The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-18

ritory given over to thDS" great pi-
0ne.r crops, wheat and naN. There
was a day, not 80 long ago, Wlrfi
the unique corn palac" AT Mitch'Il.
South Dakota stood as an outpost
marking tn. farlhcSt advance Of
corn production in its westward
and northward course. Today Their"
is no longer need for a corn palace"
and great corn show n Mltrhril
To demonstrate to the world IN"
Germ growing possibilities OF that
country. Southern ana central Scout n
Dakota are now definitely II part
Of the corn belt, and the frontier
has been flung into North Dakota.
1t is altogether fitting ana Hprr"-
pirate, therefore, that today BIS
marck. on" OF 'hr new "n'poS, :
along the corn skirmiSh line. should
follow in tn" footsteps of Mitchell
a., herald to he world, through the
tArtium Of this exposition, tn" IN
formation that the udVaIr"" Of this
great American crop has definitely
rca ch"d central and western North
Dakota.
4 Historical Setting
4 corn show, staged on the bank :
Of tn" Missouri river at this point,
has also a Historical setting of great
significance, and | query whether
tn. lessons from the early history of
Germ grow ing by tn" Indians Of this
reg ION nave ever bF"it properly cap
ltaiiZ"d: and certainly the d"vclOp-
rnrnt of the industry among the or
iEiual inhabitants of this country is
not well known in the nation. To
be sure. history tells us that corn,
or maize. was originally introduced
into this country from tn, tribes "f
Mexico and tn" Carib Of tn" West
Indies long before the first appear
anc" OF Europeans on this continent,
and was extensively cultivated by
practically all Of tn" tribes of the
vast regions east OF III" Missouri
river and northward somewhat be"
yond the line OF the Great Lakes
and the st. Lawrence river. jacques
cartier. the first European to enter
the st. Lawrence river, observed
large fields Of growing maize on the
site of the present city of Montreal
IN 1874, but il is not generally
known that corn growing held Il
very important place with many OF
th- tribes "f the Upper Missouri.
TAR north o. the Sc-Called corn belt.
ON the first visit Of tlt" white men
TO tn" Hlda rsa. .Ajil,Ira ana Man
dan tribes living along the Missouri
river and its tributaries in North
la kOta miss, ii is recorded that
they found Il more highly developed
system "t corn culture than was
practiC"d by any OF the eastern
tribes, and archaeological evidence
secured frCm Indian remains in
this vicinity indicates that Bismarck
was definitely in the corn belt three
or four hundred years ago, even
though this region may not be so
classified today.
No doubt many are not familiar
with the fact that the Lewis and
clark Expedition reached the terri
tory OF western Dakota in 1904. dcs-
IitU, Of food. and had it not been
H. n ~ Il ~,
villa ees Of the Mandans they could
not nave successfully settled on the
present sit OF Fort Clark and con-
tinucd the next year their further
explorations. Interesting suhStan-
tiatiuns OF this fact are found run
Lewis Clark Expedition. Under
cate OF November -, 1901, just
about III years ago today, is found
this statement:
ROuxht Corn From Indians
Morning was fine and the day
warm. We purchased from the Man
dams a quantity of corn of miNcd
from holes made near the front OF
their lodges in which it is buried
during the winter. \ perogue and
live men We're dispa tched, under di-
rection of Sergeant Pryor. to the
second village for l00 bushels, but
u
Perhaps, after all, therefore, w.
may now be engaged in the second
conquest Of North Dakota as a grca [
corn growing region. 1t is at least
altogether appropriate that in this
ne" age OF corn development and
Scirntiic agriculture there be cs-
1aDliShed on ground historically Su =
cred to every student of corn grow =
ing an exposition OF this character.
~ should serve the double purpose
OF discriminating a knowledee OF
the adapted types of corn and meth
ndS OF corn culture; and at the same
'ine publish TO the nation the fac,
mat the white farmer OF North pa.
Eota rs following in the footsteps
OF ms indian predecessors and plac-
ing his reliance on that crop which,
4"o Years ago, was found to be the
most reliable agricultural product
OF the Upper Missouri: and that
westward and northward the corn
belt Is pushing it's way for the sec
nnd time
Diversified or balanced farming.
is quite generally believed to be the
solution for many agricultural diff
licultleS in this state and | believe
country that has had an enduring
agricultural prosperity under a one
crop system. Ii then the rotation
or crops and the development Of "A
livestock enterprise on every farm
seems 10 be the agreed program for
larlhinS III TINS state, corn raising
should be encouraged to take y
larger and more important part in
our agricultural operations, as no
rotation is complete without an in
terrified or cultivated crop, such as
toIn' ana no crop seems to mesh in
ton quite so well as corn. a large
replacement Of small grain acreage
with corn will be but "A repetition
OF agricultural history in every
state of the middle west, as whea,
raising has receded before the foot
auVanclng population, in it's course
rom east to west. 1t is important,
therefore, from the standpoint oi
agriculture in North Dakota. that
Whatever possible attention be di
rected TO the necessity for increased
rcfn acreage, but ii is likewise i'm
portant that we expand the acreage
OF this crop in the west from the
standpoint of our national welfare
Corn Production Greatest Ind ustry
corn production is now the great
est single Industry of the nation,
sooOO, and occupying lO5 900, 600
acres or our most valuable land. The
uses OF this great crop are many and
varied. Not only does it constitute
e,he chief food, product for animals.
put u likewise enters into the man
ufacture of more items Of human
1000 than any. other farm crop. 1t
IS nor only Of vital Importance to
the agricultural industry as a whole,
but 1t Is interviewer in the CONNER
ciai and industrial fabric of the ma
Ton. such being: the case. the fact
thaf population is outstripping the
ability - tn corn belt proper to
produce a sufficient amount OF corn
for our national needs Is matter
OF much concern to economists. 4
study of the figures OH corn acreage
suggests that no further increases in
acres planted to the crop or i'm
bushels produced may be expected
In the strictly corn states Of the
middle west. Acreage there has
been either at standstill or reced-
Ing for. the past five years. Iowa
was planting 9,8O4.O0O acres in
] 1893, and 1855, 900 acres in 1924, an
increase Of slightly less than a mil
lion acres in 26 years. Illinois was
planting 1O.266,O00 acres in 1899.
and 9,l77.OOO acres in 1921 a de.