The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-11-19

mile limit. Mr.. Reuber claims that
nowhere else is the crop SO reliable
and that the quality of the corn pro-
duced here is superior to that grown
elsewhere. I cannot see why this
should be so, but have a high regard
for Mr.. Reubers's opinion. He is in
telligent and, believe. the best post
ed man in this community on the sue
cessful growing, storing and market.
ing of pop corn. He is the senior
member of the firm of Reuber &
Bruce. He began growing pop corn
upwards of twenty years ago, and got
his first start in a financial way by
turning all his attention to the pro.
duction of this crop. The firm now
handles all kinds of grain, but makes
"a speciality of pop corn. They ship this
product from coast to coast and from
Canada to the gulf. They ship in car
load lots and in packages of a few
pounds sent through the mail, any
quantity that may be desired. They
grade their corn very closely and all
is tested corn before it is sent out.
There are three other firms in Ode
bolt which handle pop corn. The Dick
enson people, wholesalers of Mime
apolis, have large and modern plant.
They are in the pop corn business
here exclusively, with the exception
that they carry seeds as a side line.
The Cracker jack" and the Checker
package" people come to Odebolt to
buy their pop corn. In fact the
checker package" people erected,
within the last year, a plant of their
own at Arthur, the first station west
of this. They attempted to get in
here, but We're kept out by the firms
already here. There is sharp compe-
tition in the buying and the farmers
get the advantage of this. Odebolt is
the best farmers market in the coun-
try. They write or come here from a
distance to sell their pop corn. I
know of several cases this season, in
Guiding Nebraska, South Dakota and
Minnesota, not to mention localities
nearer by. A farmer raising a field
of pop corn in a locality where it has
not been produced might have some
trouble in marketing it. The local
dealers, not being familiar with the
trade, are not apt to offer fair price.
This necessitates the farmers hunt
ing his own market The heavy buy
ers look to OdebOlt for their supply.
The result of this is that the dealers
buy and ship in here and then re-ship
in supplying their customers. z
Good money has been made in the
pop corn business and money will be
made in the future. The demand was
never so great as now, and it increas.
es from year to year. An illustration
of the widening market is the use the
candy manufacturers are making Of
it. ltis claimed t)lat nothing has been
found equal to pop corn flour for max
ing soft chocolates stand Up during the
hot season. The corn is popped and
then ground into fine -four for this
purpose. The candy firms are buying
pop corn by the car load. J}
Farmers frequently make a large
profit on this crop. One man few
years ago cleared $50 per acre on for
ty acres, and it ID claimed his land
was poor. He got good crop, how
ever, which he stored till the follow
ing summer, marketing It when the
price was good. 81. Esp '
. AS an illustration of what an indus
triOus young man can do I give this
case: A 100, acre farm was rented for
two years. the renter agreeing to pay
$1,000 cash rent. I am told this man
had neither hoof, farming implement
nor dollar in money when he start
ed in. He bought everything on
credit. He put out about forty-tive
acres of pop corn the first year, 1912,
and more than got enough out Of the
crop to pay the two years rent. This
year he has about sixty-five acres OF
pop corn which he is harvesting now.
He is far enough along now to see the
end, and the result is that with the
two crops of pop corn and the other
crops of the farm, he will end the two
years without owing a dollar and will
have at least $500 to his credit in
the form of stock, farming implements
etc. This is not bad start. ''F
Whether the successful growing of
pop corn will be limited to this and a
few other favored localities in Ne
braska, where it is grown quite ex-
tensively, is difficult to tell. In other
places where it has been tried, it does
not appear to have been so success
full. Any land here that will grow
good field corn will grow good pop corn
and with rotation of crops, does not
appear to be soil exhauster. l be-
lieve it would be good plan for farm
ers in other localities to give it trial.
Where it succeeds it will pay better
than either field corn. if that is to be
sold on the market, or small grain.
I must say word more, but l am
thinking l have more here now than
the editor of the Twiner will want to
print. 1t is concerning the storing of
the crop. If it is piled up in wide and
deep cribs, or in those that are poorly
ventilated, it is liable to heat. If it
heats all the pop is gone. Tiles are
sometimes used for ventilation, or op-
en- V-shaped frames are made, running
lengthwise through the cribs. This
matter of care in storing is import
ant.-Woodbine Twiner.
When Mrs. Pankhust gets elected
to the English Pertinent, all she will
hovo IN do vhoD Tho moi orifv UooC