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Missouri State Board of Agriculture.
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Thirty-Seventh Annual Report

OF THE

MISSOURI

State Board of Agriculture

A Record of the Work for the Year 1904

ALSO VALUABLE INFORMATION ON BREEDING AND FEEDING LIVE STOCK,
IMPROVING THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL, GROWING CROPS, DAIRY-
ING, AGRICULTURE AMD LIVE STOCK STATISTICS, ETC.

PUBLISHED 1905.

1. JbKAkV
^tW YORK
ilOTANICAL

aAKDEN.

THE HUGH STEPHENS PRINTING COMPANY

JEFFERSON CITY, MO.

OFFICERS OF STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 1905.

President— C. F. Afflick, Clarence.

Vice-President — S. H. Prather, Tarkio-

Secretary, Geo. B. Ellis, Columbia.

Assistant Secretary — Miss Snowdon B. Willis, Columbia.

Treasurer — H. H, Banks, Columbia.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

C. F. Afflick, Clarence. W. C. Howell, Ulman.

S. H. Prather, Tarkio. J. J. McNatt, McNatt.

F. B. Mumford, Columbia. W. R. Wilkinson, St. Louis.

J. J. Conrad, Marble Hill.

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS.

Governor of Missouri — Jos. W. Folk.
Superintendent of Schools — W. T. Carrington.
Acting- Dean Agricultural College, F. B. Mumford,

Cong,
dist.

I
4.

7-
8.

6.

9-
10.
II
12.

2.
3-

i3.
14.

16.

CORPORATE MEMBERS.

Name. , Residence. County.

(Term expires July 20, 1906.)

. Charles F. Af flick Clarence Shelby

. H, S. Prather Tarkio Atchison

, Frank C. Hayman Houstonia Pettis

Wm. C. Howell Ulman Miller

John J. McNatt McNatt McDonald

(Term expires July 20, 1907.)

John Deerwester Butler Bates

J. A. Potts Mexico Audrain

M. B. Greensfelder Clayton St. Louis

.Norman J. Colman St. Louis City.. Holland Bldg.

W- R. Wilkinson St. Louis City. ...212 N. Main St.

(Term expires July 20, 1905.)

John W. Hill Chillicothe Livingston

Alex. Maitland Richmond Ray

W. L. Bryant Independence. . . .Jackson

J. J. Conrad Marble Hill Bollinger

Ferd J. Hess Qiarleston Mississippi

• A. T. Nelson Lebanon Laclede

OFFICERS OF STATE FAIR DIRECTORY.

President — J. A. Potts, Mexico.
Vice-President — John W. Hill, Chillicothe.
Secretary — J. R. Rippey, Sedalia.
Treasurer — Chas. E. Yeater, Sedalia.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STATE FAIR DIRECTORY.

J. A. Potts, Mexico. John W. Hiil, Chillicothe.

Alex. Maitland, Richmond. Norman J. Colman, St. Louis.

John Deerwester, Butler. F. C. Hayman, Houstonia.

A. T. Nelson, Lebanon. HBRARV

NEW YORK

BOTANICAL

GARDEN.

STATE VETERINARIAN AND DEPUTIES.

D. F. Luckey, State Veterinarian Columbia

Horace Bradley, Dep.uty State Veterinarian Windsor

E. Brainerd, Deputy State Veterinarian Memphis

W. L. Berry, Deputy State Veterinarian Jophn

L. D. Brown, Deputy State Veterinarian Hamilton

Henry Boetner, Deputy State Veterinarian Perryville

James Cullison, Deputy State Veterinarian Charleston

Chas. Doenie, Deputy State Veterinarian Boonville

H. V. Goode, Deputy State Veterinarian St. Joseph

E. M. Hendy, Deputy State Veterinarian Jefferson City

R. B. Love, Deputy State Veterinarian Springfield

R. C. Moore, Deputy State Veterinarian Kansas City

H. M. McConnell, Deputy State Veterinarian Marshall

F. W. O'Brien, Deputy State Veterinarian Hannibal

H. P. Poage, Deputy State Veterinarian Shelbina

J. H. Slater, Deputy State Veterinarian Richmond

Sam Sheldon, Deputy State Veterinarian Trenton

Stanley Smith, Deputy State Veterinarian Columbia

T. E. White, Deputy State Veterinarian Sedalia

H. H, Wolf, Deputy State Veterinarian Maryville

Associate Organizations.

IIVIPROVED LIVE STOCK BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION.

President — T. J. Wornall, Liberty.
Vice-President — J. A. Funkhouser, Plattsburg.
Vice-President (Horse Breeders')— R. L. Harriman, Bunceton.
Vice-President (Swine Breeders') — -L. E. Frost, Moberly.
Vice-President (Sheep Breders') — J. W. Boles, Auxvasse.
Secretary — Geo. B. Ellis, Columbia.
Treasurer — J. C. Hall, Rocheport,

Members Executive Committee — W. P. Harned, Vermont; Benton
Gabbcrt, Dearborn.

MISSOURI CORN GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

President — E. E. Laughlin, Rich Hill.
Vice-President — M. F. Miller, Columbia.
Vice-President — C. O. Raine, Canton.
Vice-President — J. N. Price, Trenton.
Vice-resident — P. E. Crabtree, Hannon.
Vice-President — N. B. Graham, Fredericktovvn.
Secretary and Treasurer — G. M. Tucker, Blndqctt.

MISSOURI STATE DAIRYJASSOCI ATION.

