§4 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Prof. Mum ford — That was threshed out pretty well today and some 

 decided that he should while others decided that he should not, and 

 my opinion is that it will not help matters for us to continue the dis- 

 cussion on that subject here. It is a question in my mind. Every 

 man should not be a breeder of purebred cattle or horses and it is a 

 question in my mind if every farmer should try to breed pedigreed corn. 

 It is a nice theory and it is a nice business, so far as that is concerned, 

 but the average farmer is concerned with making money and if every 

 farmer was a breeder of corn, I am afraid tliey would be like Kilkenny 

 cats. But it is safe to say this, that it might be profitable for every 

 farmer here to go home and have a breeding plat next year. This 

 question lies with the farmer. 



Q. ' Will a general planting of the Hallet wheat reduce it to the 

 original ? 



Prof. Mumford — I expect that is aimed at me because I had some- 

 thing to say about Hallet wheat here today. It is a principle which 

 applies to the breeding of plants and animals that in order to main- 

 tain them to the state of development to which they have been brought 

 under certain conditions, those same conditons must apply. The Short- 

 horn and Hereford breeds of cattle have been developed under high 

 conditions of feeding, care and shelter. These cattle will not main- 

 tain their high excellence and quality under poor conditions of feed 

 and shelter, and no improved variety of wheat or corn, under careless 

 handling will maintain the good qualities which have been brought by 

 good conditons. 



Q. Which would be the most profitable, to plant corn checked or 

 drilled? 



Prof. Mumford — Is it more profitable to grow corn in hills three 

 or four feet each way or in rows or drills as we say ? I will call on Mr. 

 Laughlin to answer that question, 



Mr. Laughlin — It is better on my farm to grow in hills because the 

 cultivation can be carried on both ways, and if we have a wet season we 

 can get the weeds. 



Q. What constitutes the best seed corn for the Missouri River 

 bottom land? 



Prof. Mumford — There are two questions here by different per- 

 sons on the same subject, "What is the best variety of corn for river 

 bottom land in the State of Missouri?" Who has some varieties of 

 corn growing on river bottom lands? I suppose nearly everyone who 

 has had experience in growing corn on river bottom land would recom- 

 mend two varieties for Missouri — they may not be the only ones but 

 there are two varieties that have given uniformly high yields on 



