American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-03-08

"Oh. ISN'T IT beautifulr' exclaimed
Annie aRd her mother IN one breath.
With the cool air Of night came
scents Of woods and fields, the odors OF
wild flowers. Of growing things. The
air here became heavy with the per
fume Of yellow jasmine: farther on.
the scent Of magnolia blossoms. Sud
denly from high above them a food Of
ripping melody seemed to make the
mOonbeams vibrute.
The mockfng bird-' cried Joe. ITS
the sweetest music In the world, for It
Is the best Of the songs Of all the other
birds. improved by the hooking bird
himselfr'
The joyous rascal seemed to hover
above them IN the enchanted silvery
radiance. for as the wagon rolled in the
gate at bone ,he liquid notes OF the
sweetest songster Of the south followed
family. as If In echo to the memory OF
a perfect day.
Joe's four acre farm was now one
Of the show places Of the neighborhood
The county road ran by II, and al
most any time Of day could be seen a
wagon. a man on horseback or some one
afOot under the shade OF the big oak on
the other side. which extended It's
branches almost across the highway.
Well, did you ever see such cornT'
Why. that corn's so green till it's al
most black-and stalk as big as my
wrist now!'
But. man alive, look at that cotton!-
Jaw. snucks. don't tell me that boy
Of Tom Weston's growed all that stuff
hisself. l believe some Of them govern
mint fellers is a-doin' it"
What you reckon he's done TO that
ground in the little field? Looks din
runt from that outside"
is dif'runt. + granny; that outside
won't hardly grow ragweeds. Just look
how poor 1t IS"
Hey, sonny" the man who said the
government Was doing the work called
to Joe. what you fertihzin' wtthT'
"Brains!' called Joe as he resumed
The corn was now higher than Joe's
head. and as he worked in it, ~effectual-
ly concealed from view, he heard many
amusing conversations regarding him
self and the crop
He noticed that the corr was throw
ing out a circle of short blunt points.
or stems. each about as large around
as a slate pencil. from the two joints
just above the surface of the ground
Joe did not understand what they were.
He looked through his book about
agriculture. his government reports.
the state bulletins. Nowhere did he
& find a word oEorrr rCrD rkrau-fnw orn~ -
radiating circle Of blunt spikes from
the lower joints. He was afraid to let
the subject drop for fear the corr was
not doing properly. He eye remem-
bered seeing anything OF the sort be
fore. but then he reflected that he had
never noticed corn very closely before.
He walked down the path leading to
a distant field where his father was
working to ask him If he knew any
thing about It. There were a few corn.
stalks standing in the edge Of last
years cornield. He parted the ranh
tangle Of weeds about them in the hops
Of finding something there that would
enlighten him.
The old ~cOrnstalks had the same
things on them. only much longer, q
double ring OF them. but each spike
had curved downward and entered tbs
soil. Carefully Joe dug some Of III,
dirt away with his knife blade-and b,
had the secret,
Those rings OF spikes were additiona
main roots. which when they made
connection with the ground sent out (
network OF smaller feeders to gather
~-h,- ~ r1,.e ---l1 49,
each of those spikes was a fbrou:
mass of smaller roots. each spike bein.
the main artery. or pipe. by which wa.
conveyed al the ~sustenance the small
er roots at the end gathered from tn,
soil In the form OF sap 70 the mali
stem of the cornstalk and thence dis
tributed to leaves and other parts o
the plant. Joe sat fat upon the ground
his mind busy with a problem.
Why should the corn be sending our
those additional roots p be asked him
self.
1T must be hungry" his mind an
swered.
Yes. that's true. But why IS i
hungry nowl Why didn't it do tina
/. way before?"
1T IS almost through making stalk.
reason answered. BY the time thOs,
extra roots touch the ground the stalk
win begin to put ~ the rudimentar.
ears. and nature is preparing for th'
extra drain upon the strength OF tn
plant Ii must have more food TO ma
ture the ears OF corn
? CHAPTER VII.
Intensive Corn Cultivation.