Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1914 — Crop Improvement [ARTICLE]

Crop Improvement

Aak your ConjreMmanit vonr Canary Finn B«rran it in the Budget. It'e up to YOU.

COUNTY PROGRAM L CROP IMPROVEMENT A Practical Demonstration' and Discusslon of How to Establish a Single Variety of Each Kind of Grain Best Adapted to the Soil and Climate of the County. It has been demonstrated a great manj times that unless a man actually does things for himself that it will not do a great deal of good merely to tell him or have him read about how to do it, This actual demonstration Is the main recommendation of the Crop Improvement Committee working through the county farm buret us to be added to the old idea of institute lecturing which is all very well in its way, but which is gradually being set aside for practical demcnstration by the fanner himself. The program suggested for the next few weeks before seeding time is somewhat as follows. A Single Variety. I. The best type of corn, oats, barley and wheat adapted to the soil and. climate of the county. Demonstra-; tions and discussions led by the State Experiment Station. If it is found impossible to securo an agronomy pro-' lessor, insist that he send you sampies of the grain which he recoin--mends for your territory and have the subject led by the best grain growers in your section as to the merits of this type, so that all will agree that preferably one type may be selected.! to be grown by all, so that ultimately 1 it may be had in carloads free from ; mixtures and weed seeds. Germination Tests. 11. —Germination tests with Blotter i and Rag Doll testers. Demonstra-1; tions and discussions led by the sup-i erintendent of the county schools, by 1 members of the Boys’ Corn Club or! by the seed selection committee which I is established under the farm bu-| reau. This demonstration should be started a week before the meeting, and samples of fair types of every , kind of grain be shown actually ger- ' minated in the Blotting-paper, Rag Doll or Germination Box testers. In this connection, the committee should, be enlarged so that every school dia trict is taken care of, so that a dem - onstratlon may be made for every farmer, a certificate being given himi showing the seed condition of his' grain, and a tabulation made from ev-> ery school district and published in the county newspapers, just prior to-1 the date vs a meeting to be held ; later on. ? The Crop Improvement of Chicago will supply the blank cer- i tifleates free and will also furnish ' Blotters and Rag Dolls at cost. If you prefer to make your own testers, either blotter or cloth, they will give. you careful Abdicate Foul Seeds. 111. —Purity tests. The mixed con-; dition of all our grains is something , deplorable and it will be Impossible'-; to grow thoroughbred seeds until i weeds and mixtures are eliminated. ' There is a good laboratory at your agricultural college, and if you will ; write the dean he will no doubt send j some one to demonstrate a practical' method of selecting a pure type and he. will also tell you how to combat dangerous weeds. ’ Fanning the Seed Grains. t IV. —Fanning and cleaning of seeds. : The manufacturers of fanning and grading machinery are generally willing, through their local agents, to give practical demonstrations to show how to fan and re-fan, until everything is removed from your seed grain ' except the plumpest and most robust seeds. This can often be done in the nature of a contest, and the work , should be done by spectators ratherthan experts. You should have eaefii member bring a sack of grain, and a grain show so arranged would add toi the interest Grain Diseases. V. —The treatment of grain diseases, especially smut Demonstrations with '; formaldehyde by sprinkling, by dipping or by machines, also hot water treatment, for smut not affected by formaldehyde. Ask the dean of your' college to send some one who will* demonstrate this and show the im- ‘ portance of doing it properly. Selling on Its Merits. VI. Demonstrations by your state department showing the advantages of selling your surplus grain by grading on its merits. This subject should be followed by a discussion of how to> keep from mixing all kinds of grain, good, bad and indifferent, into the same bin at the elevator. This can be accomplished by your seed committee and a plan made whereby each differ-' ent grade may he marketed systematically, so that inferior grades may not be mixed in. It is obvious that tills work cannot be done at the latest minute when there is a line of urgent drivers waiting to dump at the elevator. The seed committee should arrange this delivery to the elevator soj that every man would know at what time his particular kind of grain is to > be shipped.

A balanced ration means a balance on the right side of the ledger. Clover, cattle and corn silage make* a good combination. , Good silage tn winter and goodi pasture in summer make green feed the year round.—G R. BJljm,