Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-03-08
COUNTY IS SHORT
ON SEED CORN
BANKERS OF COUNTY DISCUSS
SEED CORN SITUATION AND
FORM ORGANIZATION
AMFS EXPERT TO MAKE TESTS


AMFS EXPERT TO MAKE TESTS
Farmers Urged to Take Great Care
! in Procuring Seed for 1916 Crop
! Of Corn.
Bankers of Delaware county held
/ a meeting in the court house last
Friday to discuss the seed corn sit
uation of the county. Representatives
from all of the banks of the county
were present. County Superintend-
ent F. P. Walker, who had some cor
respondence' with the officials of the
Agricultural college at Ames stated
the object of the meeting, and after
some discussion of the situation a
County Seed Corn association was
formed. According to the opinions
expressed by the men who represent
ed every section of the county good
home grown seed corn is about as
scarce as hens teeth. In some. in
stances farmers had hoped to be
able to get seed from cribs Of 1914
corn, but after testing found that the
corn was of poor terminating quality
It was the opinion of most Of the
bankers that practically all of the
seed corn will have to be procured
from outside of the county.
Among the bankers and bank rep
resentatives present at the meeting
were M. Lilhs, Masonville; ]. ]. Dol
|phin, Ryan; VIM. c.. Cawey, II. c.
Seeds, Burton Clark, w. H. Norris,
F. B. Wilson, A. r. Leroy, E. H.
Hoyt, Manchester; Ed Bisgrove and
D. F. Laxson, Earlville; w. S. John
son, J. A. Johnson and F. E. William
son, Hopkinton; J. L. Gilbert and E.
C. Henser, Dundee; w. B. Robinson
and c. A. Swindell Robinson; and
G. D. Thompson, Lamont.
An organization was perfected with
the following as officers: President,
Supt. F. P. Walker; secretary, F.. B.
Wilson; treasurer, Fl. G.. Seeds. Fol-
one representative farmer from each
township was named as the chairman
of a township committee from each
township. These farmers from the
various townships constitute the coun
ity committee. The county committee
and the officers Of the association
constitutes the executive cmomittee,
under whose direction the organiza-
tion will work.
The financial end of the project
was provided for by assessing each
bank in the county $40, and the four
banks of Manchester $40 each.
.ss..5> Work OF Committee.
.% To district the township and locate
all men who need seed corn and the
quality needed. ''-'' Z
To locate all cribs of old corn and
quality. Get samples to test, and
price per hi.s' el
Arrange meeting for seed corn ag-
ent in central part of township and
get the people out. See that each
person in the township is spoken to
or phoned to concerning the meeting.
Get each teacher in the township
to announce the meeting to their pu-
pills and get them to take the word
home to their parents.
Convey the seed corn agent
throughout the township to the var
ious cribs of old corn and assist in
getting samples Of corn for testing
purposes. A price should be secured
upon the seed corn at the time the
samples are collected.
The township committee shall keep
ia record of all available seed and if
enough seed is not found in the town.
ship, the township committee shall
locate a supply in other, townships
or nearby counties and report price
and test to their township and assist
lin buying if necessary.
If the township has more seed than
1T needs the township committee will
report to the County Committee and
the County Committee will publish
and distribute this information
throughout the county.
Seed Corn Agent.
In order that this work of locat-
ing, testing and distributing seed
corn can be carried on successfully,
"a man known as seed corn agent
will be emloyped. The Agricultural
Extension Department of the Iowa
State College will pay his salary for
"a period of not to exceed three or
four weeks time and the county Or
ganization will pay all railroad fare
and hotel bills and furnish prompt
and free conveyance, either by auto
or team, through the various town
ships
One meeting arranged by the town.
ship committee shall be held in each
county in the afternoon or evening.
At the meeting the information Sc
cured through the efforts Of tie town.
ship committee and the seed corn
agent will be presented. Methods of
testing corn will be thoroughly dis
cussed and arrangements made to 10:
cate sufficient seed for the township.
1t will be the particular business
of the seed corn agent to get as many
people as possible to test each ear
Of corn which they expect to plant.
Instructions shall also be issued as
to how the seed corn should be hand
led on the farms from now on until
planting time.
County Superintendents, school
superintendents and rural teachers
will be urged to conduct tests of
seed corn in the schools. Rural schCo
children will be urged to select one
farmer (preferably their father) for a
partner and for whom they will test
seed corn.
In case any county desires to re-