SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I, 9 



the crib in the sprin'g, the ears lined up on a table in front of him, and 

 with note book and pencil, he is listing every ear and kernel, for a test 

 that has no semblance whatever to natural conditions. The next pic- 

 ture would show the same farmer examining the dainty little germs 

 emanating from the kernels, as the moistened newspaper is unfolded 

 and his smile should be large and broad, tlius giving expression to tne 

 joy he feels in making such a fine selection of seed corn. 



The next picture in the series would show the same farmer, about tea 

 days after planting his corn, in the field, upon his knees scratching with 

 all his might, and with both hands, and wondering why that carefully 

 selected and duly tested seed corn had failed to grow. And as he loolcs 

 around and sees the scattered stalks one and two in a hill, with many 

 blanks, his face would lengthen as he looked upon the few tiny stalks, 

 when he had expected a full stand and a strong, vigorous growth. 



The last picture would show the same farmer explaining to his neigh- 

 bors the reason for the poor stand, the planter did not work well, he 

 planted the corn too deep, the weather was too cold, or it was too wet, 

 or perhaps it was too dry, and he did not run the planter deep enough, 

 any or every excuse, for his own carelessness in neglecting to secure his 

 seed corn in a proper manner. 



The next cartoon would show a farmer taking down the ears from 

 racks in a room or attic over his kitchen, with a large regis- 

 ter in the floor over the cooking range, to allow all the vapors and heat 

 to ascend to the room above, and thus secure good ventilation for the 

 kitchen, while at the same time furnishing ideal conditions for drying 

 and preserving seed corn in the ear from October 1st to the planting 

 season. I would show the farmer examining every ear carefully and 

 rejecting any that might have molded or shown other imperfection. 



The next picture would show this farmer removing the butt and 

 tip kernels from the ear, reserving only the uniform sized kernels for 

 seed, and after carefully shelling the corn, I would show him as he 

 adjusted the seed plates on his planter to drop three kernels, neither 

 more nor less, at each stroke of the checkrower. 



The next picture in this series would not show this farmer on his 

 knees in the corn field, scratching with all his might, or calling on his 

 neighbors for seed corn to replant his field, and giving all manner of 

 excuses for the failure of his corn to grow but it would show him with 

 his cultivator in the field, with an almost perfect stand of corn, strong 

 and vigorous stalks, and the assurance of a good growth and a full crop. 

 These pictures are certainly not overdrawn, but are true to life, as 

 I have seen them often in my forty-nine years experience on an Iowa 

 farm. 



While we had in round numbers 9,000,000 acres of corn in Iowa the 

 present year, there is no question now, among those who have personal 

 knowledge and practical experience in corn culture, that all the com 

 stalks produced in Iowa in 1905, if evenly distributed, could have 

 been placed on 7,000,000 acres and there would not have been to exceed 

 three stalks to each hill. 



