Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1919 — The Neighborhood Corner [ARTICLE]

The Neighborhood Corner

Department of Farm Welfare Conducted by County Agent Stewart Learning.

Potash and Acid Phosphate Best. “Combinations of acid phosphate and potash, rather than steamed bone meal and potash, give the best results for corn on the bogus soils of thia county,” is one of the facts brought out at an enthus-

iastic field meeting held on the Charles Doctor farm in Marion township Tuesday afternoon. Prof. S. D. Conner and a staff of assistants explained the work being carried on by the Purdue experiment station on this farm. The experimental field is divided into 38 plots this year and will be increased to 76 plots next year and are for the purpose of determining tne effect of borax upon field crops and the relative values of different American and European forms of potash. The experiments thus far indicate that it is not safe to use fertilizers containing borax on corn, especially where the material is drilled in the row. Several kinds of American potash appear to be of equal or superior value to the European forms, especially the Nebraska forms. Acid iphosphate alone or combinations of phosphate and nitrates do not give the results that may be secured with potash salts. “The great need of Jasper county soils is potash,” said Prof. Conner im his lecture. “It makes little difference whether this comes from straw, manure or some form of commercial fertilizer, but it is essential for proper crop production. On soils which do not contain enough potash or any other element, the crops do not mature, but ‘stpnd on one foot and then the other waiting for the element to be supplied.’ Many farmers believe that commercial fertilizers will in time influre the ground, but this is not the case and practically every farmer will be able to increase his profits by using both phosphates and potash.” Prof. Conner advocated the use of all available straw and manure on these soils. Fair Price for Corn Husking Fixed. Six cents per bushel is a fair price for corn husking this fall in this part of the state, according to the report of a committee from this district which met in Lafayette last Saturday to discuss the matter. Variations from this price are expected to be made only under unusual conditions, including the quantity and quality of the corn, the accommodations furnished the husker and similar factors and this rate should be used as a basis by farmers and their employes, according to the committee. The purpose of the recommendation is to establish an understanding as to a definite wage before the husking season opens. Where no definite understanding exists both farmers and employes often agree to use the "customary wage” which is very indefinite and is often established by accident. High Yielding Ears Determined Before Planting. That nigh yielding ears of seed corn can be determined before planting, has been demonstrated by the Purdue experiment station on

the J. W. Amsler farm this season where the corn from seed of one ear produced at the rate of 56 bushels per acre while the corn from another seed ear planted under Identical conditions produced but 20 bushels. The experiment is being conducted by Messrs. Trost and Duddleson of the plant pathology division, who weighed up the corn from the various plots last Monday. This work is a part of the corn disease experiments being conducted in the state at this time. Last winter a bushel of seed corn was secured from a prominent corn grower of the county and the individual ears were subjected to certain tests to determine their condition as regards corn root rot. Seed from the 25 healthiest ears was planited in rows alternating with seed from ears showing the greatest degree of infection. When the 1919 corn crop was weighed up the above variations in yield were noted. Later figures will be published showing the yields based on moisture free corn. The experiment indicates that there is a big field open to the corn breeder who will make a study of the disease and eliminate it from his corn or who will develop a resistant variety. A Wasted Sugar Supply. Sweets of all kinds are in only limited supply all over the country at the present time. Sugar shortage bids fair to put the price at 15 or even 20 cents per pound by the end of the year, according to best authorities. It is therefore of prime importance that all supplemental sweet supplies be worked for all that is possible in order to aid in relieving the world needs for sweets. Beekeepers of the United States are coming to the rescue and have been doing so all through the war. The Jasper County Beekeepers’ association is realiizng that the chief obstacle to a larger and better crop of honey in 1920 is a failure this winter to give the bees proper care, especially adequate protection from low temperatures. Tn other words, that good wintering of bees is life insurance on next year’s honey crop. The members of the association, who realize the importance of proper protection in winter are urging all other imembers of the organization to pack their bees according to most scientific and tested methods this coming winter. A meeting of the association was held Wednesday afternoon in the office of the county agent, Mr. Learning, and at this meeting the best methods of wintering bees were discussed and analyzed. Mr. Foltz, the president of the association, is a live wire, and with the aid of Mr. Learning have secured the co-operation of the federal bee specialist, E. G. Baldwin, of Purdue university. Mr. Baldwin demonstrated the proper amounts of packing, best methods of preparing bees and best stores of food for successful wintering. He showed that bees well protected from low temperatures in winter and provided with good stores in abundance will come through the winter stronger in bees than they were in the fall. And strong colonies early means less disease and bumper crops of honey if any honey is in the flowers. The federal department of bee culture at Washington and the extension department in bee culture at Purdue have issued bulletins on proper wintering of bees that are for free distribution. Mr. Learning or Mr. Foltz will furnish information to all members of the association, or any interested beeman,- gratis, telling where and how to secure these bulletins. And they will also give advice or suggestions required along the same lines. There are many extensive beemen in the county who are not yet members of the association. All are urged to join for a county-wide drive for better beekeeping in Jasper county. The better the average level of beekeeping in the county the better it is for the individual beeman. There can not be too much emphasis laid t on the fact that the worst enemy of the beekeepers is the poor beekeeper himself. The well informed beeman is the successful beeman. It is a patriotic and pocket-book call that comes to all beekeepers right now to see that their bees are well cared for this winter. Every ton of honey produced in the county will aid just that much in relieving the sugar shortage, and help to save the tons of honey that annually go to waste all over the country every year.