The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-22
Proved by the Years

Proved by the Years
When North Dakotas corn grower.
gather here next week for their tenth
annual state corn show it will be a
vastly different proposition from the
first faint burgeonings of few en-
thusiasts in the distant past.
When white men came to this coun-
try they found fields Of maize or In
dian corn. Unquestionably 1t was one
of the first crops ever to be grown in
this Missouri valley.
A few took heed of the fact and
this section has never entirely ignor-
ed the value of this great crop. The
first settlers brought corn with them
or acquired seed from the Indians,
but it never was a major crop until
recent years.
For the white man brought with
him also his own ideas and concep-
lions and successful operation Of great
wheat farms in the eastern part Of
this state made the bread grain king
in North Dakota. Because wheat was
successfully grown in the Red River
valley, there was tendency to con-
tinue that success as settlers moved
westward. Thus it was that North
Dakota gained fame as the bread
basket of the world. Strawburners
snCrted at threshing time and the
golden grain reigned supreme. Corn
was almost lost sight Of as major
crop.
But further development of the
country caused turn in the tide.
Wheat did not always do we'll. There
came dry years and the observant
noted that at such times corn was a
better crop than wheat.
Also there was the question of feed
and forage for livestock. for DIVERSE
fled farming was coming into its own.
The vast ranches and ranges had been
broken up into farms and one-crop
farming no longer was profitable.
Another noticeable fact was that
those who had always raised at least
q little corn generally Jared better
than their neighbors. They had cat
70 az of Nd tn Ia Ioi,
COW and the hen We're beginning to
assume more important part in the
economic scheme of things. Pigs and
livestock mean the need for corn, and
50 the value of this crop increased
and more acreage was given to it.
Oscar H. Will and others preached
the gospel far and wide and there
were plenty of illustrations to point
the moral. AS the need became more
and more apparent the acreage of corn
increased.
Finally, enthusiasm for what this
crop could mean to this section if it
were given more emphasis brought
the state corn show into being.
Like many another project of vast
Importance it began hunlbly enough.
It was housed wherever room for it
could be found and, in its initial
stages, it was not an impressive spec
tacle. Neither was the prize list i'm
posing in its length.
But the farmers of North Dakota
came and looked. Many of them
marveled that such corn could be pro-
duced in the state. They took stock
Of their own situation and a certain
proportion of them each year decided
to add corn to their crop list Thus
interest in the corn show and the
number Of exhibits grew. Business.
men Of Bismarck and of other cities
got behind the idea and pushed,
shoulder to shoulder with the farmer.
Today we have many farmers in
North Dakota who devote mcse
acreage to corn that to wheat. The
value and quality of the crop has
shown steady increase and improve
nent. The scoffers of yesterday are
the converts Of today.
Corn has brought with it new pos
sibilities and new hopes, even In times
such as these. In good years and in
poor ones 1t has demonstrated its
worth. It passed the experimental
stage long ago and now Is a. basic
part of agricultural economics as is
wheat.
The one corn show of yester year
has been supplanted by scores in all
sections Of the state, held each year
as preliminary to the state exhibit
ut Bismarck. This exhibit now is
sort Of big brother to others where
the interest Is keen and intense.
one Of these days North Dakota
may have . slogan to rival that of