Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-20
SOFT CORN PICKED
SINCE FREEZE WILL BE
VALUELESS AS SEED
Special to Times Republican. 8

Special to Times Republican.
Grinnell, Nov. 20.-In the opinion OF
a very observant young farmer of this
community nature has so arranged
matters this year that many OF his
fellow corn raisers are likely to per-
petrate a shabby trick upon hem
selves In the selecting of their seed
corn supply for hex: spring. Here Is a
situation. the relation of which called
out the expression Of his prediction.
On a farm near here a big crib of corn
was smoking" the other day as II
literally On fire. Men were busy shovel
ing an alley thru the heated grain so
that it might receive air enough to cool
it off. Every now and then a soft ear
was to be noticed in which the unusual
heat and moisture had %sprouted prac11
tically every grain. ANY of 1t VIII
grow" said the owner Of the crib,
pointing out these sorry looking specl-
mems to prove the truth Of his state
ment. And it looked as tho any corn
would indeed be sure growing SEED
when this immature half ripened stun
would send out long. vigorous sprouts
while in the act of burning up. But
the farmer mentioned at the beginning
when told Of this followed his INST
statement with, THAT soft corn thai
sprouted so well must have been put
into the crib before those two freezes
came for they were what killed the
growing qualities Of the u~nripened
corn. Anything picked before those
freezes will grow but it is a very par
~. 49, - ga -~~I ytrknI altar.
ward. I got a small amoun Of seed In
September from my field. l cut some
with a binder and of course had 1t in
shock when those sharp nights came
and 1t is from the insides Of those
shocks that / propose to find the re-
mc:nder OF my next years seed corn.
hunting all over frosted fields Tor
me-. The inside bundles Of those shocks
were protected from frost and freeze
and the ears in them will be safe
risks
Corn huskins was practically sus-
pended turnout this section two or
three days last week and e~verywhere
the cribs already filled were being
opened and emptied or sorted over in
attempts to w what might be OF their
contents. Some farmers are preparing
10 throw their corr in long piles on
the ground or on bundles OF fodder laid
on the ground. One man went to town
and came home with a lot Of woven
wire which he proposes to use in build
ing a long narrow enclosure eight teet
high over which he expects TO put a
good board roof when it is hlled. Men
are hunting the country over ana
making trips to other states Tor stock
to eat up this corn which they have
raised at great expense and LABOR anu
which If not soon consumed threatens
to become worthless IN a time OF ex-
tremely high prices and great demand.
II such a thing were possible and a
dealer were to come at daylight 10
Grinnell with 10000 head Of good stock
hogs he probably could sell every ami
NAL in the lot before night to indiivd-
ual farmers tributary to the city.
The daily paper taking habit GER
tainly has a strange hold on our men
in these times. Drafting n senolns
to the camps for military training
doesn't DO a thing toward shaking II
off. TN pay for the T.-R- a year IN
advance, I am subject to the next a
but l can take he paper with me TO
Camp Dodge II I go" remarked one
Young farmer the other day.
There is a radical readjustment COM
ing on some Of the farmers next year
toe, unless exemptions are granted on
a wholesale scale. The big stock
farms especially where pure bred hogs
and cattle are produced will be
especially affected. In many instances
these are being conducted by a father
and son and everywhere the former Is
insisting that IT will be impossible for
him to proceed with the business as
his partner can not be replaced should
he be called to serve his country as
a soldier.
It Is interesting to follow the
activities of a man born and reared to
an occupation. forsaking It awhile ana
then returning to his first o possibly
mt until the neriod OF life when some