The Corn Crop 



By p. G. Holden 



Superintendent Agricultural Extension Department, Iowa Agricultural Ci-llege, 

 Ames, Iowa 



"More corn of better quality on every 

 acre of ground" is the motto of every 

 corn-grower in Iowa. Let us each strive 

 .^^^ j^Hl ^^ grow more and better com this year 



T^ ..^SBr than we did last. This is the secret of 



success. This will make us love our work. 

 Drudgery is work without thought, with- 

 out interest, without love for it. "The 

 man who can make two ears of corn, or 

 two blades of grass, grow on the spot 

 where only one grew before, would de- 

 serve better of mankind and render more 

 essential service to the country than the whole race of politicians 

 put together." 



The average yield of corn in the United States today is about 

 25 bushels per acre. It can be increased to 30, then to 35, and 

 ultimately to 50. 



To produce a good crop of corn we must have good land, good 

 seed, good preparation of the ground and care of the crop, a good 

 season, and last but by no means least, a good man. Important 

 as these things are, I must omit from this short discussion all 

 of them except the question of good seed. 



If I owned the farms of the United States and could give but 

 four orders regarding corn, those orders would be as follows : 



1. That every ear of corn intended for planting be tested, 

 that is, not less than six kernels (better ten) be taken from each 

 ear and sprouted and all weak and bad ears discarded. 



2. That every ear intended for planting be harvested before 

 the fall freezes, and properly preserved. 



3. That the corn be graded and the planter tested and made 

 ready to drop the proper number of kernels. 



4. That the corn be improved by selecting,' for the average 

 farm, say, 100 of the best ears and planting them on one side of 

 the corn field The seed for the following crop to be selected in 

 the fall from the part of the field where the best seed was 

 planted. 



Notice that all of these are things which can be done by every 

 one ; that they cost practically nothing except a little time and 



48 