President— W. W. Marple, St. Joseph.
First Vice-President — ^M. E. Moore, Cameron.
Second Vice-President — M. V. Carroll. Scdnlia.
Secretary — C. H. Smalley, Kansas City.
Treasurer — B. C. Settles, Palmyra.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

State Board of Agriculture, Office of the Secretary,

Columbia, Mo., March 17, 1905.

To His Excellency, Joseph W. Folk, Governor of Missouri :

Sir — I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the 37th an-
nual report of the State Board of Agriculture for the year 1904.

Missouri's claim for being the first agricultural State of the Union
has been demonstrated beyond question by the record of the winnings
of the farmers made at the World's Louisiana Purchase Exposition. By
international juries Missouri has been awarded, in competition with
every state and nation of any consequence in the world, a greater aggre-
gate number of prizes on agriculture, horticulture, live stock and poultry
products than any other state or nation. To Missouri was awarded 298
prizes in agriculture, 372 prizes in horticulture, 2 prizes in dairying, 790
prizes in live stock and 617 in poultry. To maintain this high position
will command the best efforts of our farmers and demand the greatest
possible encouragement of the State.

That the Board of Agriculture is a prominent factor in maintaining
the high standard of Missouri as an agricultural and live stock common-
wealth is clearly shown by the fact that the publications of the Board are
in greater demand than ever before.

Resi)cctfully,

GEO. B. ELLIS,

Sccretarv.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Annual Meeting 9-27

Agricultural and Live Stock Statistics 350-388

Butter and Cheese, Prizes awarded World's Fnir, St. Louis 266-337

Financial Statement 19-27

Improved Live Stock Breeders' Association 122-198

Index Wl

Livestock Prizes, World's Fair, St. Louis 243-263

Louisiana Purchase Exposition 199-265

Miscellaneous Papers 338-350

Missouri Corn Growers' Association 28-121

Report of State Veterinarian 389-400

State Dairy Association 266-337

Prizes In Agriculture, World's Fair, St. Ix)nis 236-239

Prizes in Horticulture, World's Fair, St. Louis 239-24S

ANNUAL MEETING.

Office of Secretary,
Columbia, Mo., December 20, 1904.

As provided by law, the State Board of Agriculture convened in
annual session at 7 130 p. m. In the absence of the President, the Board
was called to order by the Vice-President, Mr. C. F. Aiflick. The fol-
lowing order of business was transacted :

Roll call by the Secretary, the following responding: W. T. Car-
rington, F. B. Mumford, C. F. Afflick, S. H. Prather, John Deerwester,
F. C. Hayman, W. C. Howell, Moses B. Greensfelder, Norman J. Col-
man, J. J. Conrad, J. J. McNatt and A. T. Nelson.

Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting was dispensed with,
and upon motion of Governor Colman, the minutes were approved as
printed in the 36th annual report.

The Secretary read the following report, which was accepted and
ordered printed in the 37th annual report :

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

Gentlemen of the Board of Agriculture :

This meeting closes the work of the fortieth year of the existence
of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture, and I respectfully submit
herewith my report of the work of this ofifice for the year, with some
comments on what has been accomplished and suggestions looking to the
improvement of the work in the future.

Representing, as this Board does, under the authority of the State,
all the agricultural interets of one of the leading live stock and crop-
producing commonwealths of the greatest agricultural nation on the
globe, we have no little onerous duty to perform. A retrospective view
of the forty years' record will show that the Board of Agriculture has
since its beginning been a very potent factor in organizing, promoting and

10 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

fostering every commendable agency for the development of our varied
agricultural interests. An examination of the records of the Board will
show that it has given its earnest support to the establishment and main-
tenance of the Agricultural College, the Experiment Station, county and
district agricultural associations, Live Stock Breeders' Asociations, the
Corn Growers' Association, the Road Improvement- Association, the
Farmers' Institute work, live stock inspection and State veterinary work
and others of no less importance. But how are we to know what good
has been accomplished? What reason can we give that the work of the
Board for these forty years has been profitable to the State and which
would merit a continuance of our commission in the future? The oppor-
tunity to prove what has been accomplished by the united agencies that
have been stimulated to better effort by your fostering care has been
given by the holding within the borders of our State the greatest com-
petitive international exposition ever held in the history of the w^orld.

At the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held in St. Louis during
this year 1904. the farmers of Missouri have had the opportunity of
measuring their progress in the achievements of the sciences of agri-
culture and live stock husbandry, not only with the best farmers and
stock breeders of the United States, but with the best farmers and stock
breeders of every enlightened nation on earth. What is the result as
told by the official records? Missouri won a greater number of prices
in the aggregate in all classes of products of the farm competing, than
any other state or nation.

Many of the problems with which the farmers of the State are con-
cerned today are different from those which demanded the attention of
the farmers forty years ago. Then one great problem was that of
transportation for their products so that they could take advantage of
the markets of the world ; now our State is checkered with railroads,
and we are in almost daily touch with the cities and ports of ttic entire
I'nited States. Then the problem was to build railroads; now it is to
build good wagon roads. Then the problem was to clear the forests and
to find use for the timber ; now it is to find timber to meet our wants.
Then the problem was to find what crop or what breed of live stock
was adapted to our environment : now it is to improve the quality of
well established crops and breeds. Then the problem was to plant
the orchard ; now it is to cultivate and protect it from insects and disease.
Then we tilled a soil rich in humus and increased the product by culti-
vating more land ; now we till a soil with the humus burned up and the
problem is to increase the product by building up the soil, improving the
seed and practicing better methods of cultivation. Our work of

REPORT OF SECRETARY. ^ II

today is lightened because of the efforts of our predecessors of thirty
and forty years ago. Shall we do our work so that it will lighten the
burdens of those to come after us ? These and many others are sufficient
reasons for our continued efforts,

farmers' institutes.

