The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-09-16
Corn Is a Great Crop

In Utah a few years ago we USED
TO raise q great deal more corn thar
we do now. This may not be true
however, in some communities The
corn crop Of the United States Is in
creasing, the immense crop of two
billion seven hundred million bushels
this year is wonderful.
Corn is king of all the crops. over
twenty per cent of all the improved
farm land in the United States is
annually devoted to the growing oil
corn. In the year 1914, 1O5OOO,OOO
acres were planted to corn in this
country, producing something like Y
zoe, O0O, 900 bushels, which brought
the growers $1,000, 100000. For near
ly fifty years the land planted to corn
has been equal to, If not greater than
the acreage of all the other cereal
crops combined.
Corn is the universal crop. In 1914
the worlds crop of this cereal amount
ed to more than $500, 100000 bushels,
grown on 17O,OOO,OO0 acres of land.
The United States produced two
thirds of this tremendous crop. In
1866 forty.nine years ago, corn
brought the American farmers Sill,-
100000 and for forty-nine years since
that time. corn has steadily increased
in acreage and value, never once fall
ing below the figures given.
Corn is grown in nearly every sec
ton of the United States. The great
err part of the crop, however, Is grown
in the central states.
The annual corn crop exceeds cot
ton by nearly billion dollars. In
1913 the cotton crop of the United
States brought in a total of SSOO,OOO,-
600; the hay crop, $797OOO.OOO; the
wheat crop. $61O,OOO,OOO; the oats
crop. 100000, 1000. Iowa and Illinois
each put in about 100000 acres an
nually to corn, each producing from
500 OOO. 900 to 4OO,OOC.OOO bushels.
Although We produce such a great
crop of corn we imported in 1915 hve
million bushels from Argentine ke-
public South America. The Panama
canal cost approximately $3OO,OOO,OOO
and is the greatest engineering feat
OF the age. The attention OF the
world has been attracted by its great
ness, yet every year the farmers are
growing a one and three-fourths bil'
lion dollar crop, and we hardly give
1t second thought.
The feeding of the corn crop Is an
other important matter. There are
about 100, 100000 people, and over
200 ,0O0, 900 farm animals in the Unit
ed States, including cattle hoIses'
mules. sheep and swine, that eat corn
in some form every day in the year
Corn furnishes a great variety oil
feed and food for man and animal
Take away wheat. barley, rice and
oats, and corn will completely substi-
ture them all, supplying our needs
with meal, hominy, syrup, starch, corn
sugar oil, alcohol and one hundred
and fifty other preparations.
A great deal of interest has been
taken the last few years in the I'M
provement of our corn. Some men
are devoting their entire time to the
breeding and improving of the corn
crop. We quote from recent arti-
Gle Of Professor Holden on this sub
ject.
"For centuries our domestic plants
have been bred for certain purposes,
and as a consequence certain parts
of the plant are abnormally develop,
ed. The selection in the case OF
corn, has been to secure more grain,
not a greater per cent of stalk. The
result is that an ear of corn weighs
as much as the stalk under ordinary
conditions. When a highly bred
plant Is subjected TO unfavorable or
even to normal conditions the first
thing to suffer is that quality which
has been most abnormally developed
In the case of corn, II the care Is
poor. we may obtain two thirds OF
a crop of stalks, but less than one
half-possibly but one-third of a crop
of grain.
Corn requires much greater care
to prevent deterioration than most
other crops, since 1t Is compare
lively new crop. as we know 1t to-
day, and its characteristics have not
been so thoroughly fixed through cen
turtles OF breeding, as have those OF
many OF the grains, but for the same
reason It Is also much more suscep
tible to improvement, II 1t is giyer
the proper treatment.
"By intelligent selection and breed
ing, corn has been improved In Tho
-. so,,, ,,o... 20, haVnna Our Prpat