News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-06-07
| Cont inued. I

very well. III order enough fO
you. And, Joe, I've got a corn tina
will make two ears to the stalk eel
tain, the grower says
''I'm going to breed me a three AM
four ear variety" said Joe.
you're a-goin' to do what?' inquire
his father SarcaStically.
Breed a three and four ear variety.
Tom Weston laughed. "Folks breed
cattle an sich, but never heered moth
in of 'breedin' corn" he said.
"How do you suppose this two ca
variety We are going to plant got start
ed, then, Tom?" inquired Mr.. Somer
vile.
"Why-why-er- is-er-it's jes
that sort of corn" he f1oundered.
certainly it is, but why did it hap
pen to be that sort?"
"Well, I'm blamed if 1 know, to tel
the truth about it."
eff you'd read some of Joe's books
you'd find out lot of things you don't
know. Now tell your dad, Joe, how
you are going to breed three cal
corn"
Joe was embarrassed. but plunged
bravely in.
at takes several years to do it,
daddy. Now. this seed corn we are get
ting is fixed at two ears TO the stalk
We can depend on that much. If we
give it all the plant food it can take
some of it is going to show three ears.
but the third ears are not going to be
much more than nubbins.'
"Well, / don't see no advantage in
them nubbins.
Yes, sir: nubbins are good to feed
hogs on. But if we go through that
field and pick out the best stalks with
three ears on them and then pick the
most perfect ears from the lot and
plant the seed from them next year,
the nubbins will be bigger, and more of
them on an average, and maybe some
of the stalks will show-shOw"-
"Rudimentary ears" said Mr. Somer-
vile.
Thanks; 1 couldn't remember it, but
it means just the beginning of an ear
not developed. Then, if the best of
those stalks is saved for seed, next year
the rudimentary ears will be larger
Il begin to sort of catch ON now"
said Tom Weston.
Each year the selected seed, the
best of the last years crop, will in time
produce a perfect third ear, and sew
eral years of this work will fix the
habit of the corn so that every stalk
can be depended on to bring three ears.
Then a person can keep on"
"Well, if that amt the plump limit"
mo, sir; not the limit. I'm going to
have four ear corn before l quit
"You reckon all that is really true? p
asked Tom Weston.
'Of course it is, Tom. 1t has been
proved too many times to doubt it. 1t
is just a question of care and pa
tience."
"Well. well, well! Why, if Joe gets
that corn up to four ears he's got
pretty good thing, amt he?"
scot fortune. 1t would sell for So
bushel for seed"
"Whew.'
"And q four ear corn ought to make
200 bushels to the acre without bit
of trouble. and 200 bushels at So is
$1,000 an acre, isn't it. dada" His ia
ther gaZed at him with unwonted re-
spect.
'"Think I'll borry some of them books
of yourn and do some readin' myself"
said Tom. but / never had no chance
when / was a chap, an readin' is pow
erful slow work fer me. I've done
mighty little of it too"
you can't start any sooner, Tom"
said the merchant.
That's right. just learned that
much"
81 came in TO talk TO you about that
fourth acre, Mr.. Somerville," said Joe.
"Our yam potato oneT
"Yes, sir. We ought to raise more
than potatoes on it."
Can WEI"
"Yes, sir"
"Then it's our duty to do it. We
ought to do it."
81 thought so, but you're my part
her, and 1 thought you ought to have a
say about it."
well, l say plant it. but / don't
know what to suggest-early corn?'
mo, sir; couldn't get that off in time.
] was thinking of putting in a crop of
extra early English peas and snap
beans and radishes and getting them
off in time to plant the potatoes. We
don't have to plant them until along in
June"
"That amt farmin', that's truck
CROWN" said Mr.. Weston.
Don't care what you call 1t. it's
making money out of the ground" as
lserted Joe.
Seems to be a pretty good idea to
me, except we can't sell all that stuff
around here"
Nearly everybody in Brierfeld's got
gardens and wouldn't pay fancy prices
tor garden sass nohow," said Joe's ia
Their
Il know that, daddy, but I'm going
to LET Mr.. Somerville do the selling.