The first effort looking to the organization of Farmers' Institutes in
Missouri was made by the Board of Agriculture at the annual meeting
held in St. Louis, September 9, 1869. The corresponding secretary,
Hon. Chas. W. Murtfeldt, suggested the advisability of inaugurating
farmers' institute work. Hon. Norman J. Colman, who was then as
now a member of the board, offered a resolution embodying the sugges-
tion of the secretary and pledging the support of the members. The
resolution was adopted but, evidently for lack of funds, no meetings
were held. The next effort made to organize the institutes was at
the annual meeting held November i, 1882. Prof. J. W. Sanborn, then
Secretary of the Board, and Dean of the Agricultural College, urged the
importance of institute work, and after some deliberation the Board
authorized the beginning of the work, and in accordance with that ac-
tion the first Farmers' Institute meeting was held in Independence on
December 18 and 19, 1882. From that time on a few meetings were
held each year, conducted largely by the Secretary and members of the
Board, receiving no pay except traveling expenses, which were paid
from the contingent funds of the Board.

In 1 89 1 the Legislature made the first appropriation specifically
for institute work. Since the first organization the institute has had a
steady development, and during the season for 1903-4 there were held
one hundred and forty-seven meetings with a total attendance of thirty
thousand two hundred and twenty people, and with twenty-eight lecturers
en the staff. Up to this time only fifty meetings have been held in the
season of 1904-5. On account of the great interest in the World's Fair
and the excitement over the presidential campaign it was thought better
to begin later and extend the work more into the winter. The lecturers
report an increased interest of those present, although the attendance
has not been up to the high average of the year before.

Subjects relating to the improvement of the corn crop which were
discussed at the meetings in every county in 1903 are bearing the ex-
pected fruit, and more attention is being given to breeding and selecting
seed corn than ever before. I beg the Board's consideration of two
suggestions I wish to make for the improvement of the institutes :

First — I suggest the organization of women's institutes, either as

12 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

a separate organization or in connection with the regular institute.
Several other states are successfully conducting women's institutes, and
I see no reason why Missouri should not make an effort in this direction.
Second — I suggest the organization of experimental unions in co-
operation with farmers' institutes and with the Experiment Station, for
the purpose of diffusing the knowledge gained at the Experiment Sta-
tion, and for the further reason of meeting the present demands for
more practical work along all educational lines. The unions can he
organized by the Board of Agriculture, the experiments outlined by
some one from the Experiment Station and after the crops are gathered,
a report of the experiments can be made and the subjects discussed at
the annual institute meeting,

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

One of the most important duties enjoined upon your Board by
the statutes of the State is to make recommendation concerning the
adoption of a system of public instruction in subjects relating to agri-
culture. Section 4702, R. S. 1899, provides as follows:

"Section 4702. Duties of tbe Board.— The Rtato Board of Agriculture shall be and
Is hereby con.stttuted the body whleh shall have supervision of all the legalized depart-
ments and Institutions of the State which are for the advancement of agriculture. It
shall as a body, or by a committee selected by the Board, be a hoard of examiners of
the State Ag'rlcnltural and Mechanical College and Experiment Station. While In no
way limiting the power of the Board of Curators of the State University, the Board
of Examiners sliall, at least once in e«ch year, carefully examine into the affairs of the
College and Experim>jnt Station, including the treasurer's account, in reference to the
amount and sources of the income of the College and Experiment Station, and how
expended, the qualifications of those engaged In teaching and those engaged in experi-
mental work, and the character of the worit done. The Secretary of the Board of Agri-
culture shall be furnished u'irh the informatior! thus elicited, together with such recom-
mendations as may be deemed necessary, for publication in the annunl report of the Board.
The Board of Agriculture shall have charge of the veterinary service of the State, the
appointment of the State Veterinarian, and; with the advice of the veterinarian, of
deputies, Inspectors and other assistants. It shall be the duty of the Board, through
its secretary, to gnth^r crop and stock statistics, meteorological data, and information
as to the best and most profitable means of farming, stock raising, fruit growing, etc.,
and publish the satne In bulletins as freoncntly as may be deemed expedient; to hold
farmers' institutes in dilTeront parts of the State for the purpose of giving instruction
in agriculture; to make an annual report to the general assembly of the State, embracing
the proceedings of the Board for the past year, and an abstract of the reports and pro-
ceedings of the several agricultural societies of the State, accompanied by such recom-
mendations, including especially Kuch a system of public instruction on these subjects,
as may be deemed useful."

During the past year this office has published a bulletin prepared
by State Superintendent of Public Schools, Hon. W. T. Carrington, on
the subject of "Elementary Agriculture for the Public Schools." This
bulletin is an outline or elementary treatise on teaching agriculture in
the rural and high schools of the State. The bulletin has been put into

REPORT OF SECRETARY. I3

the hands of several thousand teachers and pupils, and the subject has
been introduced into a great many schools, and in a few years we will,
no doubt, see the beneficial results. Allow me to suggest, however, that
it is evidently apparent to anyone familiar with our present rural dis-
trict system, where only one teacher is employed, who teaches all grades
from the first to the eighth, that the instruction along this line must
be either elementary or fragmentary.

