Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-12-08

C0ndneq or the forest, the immense,
ruddy full moon hung Just above the
horizon Of deld and meadow.
''0h. isn't it beautifulr' exclaimed
Annie and her mother in one breath. s.
With the cool air Of night came
scents Of woods and fields, the odors Of
wild flowers, Of growing things. The
air here became heavy with the per-
fume Of yellow jasmine; farther on,
the scent Of magnolia blossoms. Sud-
denly from high above them a food Of
ripping melody seemed to make the
moonbeams vibrate.
1.-The hooking birdv' cried Joe. Its
the sweetest music In the world, for it
Is the best Of the songs of all the other
birds. improved by the hooking bird
himselfy'
The joyous rascal seemed to hover
above them in the enchanted silvery
radiance, for as the wagon rolled in the
gate at home the liquid notes of the
sweetest songster of the south followed
family, as If in echo to the memory Of
a perfect day.
Joe's four acre farm" was now one
OF the show places Of the neighborhood.
The county road ran by it, and al
most any time of day could be seen q
wagon, a man on horseback or some one
afoot under the shade Of the big oak on
the other side, which extended it's
branches almost across the highway.
"Well, did you ever see such cornT
why, that corn's so green till it's al.
most black-and stalk as big as my
wrist now!"
but. man alive, look at that cottonv'
Jaw, shucks, don't tell me that bow
OF Tom Weston's growed all that STUFF
h1sself. I believe some Of them govern
mint fellers is a-doin' it."
What you reckon he's done to that
ground in the little field? Looks dir.
runt from that outside"
rs dif'runt, + granny; that outside
won't hardly grow ragweeds. Just look
how poor it isl
Hey, sonny" the man who said the
government was doing the work called
to Joe, what you fertilizin' with?'
"Bra1ns" called Joe as he resumed.
The corn was now higher than Joe's
head, and as he worked in it. effectual-
ly concealed from view, he heard manv
amusing conversations regarding him
self and the crop.
He noticed that the corn was throw
Ing out circle of short blunt points,
or stems, each about as large around
rs a slate pencil, from the two Joints
just above the surface of the ground.
Joe did not understand what they were
He looked through his book about
agriculture, his government reports.
the state bulletins. Nowhere did he
ind word about corn throwing out q
rad1at1ng circle Of blunt spikes from
the lower joints. He was afraid to let
the subject drop for fear the corn was
not doing properly. He never remem-
bered seeing anything Of the sort be-
fore, but then he reflected that he had
never noticed corn very closely before,
He walked down the path leading to
distant field where his father WAS
working to ask him If he knew any,
thing about it. There were a few corn.
stalks standing in the edge Of last
years cornfield. He parted the rank
tangle Of weeds about them in the hope
OF finding something there that would
enlighten him.
The old cornstalks had the same
things on them, only much longer a
double ring Of them, but each spike
had curved downward and entered the
soil. Carefully Joe dug some of the
dirt away with his knife blade-and he
had the secret!
Those rings Of spikes were additional
main roots, which when they made
connection with the ground sent out a
network Of smaller feeders to gather
what the plant needed. At the end of
each OF those spikes was q fibrous
mass Of smaller roots. each spike being
the main artery, or pipe. by which was
conveyed all the sustenance the small
er roots ut the end gathered from the
soil in the form Of sap to the main
stem OF the cornstalk and thence dis
tr1buted to leaves and other parts of
the plant. Joe sat fiat upon the ground.
his mind busy with problem.
why should the corn be sending out
those additional roots - he asked him.
self.
1T must be hungryr' his mind an
swered.
Yes, that's true. But why is it
hungry now? Why didn't it do that
way before?''
1T Is almost through making stalk"
reason answered. by the time those
extra roots touch the ground the stalks
will begin to put on the rudimentary
ears, and nature Is preparing for the
extra drain upon the strength of the
plant. It must have more food to ma.
ture the ears of corn.''
Ito be continued.)
Worse and Worse.
She-Of course I'm not as old you