322 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



The corn plant of today is far different from the plant of 

 centuries ago in its general mechanism, and in none of our agri- 

 cultural plants has there been a greater change than in the evolu- 

 tion of the corn plant. 



Corn sustained the pilgrim fathers, and has been a staple 

 article of food for man and beast since the discovery of this con- 

 tinent. Its relation to the prosperity of the nation has been strik- 

 ingly illustrated. Poor crops is said to have been responsible in a 

 large measure for the hard times of the early nineties. Mr. Co- 

 burn has styled it "The Barometer of Trade." It is a well known 

 fact that a "bumper" corn crop stimulates agriculture in all its 

 branches, and gives commerce in general a vitality and activity, 

 which would otherwise be wanting. But it is as a food for stock 

 that corn serves its chief purpose, although millions of bushels 

 are used by the manufacturers, distillers and starch factories. Its 

 use as human food is also increasing. Large exports of it in some 

 form or another has also increased in recent years, and promises 

 continued growth and we believe that low priced corn is a thing 

 of the past. 



First prize bushel of yellow corn; also, sweepstakes bushel,, at Missouri State Corn Show, 



1908. 



Its uses are too numerous and the territory in which it can 

 be grown too limited to warrant prices current some years ago, 

 when considerable quantities were burned as fuel in Kansas and 

 Nebraska. 