Upon the other hand, we have our Agricultural College, which we
are pleased to see taking such high rank among schools of its class in
this country. We are forced to admit, however, that when the district
school has done its work well and when the Agricultural College reaches
its highest expectation, there is yet a very broad field in agricultural
education that is not being filled. To repeat, the training in the rural
schools is too elementary and that of the Agricultural College is out of
reach, in practice if not in theory, of the average farm boy or girl. The
pressing need, it seems to me, and one that is entirely practical and
opportune at this time, is the establishment of county or distirct agri-
cultural schools. The course of study adopted for these schools should
be in lieu of the high school course, and should admit boys and girls
who have completed the course in the rural schools. The average farm
boy who expects to stay on the farm cannot afford the time, to say noth-
ing of the expense, of four years in the high school and then four years
in the Agricultural College, but with the establishment of the county
or district agricultural school, where a practical and sane course should
be taught, thousands of them will avail themselves of the opportunity.
The Board of Agriculture encouraged and fostered the establishment
of the Agricultural College and Experiment Station, and I believe should
lead now in the establishment of the county or district agricultural school.

STATE VETERINARY WORK.

During the year the State Veterinarian and deputies have made two
hundred and sixty-three official visits to answer calls made by petition
or other satisfactory evidence for the need of investigation. Of this
number one hundred and twelve were from Kansas City, and one hun-
dred and fifty-one from the rest of the State. In Kansas City eighty-
two cases of glanders have been reported as compared with two hun-
dred and sixty-eight cases of glanders in 1903, a decrease of one
hundred and eighty-six cases. Outside of Kansas City fifty-nine cases
of glanders have been reported, compared with forty-nine cases in 1903,
an increase of ten cases. (A case here means all animals found affected

14 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

at the time of the visit, whether one or more.) Of the entire number
two hundred and sixty-three visits the following classification is made :

Cases of glandeis for Kansas City ..
Cases of glanders for rest of iitate

Cases of scabies, whole State

Cases of Texas lever, whole State..

Cases of rabies, whole State

Cases of ergotism, whole Stale

Cases of anthrax, whole State

Cases of tuberculosis, whole State .
Miscellaneous cases. State

82
59
17
11
4

1

1
86

The eighty-six cases classed as miscellaneous were of a less danger-
tius character, many of them not contagious.

The thorough and effective manner of the control work is shown
by the fact that not a single case has been reported as having originated
with any of the diseased animals, outside of those which were already
exposed at the time they were quarantined.

•At the meeting of the executive committee held on June ist, the
committee was informed that the public watering troughs in Kansas City
had been opened up for public use, and that the number of cases of
glanders had increased from none at all in April to seventeen cases for
the month of May. After due deliberation the committee instructed the
secretary to notify the authorities in charge at Kansas City that unless
the watering troughs were removed or kept closed from public use, until
all apparent danger was passed, that within ten days the Board of Agri-
culture would declare a quarantine against the city. In reply to this notice
this office was informed by his Honor, the Mayor of Kansas City, that the
watering troughs had been closed indefinitely. There was but one case re-
ported from the city for November, and with the continued co-operation
of the city authorities the further spread can be kept under control or
entirely eradicated.

During the year Dr. Jesse Robards has acted as cattle inspector in
southern Missouri, giving most of his time to looking for infested cattle
in this State, and giving the owners instruction about disinfecting their
cattle and clearing the pastures of the ticks. Only a very few herds of
infested cattle have been found this year.

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS.

The cattle quarantine regulations adopted at the last annual meeting,
and which were approved and promulgated by proclamation of the
Governor on December 22, 1903, I believe fully meet all emergencies,
and can safely be continued without amendment.

The State Veterinarian made a verbal report explaining in detail
the work of the Veterinary Department and outlining some future work.

REPORT OF SECRETARY. 15

The Veterinarian promised to prepare a written report for printing in
annual report.

The Veterinarian nominated the following persons for deputy
veterinarians :

Dr. Sam. Sheldon, Trenton, Mo.

Dr. H. M. McConnell, Marshall, Mo.

Dr. Henry Boetner, Perryville, Mo.

Dr. Chas. Doenie, Boonville, -Mo.

Dr. J. H. Slater, Richmond, Mo.

Dr. R. H. Goodbody, 3900 Washington Ave., St. Louis, Mo.

Dr. Stanley Smith, Columbia, Mo.

Moved by Governor Colman that the nominations be approved and
t1ie names presented be appointed to the position of deputy veterinarians.
Motion carried.

Moved by Governor Colman that the services of the Live Stock
Inspector be discontinued by the Secretary whenever in his judgment the
conditions in southern Missouri did not longer demand his services.
Motion adopted.

The committee appointed by the President to examine and report
en the Agricultural College, made the following report:

REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE COMMITTEE.

Mr. President :

Your Committee have made a careful examination of the work and
progress of the Agricultural College and Experiment Station, and beg
leave to submit the following report :

1. We heartily commend the general improvement in the work
and better equipment for instruction throughout the College of Agri-
culture. We heartily commend the efforts of the Board of Curators to
bring the College of Agriculture to the same high standards of educa-
tional efficiency as the other departments in the University. Two-thirds
of the people in Missouri are maintained directly or indirectly by the
products from Missouri farms. It is the opinion of yoUr Committee,
therefore, that the University should continue to expand and develop
the College of Agriculture and Experiment Station until it is second
to none in the country.

