Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 269, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1917 — SALT TREATMENT SAVES SOFT CORN IS CLAIMED [ARTICLE]

SALT TREATMENT SAVES SOFT CORN IS CLAIMED

Kewanee, 111., Star. Soft corn need not worry the farmer if the investigation, which was started Saturday by two local men and which is being carried on this week by others, bring out as encouraging reports as have been gained so far with reference to the use of common barrel salt in the drying and curing of soft corn George Johnston of Kawanee and William Fields, who is the traveling representative of the J. E. Bennett commission houses, made a trip to Prophetstown Saturday and found that salt was being used by a great many farmers in that community to cure their corn, and, with the best of results. Many Use Sait These are the men who were seen and who are enthusiastic in their praises of salt for curing soft corn. Thomas Marshall, Prophetstown. Ernest Tappert, Prophetstown. Bert Butzer, Prophetstown. William Lombard, Prophetstown. Mathis brothers, Prophetstown, who are proprietors of the lumber yard and elevator at Pro phetstown. The operation is a very simple one and is being used by a number of other farmers besides those mentioned. These men, however, were seen and interviewed on th,e subject and they say positively that salt will cure and dry soft corn and make it as good as the com that is cured in the field before picking. Used for 35 Years Thomas Marshall is. a poineer in this process. He has used it for the past 35 years whenever the crop failed to ripen in the field. Others

have given it a fair test and none of the men who have put the process into actual use say anything but good of the salt method. Operation Simple The operation is so simple it is hard to believe it has not become more generally known Common barrel salt is used to sprinkle the corn. For instance: a layer of corn is dumped in the crib and then salt is sprinkled over: another layer of corn and another layer of salt arid so on until the crib is filled. The softness and dampness of the com controls, to a great extent, on the amount of salt used. The ratio is about as follows: from half a pound to a pound of salt to a bushel of corn, or 2 barrels apd a half to 100 bushels of corn. That would be about 700 pounds of salt. Ample proof was found to show what can be done, according to the local men who visited the section of country near Prophetstown Saturday. Two cribs of corn stand side by side, one in which the corn has been treated with the salt and the other has not. The one to which the salt was applied has cured and will grade high while the other crib is slowly rotting. Other proofs coming from men, whose reputation are first class, will convince the most skeptical of the thoroughness of the process, they say. This week a number of local men and farmers are being organized to make the trip to Prophetstown to make further investigation as to'just the exact proportion to use and whether or not the treatment is practical.