The state herald., 1913-08-15
BY HORACE MARkLEY.

Is II possible that the present type
OF farmer has reached the limit OF
his capacity TO improve? II 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 II possible that
the farmer Is not as 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 IL
nothing startling or original In this.
j admit; II is the doctrine that has
long been preached. but would sim
ply add my testimony from the re-
suits OF my experiments with the
hope that II may lead others to try
along the same lines. There is moth.
Ing difficult about It. there is certain.
ly nothing costly; II amounts to sim.
ply little more thorough and intelli.
gent heart interest in ones labor.
To secure n 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 hio
flocks. And once he has secured a
type OF corn that shows increased
productiveness. he must try TO keep
II pure. avoid lnbreeding and main.
tain It's stamina. with the same
watehfulness and care that all breed.
Ing demands.
II does not require scientific edu.
cation TO grow more and better corn.
or better crops OF any kind. II does
require brains. One OF the frat
things to be done Is to get out OF the
slipshod 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 ncglect-it gets II.
In no one respect In the average
farmer more careless than In his
choice of seed, and this may be said
to be the prime essential The farm.
or is plowing. manurlng. performing
nll 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 plcwmen: they knew
I, and are proud OF their skin. but
these same farmers are hide bound In
an old custom Of throwing their corn
In their crib Just ar II IL huHked, asd
when they want seed In the spring.
time. they go to the crib and plct
out sufficient likely ears from wha,
are left to meet their needs. and lc,
II 30 at that.
II In an enigma how n man can b.
no skilled as n workman In many re-.
spec,s. and yet absolutely mort 10
ono OF tho mont vital phas.s OF secur.
Ing perfection In that work. |. needs
no argument for II has been demon.
stratcd over and over again that tho
breeding Of plants can be followed
with NJ much certainty m to results,
NJ tho breeding Of animals. Then
why not do ~ The only added squip-
mcnt which nine out OF ten reauirs
Ia tho exercise OF moro Intelligent care
and precision in somo Of tho details.
II seems strange. but II IN mover.
tholoss = fact that most farmers nro
aware OF what may be done In plant
breedins. and know tho general prin.
clples. but they will not wake up 10
a practice OF them in their own In.
terosts
II we arc TO Increase the corn Yield
wc have got TO got II In tho bread.