2. We desire to approve especially the equipment of a Soils Labor-
atory in which the fertility of the soils of the State shall be thoroughly
investigated. We also note a slight increase in the herds of cattle, sheep
and swine on the College Farm. The Dairy Department is now well
equipped throughout for giving the highest grade of instruction in Dairy

l6 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

liusbandry. The departments of Veterinary Science and Horticulture
have also added materially to their libraries and laboratories.

3. The equipment of the College Farm has been greatly improved
by the erection of a cattle feeding shed 300 feet long by 30 feet wide,
and the erection of a sheep barn. The foundation of the new cattle
barn is also well constructed and when completed, will greatly facilitate
the work of the Department of Animal Husbandry. We note with
especial satisfaction the general improvement in the appearance of the
College Farm, made possible by the erection of new fences and yards.

4. We commend the short courses and believe they are doing much
good in improving Agriculture in Missouri.

5. The Experiment Station is of great value to the farmers of the
State. We commend the experiments in Animal Husbandry, Horti-
culture, Soils, Farm Crops, Animal Diseases and Injurious Insects.

6. We appreciate the fact that the largely increased attendance in
the College of Agriculture requires more liberal appropriations.

7. We especially recommend the following appropriations to pro-
vide for the imperative needs of the Agricultural College and Experiment
Station :

For completion of the cattle barn ;

For building of swine barn

For buying pure bred live stock

For a veterinary hospital

For equipping the department of Agronomy.
For Experiment Station

$8,000 00
3,000 00
10,000 00
15,000 OO
10,000 00
15,000 00

All of which is respectfully submitted.

Norman J. Colman,
Jacob J. Conrad,
Arthur T. Nelson,

Committee.

Mr. Hayman moved the adoption of the report. Alotion carried.

Mr. Carrington offered the following resolution :

Resolved, That a standing committee of five members be appointed
by the President on Agricultural Education, whose duty it shall be to
act for the Board on all matters concerning the promotion of agri-
cultural education in Missouri, and any reasonable expenses incurred
in attending the meetings of the committee, are hereby authorized to
be paid out of any available funds of the Board, upon approval of the
accounts by the Executive Committee.

After considerable discussion on the different methods of promoting
agricultural education, the resolution was unanimously adopted.

The President announced the appointment of the following Com-

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REPORT OF SECRETARY. I7

niittee on Agricultural Education: W. T. Carrington, F. B. Mumford,
The Governor of the State, F. C. Hayman, M. B. Greensfelder.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:

President, C. F. Afflick; Vice-President, S. H. Prather; Secretary,
Geo. B. Ellis ; Assistant Secretary, Miss Snowdon B. Willis ; Treasurer,
H. H. Banks,

The following members of the Executive Committee were elected :
C. F. Afflick, S. H. Farther, F. B. Mumford, W. R. Wilkinson, W. C.
liowell, J. J. Conrad and J. J. McNatt.

Moved by Governor Colman that all power vested by law in the
Board of Agriculture be and is hereby delegated to the Execeutive Com-
mittee, and that the Executive Committee is hereby authorized to act
for the Board at any and all times when the Board is not in session. Mo-
tion carried.

The Auditing Committee appointed by the President to examine the
books and accounts of the Secretary and Treasurer, made the following
report :

REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.

We, the undersinged committee authorized to examine the books
and accounts of the Secretary and Treasurer, beg leave to submit the
following report:

We have carefully examined the vouchers authorized by the Execu-
tive Committee and the corresponding warrants issued by the President
and Secretary of the different funds of the Board as follows :

DISTRIBUTION OF ANNUAL REPORT FUND.

We find that vouchers 115-116 inclusive have been approved and
the corresponding warrants issued which have been paid and cancelled
by the Treasurer, leaving no balance in this fund.

MONTHLY CROP REPORT FUND.

We find that vouchers 293-321 inclusive have been approved and
the corresponding warrants issued, which have been paid and cancelled
by the Treasurer, leaving a balance on hand in this fund of $159.71.

EXPENSE OF members' FUND.

We find that vouchers 542-581 inclusive have been approved and
corresponding warrants issued, which have been paid and cancelled by
the Treasurer, leaving a balance in this fund of $464.92.

A-3

l8 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

farmers' INSTITUTE FUND.

We find that vouchers 569-616 inclusive have been approved and
Corresponding warrants issued, which have been paid and cancelled by
the Treasurer, leaving a balance in the fund of $1,002.83.

secretary's account.

We have examined the Secretary's account for expenses of Farmers'
Institute meetings, and find that the Secretary has received from the
Farmers' Institute Fund, as shown by warrants drawn in his favor on
the Farmers' Institute Fund, including balance on hand December 15,
1903, of $688.05, ^ total of $4,001.65. We find accounts filed which the
Secretary has paid and for which he has corresponding receipts for the
total amount of $2,742.94, leaving a balance in the Secretary's account
of $1,258.71.

OFFICE expense FUND.

We find that vouchers 500-533 inclusive have been approved and
corresponding warrants issued, which have been paid and cancelled by
the Treasurer, leaving a balance on hand in this fund of $158.73.

state veterinary fund.

We find that vouchers 1477-1606 have been approved and cor-
responding warrants issued, which have been paid and cancelled by the
Ireasurer, leaving a balance in this fund of $860.11.

The examination above mentioned shows an exact agreement be-
tween the books of the Secretary and Treasurer of this Board concern-
ing the financial transaction for the year.
All of which is respectfully submitted.

M. B. Greensfelder,
Frank C. Hayman,

Committee.

