Corn Growers' Association. 309 



We put a lot of corn stalks and grass under whenever we find it. 

 If the ground is hard on top, we get only the top pulverized. The 

 question is what is the best method to get the ground pulverized and 

 firm below in order to get that water up from the subsoil. 



A. The earlier you can plow the better. Then the use of a 

 disk and sub-surface packer is about all I can offer with reference 

 to getting the bottom of the furrow-slice pulverized and well con- 

 nected with the subsoil. If the ground is dry when it is plowed it 

 is almost impossible to do this with any kind of a tool, and you must 

 depend almost entirely upon Providence to give you enough rain to 

 put the soil in good seed-bed condition. 



Q. You do not advocate that we must depend upon Providence 

 entirely though, do you? 



A. No, not too much. Of course, we must depend upon Provi- 

 dence, but we must do our part. (Applause.) 



THE FARMERS' BREEDING PLOT. 



CS. M. Jordan, Stanberry, Mo.) 



I would not make the world richer if I could, but I would make 

 it better and happier. If in increasing our crop yields we increase 

 our wealth only, we are making at least a partial failure. If in- 

 creasing our yields means to lighten our burdens, to bring us more 

 and better tools to work with, better houses to live in, and to fill 

 them with more comforts, more music, more and better books, and 

 time to enjoy them, then we are succeeding. If it means to put 

 culture and refinement in our farm homes it will solve the great 

 problem of keeping the best muscle, the best brains of the best boys 

 and the best girls on the farm where they were born. It is this 

 prosperity of generous intelligence that makes our people respond 

 so nobly to calls for aid when disaster befalls our own and other 

 lands. It is this magnanimity that shall awaken the slumbering 

 voice of peace that shall be sounded and be heard around the world. 



In this talk I am not going to tell you what I may do or what 

 you may do, but what I have done. The average from my breeding 

 patch might not be uncommon in a favorable season, but in one such 

 as we had last year I think it very good. About one and a half 

 inches of rain fell from before corn planting until the crop was 

 made. On June 3rd about a half inch of rain fell, and I think the 

 28th of July we had about an inch of rain, so that the rest of the 



