The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-08-29
Corn to Mature
in Short Season
We Already Have Varieties
Requiring High Tempera-
lures While Growing.

prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)
The synthetic" development of a
variety Of corn that will grow and ma
ture under conditions of short season
and cool weather will be attempted by
the corn investigators Of the United
States Department of Agriculture from
a collection of 200 sample varieties of
corn brought to the department by
Frederick D. Richey, agronomist in
charge of corn investigations, who has
just returned from an exploration trip
through the Andean highlands Of
South America in company with Il. A.
Emerson of Cornell university.
Varieties Mature in Short Season.
1--WE already have varieties Of corn
In this country that will mature in
short season." said Mr.. Richey, but
they require high temperatures during
the growing season. They are suit
able for certain localities along the
northern edge of the corn belt,
but there are other places in the
Northwest, as in Idaho, Montana and
Wyoming, where the temperatures are
low as well as the seasons short, and
we hope to be able to develop vari-
ETY. that will make corn growing in
these sections safe enterprise. This
will have to be done, not by the mere
Introduction Of foreign varieties, but
by crossing and combining the ability
Of our native corn to mature In short
season with the ability of the South
American corn to mature at low tenn
peratures."
Most of the samples brought back
oy Mr.. Richey were found growing at
attitudes Of from 1000 to- 11,00O feet,
and some as high as 12.C00 feet in the
mountains of Bolivia and Peru. Corn
natures In these attitudes in q eli
mate which is 20 degrees colder than
that Of this country. Thus, Mr.. Richey
found native varieties growing and ma
turing in spite Of an average tempera-
lure for the year Of so degrees F., while
the average minimum temperature dur
Ing the growing season was as low as 80
degrees. In our corn belt an average
minimum Of IS degrees night tempera-
ture Is considered the limit. The
average temperature during the entire
growing season is 72 degrees. The
season for the corn crop in these south
ern countries is from 12O to $50 days,
while few varieties in the northern
edge of our own corn belt mature in
80 days.
Experiments in Peru.
On the trip through Peru Mr. Richey
had the opportunity to observe va
rieties of corn from our own country
growing In comparison with native
corn. These experiments were on the
farms of the Urso mission near Calca,
Peru, under the direction of T. E.
Payne, who is in charge Of the mis-
sion. All of the United States vari-
cites there were of acknowledgement
color, and did not look healthy, said
Mr.. Richey, while the native varieties
were dark green and healthy. Like
wise varieties from Peru which have
previously been tried in the United
States have not done well here. It is
not possible, therefore. to introduce
these South American sorts as such
and expect them to be adapted to the
conditions Of our corn belt. The prob
lem is rather one Of crossing and
breeding, In which the characteristics
Of the varieties instead Of varieties as
whole are considered. The develop
ment Of the desired varieties will be
a long incorporation, but the in
vestigators are encouraged to believe
In the ultimate success of the venture
by the results obtained in other ex-
detrimental work with corn at the de-
partment.
The development of variety of
corn that will grow and mature at a
low temperature in short seasons will
enable many areas in the United
States to grow corn, where the crop
will be Of value not only for itself but
because of Its use in rotation.