Mr. Carrington moved the adoption of the report. ]\ lotion car-
ried. There being no further business, the Board adjourned.

C. F. Afflick, President.
Geo. B. Ellis, Secretary.

REPORT OF Secretary.

19

SECRETARY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

DISTRIBUTION OF ANNUAL REPORT FUND.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

D,..

Cr.

■

19(M.
May 4

4

U5

By S. H. Elkins..
To requisition

$120 00

$250 66

June 2

116

By S. II. Elkins..

130 00

?250 00

$250 00

MONTHLY CROP REPORT FUND.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

19M.

Jan. 1..

Feb. 2..

" 2..

Mch. 2..

April 2. .

" 2..

" 2.,

May 4. .

" 4..

" 4..

June 1..

" 1..

•' 1..

July 1.,

" 1.'.

" 1..

" 1..

Aug.

308

tt

309

it

310

U

311

tC

Sept.

6

312

<(

6

313

it

6

314

ii

6

Oct.

315

«(

316

t<

317

ft

318

it

Nov.

319

it

320

Dec.

321

tt

(«

19

293
294

295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302

303
304
305

306
307

To balance

By Missouri Statesman.

H. H. Banks

To requisition

By University Co-op

Missouri Statesman .

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

Missouri Statesman .

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By S. H. Elkins

Barnes-Crosby Co

National Paper Co...
Missouri Statesman

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By H. H. Banks

S. H. Elkins

Missouri Statesman .

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

Missouri Statesman .

To requisition

By National Paper Co...
Wabash R. R. Co....
Missouri Statesman

S. H. Elkins

To requi<?ition

By S. U. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By balance

$73 42

'i66'66'

100 00

100 00

100 00

100 00

300 00

100 00

$973 42

$11 50
5 00

90
8 00
10 00
15 00
5 60
56 90
22 40

5 62

10 00

6 96
8 50

103 20
10 00

5 00
3 69

102 50
10 00

33 60
10 60

3 00

49 93

4 36
180 95

8 00

6 50
25 00
91 00

159 71

$973 42

20

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL RLPORT.

EXPENSE OP MEMHERS' FUND.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

1903.

"Hpf* 1 . .

To balance

$397 82

" 15

542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
651
552
553
554

555
556
557
558
559
560

Bv W. G. Howell

$14 00

" 15

H. .T. Waters

9 70

" 15

J. W. Hill

15 00

" 15

.'^lex. Maitland

14 00

" 15

Pr.ink C. Havman

11 50

" 15

W. R. Wilkinson

10 85

" 15

C. F. Afflick

10 60

«' 15

W T. Carrin<^ton

5 20

" 15

J. A. Potts

6 50

" 15

N. J. Colman

12 00

" 15

A. T. Nelson

27 70

" 15

F. J. Hess

24 65

" 15

.T. J. Conrad

22 20

19W.
Jan. 2

H. F. Hand

14 00

Feb. 2

.T. J^ Ccnrad

7 40

2

W. L. Ilrvant

22 50

" 2

W. C. Howell

18 20

" 2

Geo. B. Ellis

13 20

" 2

F .T. Hess

16 10

" 2

To reniii^ition

100 00

May 4

" 4

561

562
563
564
565
566
567
568

Bv J. .J. Conrad

7 35

t. J. Hess

14 75

" 4

W. C. Howell

13 30

" 4 .. .

Geo. B. Ellis

11 30

June 4

" 4

W. L. Brv.nnt

25 00

.T. J. Oonriul

8 20

" 4

W. r. Howell

15 00

" 4

Geo. B. Ellis

11 70

" 4

To requisition

100 00

Sept. 6

" 6

569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576

Bv F. B. J5liimford

10 50

C. F. AfQirk

9 SO

" 6

.T. J. Conrad

7 90

" 6

W. C. Howell

14 80

" 6

Oct. 1

** 6

Geo B Ellis

12 35

J. .T. Conrad

6 55

W. r*. Howell

15 30

" 6

Geo. B. Ellis

100 00

11 60

Oct. 1

To roQuisition

577
578
579
5S0
581

By F. .T. Hpss

19 30

*' 1

W. C. Howell

15 15

<< 1

.T. ,T. Conrad

7 00

*( -1

C F Afilick

10 70

it 1

Geo B Ellis

10 05

t( 1

To reonisition

. 300 00

Dpr» 19

r?v balfincG

464 92

$997 82

$997 83

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

21

FARMERS" INSTITUTE FUND.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

May

1903.

Dec. 15..

" 16..

" 16..

" 16..

" 16..

1904.

.Tan. 2. .

Feb. 2.'.

" 2..

" 2..

" 2..

" 2..

" 2..

Mch. 2..

" 2..

" 2..

April 2..

" 2..

" 2..

" 2

" 2..

" 2.'.'

2..

4..

4..
" 4..
.Tune 4..
July 1..
" 1..
" 1..
" 1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

6..

6..

6..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

1..

]..
19..

Aus.

Sen.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

569
570
571
572

573

574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582

583
584
585
586
587
588
589

590
591

592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601

602
603

604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613

614
615
616

To balance

By S. A. IToover

Elmer Langhl'n
A. .T. Detwciler.
G. R. Murray...

$1,192 18

Geo. B. Ellis

Geo. B. Ellis

Geo. B. Ellis

Barnos-Croshy Co

Missouri Statesman

S. IT. Elkins

II. H. Banks

Smith-Premier T. Co

Missouri Statesman

Geo. B. Ellis

To requisition

By Geo. B. Ellis

Barnes-Crosby Co

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

National Paper Co

Smitb-Premier Typewriter Co.

