582 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



objects in corn culture. Do not confound the surface shovels with the 

 surface knives. I have not tried the knives, but from observation I do 

 not like their work so well. 



I believe the variety of corn grown affects the yield more than people 

 are willing to concede. The standard varieties, I believe, are Boone 

 County White, Learning and Reid's Yellow Dent. Several years ago 

 I brought the latter variety direct from Illinois and planted it side by 

 side with seed selected from my own cribs, a mongrel variety that I 

 had been trying for several years to breed up. Planted under the same 

 circumstances and at the same time, it out-yielded the mongrel bred corn 

 twenty bushels per acre. Since then I have planted no other variety and 

 nothing looks like corn to me but Reid's Yellow Dent. 



Indeed, to touch up the various phases and divergent incidentals 

 which go to make up the possibilities of Iowa as a corn-producing state 

 would require days instead of the minutes allowed me. I shall not at- 

 tempt it, but will summarize a little and then pass on to the probabilities. 



I believe an increase per acre can be brought about in about the 

 following percentages: 



In better preparation of seed bed 15 per cent 



Better selection of seed 20 per cent 



Propagation from prolific ears 20 per cent 



More general use of the testing-box 25 per cent 



A better distribution of stand 20 per cent 



Better cultivation 20 per cent 



Variety of corn 10 per cent 



All other causes 20 per cent 



This makes 150 per cent, and 150 per cent of 32.5 added to 32.5 gives 

 us a little over eighty bushels per acre. This, I believe, entirely pos- 

 sible on Iowa soil in favorable years. Owing to various reasons I do not 

 look for the average yield to go above fifty bushels in the next ten years. 

 The num'ber of acres devoted to corn in this state the present year, as 

 given by the United States Department of Agriculture, is 8,767,597, and by 

 the state department at about 9,000,000. This, I believe, to be the high- 

 est acreage that will ever be devoted to corn in Iowa. Indeed, I look 

 for the corn area of the state to fall to about 8,000,000 acres and remain 

 there permanently. The farmers are beginning to leam that they can not 

 grow com on the same land year after year at a profit. Nature has 

 called a halt and called in no uncertain tones. And he who will not 

 now must in the end heed that cry. 



It would seem when the God of Nature created the corn belt he had 

 in mind selfish man, who was afterward to invade that fertile plain and 

 grow this king of all the cereals. 



Corn is a gross feeder and derives its sustenance entirely from the 

 soil. iMan's greed would induce him to grow corn continuously and 

 thus exhaust the fertility of this great soil, if nature did not call a halt. 

 But a plague of insects like unto those sent among the Egyptians of 

 old has been cast among us and much as we would like to grow corn 

 in our own way and on what field we saw fit, the insects cry halt, and I 

 believe they are here to stay. 



