West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-08


father one day, "5e sure you're right,
thon 90 ahead"
life giving element does not fall upon
the silk OF the ears there will he no
corn except imperfect, dwarfed grains
OF no vitality. After the beautiful silk
has performed its life work Il 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
n 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 II. and be
low the third ear a faint, rudimentary
fourth ear, just a suspicion OF an ear.
II was the only stalk OF its kind in the
whole acre
This stalk, he decided. was 10 DO the
parent OF a variety that the next year
would show three good ears and a
more clearly defined fourth one. He
would plant the seed in a patch by IT.
self, 50 the pollen from inferior yarie-
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 a countryman one
day, refining Up his team, Il want to
get some OF that corn Tor seedl VIII
you sell itT"
Yes, sir, after Il has been measured
by the committee. Can't touch e until
then"
"All right; want some. what do
you ask for itY
Two dollars and a hair q bushel for
selected seed"
'su1erin' Moses. that's mighty steep.
JOer'
Yes, and it's mighty good corn too.
Il win make three times as much as
POO have been getting. with tho right
Treatment"
We'll, reckon It's wuth n. Put mo
dOwu Tor two bushels. and III norste
he news armand that you'H sell for
that price"
The last week ia July brought tho
hrst open cotton bou There were bun
dreds Of others cracking, ready 20
Durst with The beautiful snow white
/ macs u nber
Zoo romemborod reading tf,at the alb
Sencs % trash, grit o. dlscoiorations In
cotton wns worth several dollars a
bale. lie recalled how his father and
me other farmers would d0-wait until
nearly the whole crop had ODened be.
foro starting Tho picking The lowest
limbs ~ tho cotton stalk maturcd fbelg
fruit first and often the wind or rain
would cause the cotton 10 fall 70 the
ground. % be beaten into tho dirt. dis
colorod, Oiled with grit aud sticks and
leaves
Then tho picking would 60 forward
in rush. The sacks the pickers car
ned would b. emDded right on tho
ground NJ tho ends of the rows and tho
cotton scooped up from there with r
shovel, a pitchfork or IN armfuls and
thrown into an open wagon bed. Then
some ono, often With muddy feet would
tramp The loose cotton So tho wagon,
INJECTING more dirt and discolorationa.
Joe determined bis cution should be
handled differently. There was an
ABANDONED negro cabin near The Goid