The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-09

wv plant? is a question many
W farmers of Montana are
asking themselves about this time
of the year. When it comes to a
question of what kind of seed, the
best is none too good and skimping
few cents on the price of seed
is mighty poor business. Grow
the finest kind of corn that climate
and soil will permit. But beware
of one thing, don't get your sights
too high or you'll miss the target.
In other words, don't get the notion
that you can grow Illinois or Iowa
types of corn in Montana because
that means that you are trying to
fight nature. Nature is mighty
good scout to get along with if you
cooperate but if you start to fight
YOU'RE licked before you start.
Just remember this. Corn was
once at home only in the heat of
the tropics and sub-tropics. Then
! gradually Indian tribes moved it
northward. Just as slowly but
surely the sensitive corn plant be-
gan to adjust itself to its surround
ings. 1t probably started out as a
big husky twelve footer, carrying
ears shoulder high, but the further
north the Indians brought it, the
shorter the growing season, the
cooler the days and night became.
But the corn plant accommodated
itself to each change and one of
the most interesting and important
facts of history, is the story of In
dian corn grown by Indian tribes
occupying the Missouri river bot
toms in North Dakota. Using such
crude implements as a buffalo
shoulder blade, willow rake and a
pointed stick, these agricultural red
men were successfully raising corn
before the coming of the white
man.. Lewis and Clark bought
loads of corn from the Indians.
The twelve-foot grass called
corn which started out from the
tropics, pushed its way further and
further toward the arctic regions,
constantly getting shorter in its
journey and bearing ears closer
to the ground. The sensitive and
sensible corn plant had not tried to
fight nature. Quite the contrary,
it proceeded to adjust itself, and
the drier, cooler and shorter the
growing season, the shorter the
corn stalk, the more suckers pres
ent, the lower and shorter the ears,
the shallower, smoother and flint
Ter the kernal.
From this brief history of corn
comes the lesson to plant only that
kind of corn which has become &C
climated to the region in which it
is to be grown. 1t has taken many
years to develop a corn that will
grow and mature in this country
and it would take a great many
years to adapt corn that was i'm
ported from warmer, longer sea-
soned regions at the present time.
The sensible and only thing to do
is to plant those strains which
have already been adapted.
If it is desired to grow corn for
hogging off purposes where mature
ears will be assured the varieties
known as Jehu and Dakota White
Flint are recommended. They fit
materially into Montana conditions
are short of stalk, usually have a
large number of suckers, bear small
ears covered with flinted rounded
kernels, are efficient in the use of
soil moisture and are capable of
developing to maturity, in 20 to
90 days, depending upon the loca-
ton. Such varieties are especially
adapted to harvesting by livestock.
Ii more fodder and fairly de-
pendable ear corn is desired, GER
tain varieties of early dent corn
such as Pioneer, Rustlers White
Dent and Square Deal are adapted.
These varieties are not as early as
the flints, do not generally produce
ears as heavily or as surely, but
the stalks are taller, can be harvest
ed with machinery and furnish
fairly good yields of fodder. Such
corn is not given to much sucker
ing, the stalks are fine and the
kernals shallow and quite rounded,
requiring so to 100 days for matur-
ity.
For fodder and silage purposes
a variety should be grown that will
reach the glazing stage, often rip
en1nO IF &c n t,,;cfo1Ja 70 crrOuy 2