The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1916-03-02

thought of piautin' until seen him Do
it. Then I've pIowed deep five acres
also an bedded it up for corn an cot
ton, only l amt put no leaves in 1t OF
fertilizer want to see if there's any
thing to all this"
"Now, that's the talk. If there IS
you are considerably ahead, and If
there isn't you haven't lost anything
but some time"
That's the way l figgered it."
"Joe, I'm about ready to order the
cotton seed and the seed corn" said
Mr.. Somerville.
Nov, that's another thing" said
Tom Weston. II wanted to see if you'd
order the same sort for mo you an Joe
plant. Pears to me the corn We raise
around here oughter have two ears on
hit Std of one The stalks there, an
hit amt no more trouble to have an
other ear on hit an get twicet as much
corn? Joe and Mr.. Somerviue ex-
changed brief smiles.
why, Tom, you are getting to be a
sort Of book farmer yourself"
THAT amt no book farmin'. That's
just boss sense"
THAT is all book farming is, just the
latest and newest and most reliable
common sense, only it is just more
common sense than most Of us have
thought of, that's all"
What cotton have you selected, Mr..
Somerville?" asked Joe.
"a sort the government has tested
on ten experiment farms in this lati-
tude for the last four years. 1t aver
ages three weeks ahead of anything We
have, and the staple, or fiber, of the
cotton is over an inch long. 1t is said
to be a very heavy bearer also. 1t
ought to bring a fine price if kept free
of dirt and trash and stain"
"All right, sir. That's the kind we
want"
les order me enough of that, too,
SOS l can plant three acres, will yOu?"
asked Tom Weston.
Glad to do It, Tom. The price is
bit steep. though"
Don't care what the price is. If it
makes cotton like you say it does / can
we'll afford to buy it, and I'll sell the
seed myself next fall to folks around
here. 1t beats any cotton ever growed
around this country"
Every well. I'll order enough for
you. And, Joe, I've got a corn that
will make two ears to the stalk GER
tain, the grower says"
I'm going to breed me a three and
four ear variety" said Joe.
you're a-goin' to do whatY' inquired
his father sarcastically.
Breed a three and four ear variety"
Tom Weston laughed. Folks breed
cattle an SIGH, but | never heered moth
in of 'breedin' corn" he said.
How do you suppose this two ear
variety we are going to plant got start
ed, then, Tom?" inquired Mr.. Somer
vile.
"Why-why-er- is-er-it's jest
that sort of corn" he foundered.
Certainly it is, but why did it hap
pen to be that sort?"
"Well, I'm blamed If | know, to tell
the truth about it,
IF 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 ear
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; 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"
II 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 a four ear corn before | quit"
you reckon all that is really true?"
asked Tom Weston.
'Of course it is, Tom. 1t has been
proved too many times to doubt it. 1t
is just question of care and pa
tience."
well, well, well! Why, if Joe gets
that corn up to four ears he's got a
pretty good thing, amt he?"
"GOt fortune. 1t would sell for S.
a bushel for seed"
"Wheww
And four ear corn ought to make
200 bushels to the acre without a bit