Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1916-02-02


a sort of above ground root formed for
the express purpose Of catching bit
Of the pollen powder. When the pre-
cious grains fell upon the silk it was
absorbed, transmitted to the tiny grain
which then grew into perfect one
In this way the grain of corn was
pollinated, one Of those mysterious
and wonderful requirements of nature
the exact secret Of which and precise
reasons for have never yet been re-
vealed to man. Certain it is, however,
that if the pollep with it's hidden and
life giving element does not fall upon
the silk of the ears there will be no
corn except imperfect, dwarfed grains
of no vitality. After the beautiful silk
has performed its life work it turns
brown and blackens and finally dries
up completely.
One more application Of nitrate three
weeks later in order to give the plant
abundant strength to mature the grain
and Joe's work with the corn was end
ed Time and nature alone could do
the rest.
Full of the idea of breeding better
variety, Joe provided himself with
some strips of white cotton cloth about
a foot long and an inch or two wide.
Then row by row he systematically ex-
amined the cornstalks. hill by hill. In
the first row he found ten stalks with
three ears on the stalks, the third be-
ing unusually imperfect About the
two largest and best stalks with the
largest and best third ear in that row
he tied the white string to mark for
seed.
In next to the last row, to his great
joy, he found an enormous sturdy stalk
with three perfect ears on it, and be-
low the third ear faint documentary
fourth ear, just suspicion of an ear.
It was the only stalk of it's kind in the
whole acre.
This stalk, he decided, was to be the
parent Of variety that the next year
would show three good ears and
more clearly defined fourth one. He
would plant the seed in a patch by it.
self, so the pollen from inferior varie-
ties could not fall upon the silk and
check the upward tendency of the new
variety. By doing this year after year
his four cared variety was certain.
Remember Davy Crockett" said his
father one day. BE sure you're right,
then go ahead
''Hey. Joe." called countryman one
day, refining up his team. II want to
get some Of that corn for seed! Will
you sell it?'
YES, sir. after it has been measured
by the committee. Can't touch it until
them
"All right; l want some. What do
you ask for it.?
1.-Two dollars and half bushel for
selected Seed
"Suferin' Moses, that's mighty steep,
Joe!' - ..zs.s d s
Yes, and it's mighty good corn too.
1t will make three times as much as
You have been getting. with the right
treatment
well, reckon it's with it. Put me
down for two bushels. and I'll norate
the news around that you'll sell for
that price"
The last week in July brought the
first open cotton boil. There were hum
dreds of others cracking, ready to
burst with the beautiful snow white
mass of fiber.
Joe remembered reading that the alb
sence Of trash. grit or discolorations in
cotton was worth several dollars a
bale. He recalled how his father and
the other farmers would do-wait until
nearly the whole crop had opened be-
fore starting the picking. The lowest
limbs of the cotton stalk matured their
fruit first, and often the wind or rain
would cause the cotton to fall to the
ground, to be beaten into the dirt. dis-
colored. filed with grit and sticks and
leaves.
Then the picking would go forward
in rush. The sacks the pickers car
ried would be emptied right on the
ground at the ends Of the rows and the
cotton scooped up from there with a
shovel. pitchfork or in armfuls and
thrown into an open wagon bed Then
some one. often with muddy feet. would
tramp the loose cotton in the wagon,
indicting more dirt and discolorations.
Joe determined his cutton should be
handled differently. There was an
abandoned negro cabin near the field.
He swept it out twice. then with a
pine top busted it thoroughly. He col
lected all the empty oat, corn and meal
sacks about the place, turned them in
side out and shook them until there
was no dirt or dust left in them. These
he piled in the cabin ready for use.
He got Mrs. Weston to sew a strip
Of stout bedticking across the mouth
of a fifty pound meal sack so he could
sling, it across his shoulders. the open
mouth Of the sack at his left side ready
to receive the cotton as he picked it.
Then he waited for more cotton to
open.
He went through the prize acre Of
corn and pulled the fodder off as high
as he could reach. 1t was rather dry by
=, 81. 4. 1. -