,
and also great control on the pro-
ducirc power Of the soil. Test every
ear of corn that you plant, and plant
only the corn from those ears that test
six strong growing kernels; then with
rood care a good crop will be more
"a the farmers credit and less fault
70 be found with the season. The
rood farmer always receives more
ompensation for his efforts than the
moor. farmer. and the more unfavor-
able the season the greater is the diff
ference in the profits of the two
farmers. ...
Good results have been accomplished
In Wapello county by the Farmers in.
stitute, The leaders in this move
ment, however,, are busy men and
they cannot devote as much time as
they know Is necessary to this work.
The Farmers institute is leading in
this movement 3 to organize
farm bureau and employ paid expert
who will devote all his time toward
aiding in the solution of farm prob
lens The Commercial association Is
in the movement. The
and the grain exchanges
stand ready to aid in this movement If
The people at home show willingness
TO stand part of the expense. and il
they show that they are really in earn
est in a desire to avail themselves Of
the best methods of helping conditions
On the farm. The people Of the city
and county should give every en-
to the Farmers institute
md the Commercial association In
hurthering this movement.
CROP LOSSES FROM RIVER OVER
t's" FLOW.
The Courier today republishes in
another column an article showing the