Mis.souri Statesman

To requisition

By Barnes-Crosby Co

Geo. B. Ellis

To requisition

By Geo. P.. Ellis

Geo. B. Ellis

M., K. k T. R. R

Barnes-Crosby Co

W E.. narshe

Missouri Statesman

Geo. B. Ellis

Smith-Premier Typewriter Co.

H. II. Banks

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By Geo. B. Ellis

American Express Co

To requisition

By M., K. & T. R. R

Geo. B. Ellis

Missouri Statesman

Geo. B. Ellis

S. H. Elkins.... ;

S. H. Elkins

Geo. B. Ellis

Geo. B. Ellis

E. F. Ammerraan

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

By Geo. B. Ellis

Geo. B. Ellis

S. H. Elkins

To requisition

T'.y !)a lance

200 00

200 00

200 00

. I 500 00

500 00

2,000 00

l.OOO 00

$22 30
54 15
20 75

115 75

700 00

50 00

50 00

5 15

22 00
3 35

15 00

7 80
99 10
50 00

50 00
37 05

3 81
11 20

23 58

8 00
95 56

17 40
50 00

50 00
50 00

4 00

16 50

3 95
32 50
50 00

4 85
15 00
65 00

50 00
46 77

10 00
50 00

2 00

500 00

44 80

13 00

50 00

1,000 00

8 23
63 60

50 00

1,000 00

97 20

1,002-83

?5,792 18

$5, 792 18

22

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

SECRETARY'S ACCOUNT.

Date.

Check No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

1903.
Dec. 15..
16.

«

17

"

19

*(

19

• (

21

•'

21

tt

21

41

21

**

21

tt

26

it

26

tt

26

(«

28

tt

29

1904.

D'an

. 2

tt

7

«

7

it

8

a

8

a

9

a

9

a

9

11

12

Feb.

14.

16.

18.

27.
2.
" 2.
" 4.
" 5.
" 8.
" 11.
" 20.
" 24.
" 29
Mch. l!
" 3.
" 3.
" 3.
" 3.
" 4.
" 21.
" 21.
" 22.
" 24.

25.

" 16.

" 26.

" 30.
May 3.

" 27.

" 31.
June 7.

" 17.

Aug. 17.

" 25.
Sep. 3.

" 10.

" 13.

13.

19.
29.

1
2
3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

it

25

it

28

April 4

tt

4

a

8

tt

9

it

9

tt

14

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47

48
49
60
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
68
59

60
61
62
63
64

To balance

By R. O. Murray

T. L. Kelso

C. D. Lyon

D. Ward King

E. B. Forbes

F. C. Havman

W. F. McRparron.

F. B. Mumford....

G. M. Tucker

S. H. Elklns

W. F. McSparren.

B. L. Sea well

S. H. Elkinp

S. H. Elklns

$688 05

64
65

To warrant No, 57.?, F. Inst. Account

By Alex. Maltland

H. F. Hand....;

S. J. Melloway

T. S. Gordon

H. W. Mumford

J. D. Funk

Benton Gabbert

E. E. Chester

A. J. Dotweller

W. P. HaiTied

L. H. Gale

S. H. Elklns

G. Hlrschl

B. Plepmeler

S. J. McDanlel

D. Ward King

G. M. Tucker

S. II. Elklns

S. H. Elklna

W. L. Howard

S. H. Elklna

W. L. Howard

G. W. Willinrns

Barnea-Crosby Co

American Express Co

S. H. Elklns

W. E. P. Pierce

S. H. Elklns

Chas. C. Hilton

G. M. Tucker

R. T. ikenberry

D. E. milett

S. H. Elklns

To refund on postage by World's Fair Com-
mission

By C. H. Eckles

J. C. Whlttcn

D. A. Robnett

Geo. B. Ellis

C. H. Eckles

S. II. Elklna

S. H. Elklns

D. Ward King

S. H. Elklns

American Fxprcss Co

G. F. Troxell

D. B. Hulett

To refund bv office expense fund, warrant

No. 517

By R. M. Washburn

Alphonso Bailey

S. H. Elklns ;....

S. n. Elklns

S. H. Elklns

To refund bv Veterinary Fund, warrant No.

1571"

To refund on Monthly Crop Report Fund,

warrant No. 312

By S. H. RIklns

T. C. Scruggs

700 00

18 00

40 50

21 BO
33 60

ri3 35

4 00

161 30

112 79

46 12

2 00

60 33

29 88

29 73

10 00

32 56

23 37

5 60

5 60

12 00

850

5 25

16 50

21 98

26 60

11 37

63 48

11 25

785

400

500

2 60

2 60

4 00

64 08

3 15

10 00

10 00

30 00

21 SO

1 87

9 15

6 22

1 53

2 00

10 70

5 00

2 25

8 00

16 75

3 50

600

5 00

9 75

34 50

6 85

13 75

11 00

11 00

222 72

6 50

5 63

40 50

10 42

10 34

3 60

11 50

13 00

55 10

BOO
16 50

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

23

SECRETARY'S ACCOUNT— Continued.

Date.

