Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-10
Selection, Of Seed
Corr, Not Easy Task
Some People Suppose
speci.! to Times Republican.


corn supply Isn't the easy job one at
first thought might think 1t to be this
year." said farmer the other day, and
then he went on, ITS just plain case
OF cause and effect. too. Last year we
selected corn that we thought would
grow and paid no attention to other
qualifications. II the rows of grain
were irregular, the tip poorly filled out,
two or three different kinds of corn on
the same cob we took 1t anyway be-
cause it was the f1rst ear we had ex-
amined for half an hour that looked as
tho 1t would sprout and we had to have
something for seed. 1t is exactly what
hog raiser would expect If he Sc
lected third rate quality of stock for
breeding purposes herd of scrubby
hogs Tor the next year and that is
really what lot OF us have in the way
OF corn this year. We see big prom
lsing looking ear on a stock and when
We examine 1t we find serious defects.
Last year did away with the work Of
seed corn labors for years back with
very many men and they will have to
begin all over again to grade up their
corn. OF course the feeding qualities
are in the grain this year, but If you
VIII look into the matter you will find
IN this seasons fields the effects Of
using seed that the average farmer
would be ashamed OF in ordinary
years"
1t Is noticeable this year that there
Is more Of the white varieties than
usual and many farmers have con-
Guided that on ground somewhat worn
out white corn yields much heavier
than do the yellow varieties.
The corn husking seasons are grow
ing shorter. An illustration of this
was found in the case Of local farmer
who was asked when he expected to
begin husking and who answered, 20,
I'm in no hurry to begin. there won't
be much OF it for me. l have only fif-'
teen acres to pick" He really had out
more than 100 acres Of the crop but
about fifty acres of this was cut up
for fodder. forty five acres was fenced
hog tight and 200 head Of porkers are
already helping themselves to wha:
they find there and only the fifteen
acre tract remains for cribbing. All
over the country are fields OF corn
ranging in extent from the COW yard
size up 10 that of quarter section
and looking as if tornadoes or some
thing worse, IL there is anything worse,
had struck them. They are being
'hCgged down and the corn husking
season, proper, is being lessened JUS;
that much.
In a large field near the railroad
track the other day there was to be
seen big flock OF sheep. 1t had EVIL
IDENTIFY been there for some consider
BILE time for the animals paid little
attention to the passing train. They
were busy with weeds and the blades
of cornstalks. They didn't seem to be,
eating any of the ears that were there
for the taking. They were not only
getting their feed from something that
would soon otherwise become useless
as food but they were cleaning up a.
field foul with weeds and grass. Maybe
there is no such thing as something
for nothing but the sheep pasture
proposition as here described certainly
comes as near to being that as any
thing in the farming or stock raising
line.
The term benefactor has been defined
az "one that makes two blades of grass
to grow where one grew before" OF
course this is to be taken in fgura
tive rather than literal sense but
there is an instance not many miles
from here that involves a combination
of the two. 4 badly run down eighty
acre farm was the beginning Of the
matter. Looked as tho IL was owned
by a widow and such indeed was the
case. a nonresident widow at that.
Everybody has noticed the like, neg
lected grove Of trees, high weeds, tum-
bic down buildings, Uttered up yard
and all, no use of going into particu-
lars. Been rented for, years to men
who under more favorable circum
stances would have kept up farm and
premises in good average condition.
and listed the place with a real estate
man who makes real estate a study
and thinks there's more to the busi-
ness than finding buyers and collect
Ing commissions. This agent knew a
man endowed with a genius for fixing
up farms that needed fixing" Went to
him and offered him the place at a
price that induced him to purchase.
And then followed the transformation.
The little old house was reroofed,
equipped with a porch small but near.
and the whole Hastily painted. The
outbuildings were moved back and
lined up, repaired. painted and set
upon permanent foundations. The
weeds were laid low, grove cleaned up
trash and old machinery in the yards
collected. a good strong woven wire
fence, painted posts and ali. added
well drilled and the former drawback to-
the beauty Of an otherwise fair neigh
borhood has become one of the cosdest
and neatest Of the farms in the whole
community. OF course it required some
capital to do all this. but already the
new owner is being besiesed with APP
plications to rent or buy the little farm
and neighborins farmer told the new
purchaser that what had been done
would have the effect of adding value
to every other place in the neighbor-
hood. OF course there was the idea Of
monetary profit and beyond doubt
this will be realized, but there was
more than this for two blades OF grass
grow here where only one grew be-
FORE"
Recently daily paper ran a news
story of a farmer who started each
OF his sons on farms which he gave to
them as they reached the age Of ma
turity. 1t is fine thing to begin farm
ing as full fledged owner Of an Iowa
farm There are possibilities in
prospect like that. Yet after all some
thing depends on the young man. Up
in an extreme northern Iowa county q