Check No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

Oct. 1

To warrant No. 607 on Fnrmers' Inst. Fund..
By D. Ward King

500 00

" 3

66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

42 15

" 3

R. M. Washbiun

21 72

Oct. 3

S. H. Elkins

3 60

" 5

G. W. Waters

50 00

" 10

S. n. E'kins

8 00

" 12

R. M. Washburn

20 70

" 15

F. P.. Miimf ord

23 45

" 15

R. M. Washburn

8 30

" 20

D. Ward King

50 00

" 20

G. W. Waters

50 00

" 20

J. E. Pope

12 80

" 20

G. M. Tucker

40 42

" 20

F. P. Sever

1 50

" 27

E. H. Favor

21 85

" 31

S. II. Elkins

3 53

Nov. 1

To warrant No. 611. F. I. Fund

1.000 00

" 4

si'"

82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92

Bv R. M. Washburn

47 11

" 4

J. M. Stedman

57 92

" 7

G. W. Waters

100 25

" 7 .

S. H. Elkins

14 00

" 8

C. D. I. von

92 93

" 14

M. F. Miller

6 20

" 14

J. C. Whitten

56 70

" 14

D. Ward King

156 62

" 15 ...

G. M. Tucker

31 75

" 16 .

Shannon Monntjov

25 00

" 21

R. AI. Washburn

26 43

" 2S

S. H. Elkins

6 50

Dec. 1

■l"'o warrant 615 on Fai'ioers' Inst. Fund

By M. IM. Cunningham

1,000 00

" 1

93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

1 85

" 1

D. Ward King

246 70

t(

Mrs. D. Ward King

14 17

" 3

Geo. B. Ellis

21 28

Lynn Monroe

2 00

7

H. C. Storrs

2 00

" 12

.T. C. \x iiitten

15 20

" 12

C. R. Crosbv

18 04

" 19 . .

Bain nee

1,258 71

$4,001 65

$4,001 65

24

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

OFFICE EXPENSE FUND.

Date.

—

War. No.

XT

Name.

Cr.

1904.
Jan. 1

To balance

nSS 37

" 2

500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510

Ry .L W. Strawn

$1 75
15 85

" 2

J. R. Ellis

" 2

Snowdon Willis

10 00

Feb. 2

Snowdon Willis

10 00

" 2

J. R. Ellis

16 23

" 9

Columbia Gas Co

14 00

« 9

W. E. Harshe

95

Mch. 2

Snowdon Willis

10 00

" 2

Columbia Gas Works

1 20

" 2

Montgomery, Ward & Co

12 04

" 2

J. R. Ellis

16 26

" 2

To requisition

100 00

April 2

51 i
512
EIS
514
515
516
517
518
519

By Wabash R. R. Co

1 14

" 2

Snowdon Willis

10 00

»* o

J. R. Ellis

15 10

May 4

Snowdon AVillis

10 00

J. R. Ellis

15 85

June 1

J. W. Strawn

85 46

*i 1

G. F. Troxell

40 50

<( 1

.L R. Ellis

15 90

** 1

Snowdon Willis .-

10 00

it -1

To requisition

100 00

July 1

520
521

By Snowdon Willis

10 00

.T. R. Ellis

18 66

<i -1

To requisition

100 00

Aug. 1

522
523
524
525
526
527
528

By Snowdon Willis

10 00

J. R. Ellis

15 30

Sep. 6

J. R. EUls

16 10

" 6

Snowdon Willis

10 00

a

W. E. Harsho

1 50

Oct 1

Snowdon Willis

10 00

** 1

J. Rns='ell Ellis

17 35

'* T

To requisition

100 00

Nov. 1

529
530
531
532
533

By Snowdon Willis

10 00

it 1

J. R. Ellis

16 20

Dec. 1

Columbia Telephone Co

7 10

** 1

Snowdon Willis

10 00

" ]

J. Russell Ellis

15 20

" 1

To requisition

100 00

" 19 1

I'j V balance

158 73

$638 37

?63S 37

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

25

STATE VETERINARY P'TJND.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

Feb.

1903.

Dec. 15..

" 16..

" 16..

19(M.

Jan. 2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2..

2. .

2.'.'

2..

2..

2..

2..

Mch. 2.

" 2.

" 2

" 2'.

" 2.

" 2.

" 2

" 2'.

" 2.

" 2.

" 2.

" 5

Apr.

" 2..

Mny 4..

" 4..

" 4..

i

" 4.;

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..

" 4..
1904.

.Tune 1..

" 1..

" 1..
1.,

" 1..

" 1..

" 1..

" ]..

1477
1478

1479
1480
1481
1482
14S3
1484
1485
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493
1494
1495
1496
1497
149S
1499

'isoo'

1501
1502
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512

'mk'

1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525

'ism'

1527
1528
1529
1530
1531
15-32
1533
1534
1535
1536
1537

1538
1539
1540
1541
1542
1543
1544
1545

To balance

By .Tesse Robards
W. F. Bcrrv...

Nora K. Hall

F. O. Sawyer Paper Co

Wabash R. R. Co

W. F. Berry

.Tesse Robards

E. M. Hendv

T. E. Wlute

Jpsse Robards

D. F. Luckey

L. D. Brown

Horace Bradley

H. V. Goode

R. C. Moore

D. F. Lnckey

Mattie M. Cunningham

A. E. Hickok

H. H. Banks

Nora K. Hall

K. L. Salmon

S. H. Elkins

E. F. Ammermp.n

To requisition

By II. C. Moore

Lyman D. Brown

R. B. Love

Jas. Cullison

D. F. Luckey

.T. W. Connnway

•Tesse Robards

Nora K. Hall

Missouri Statesman

F. W. O'Brien

Columbia Telenhone Co

H. V. Goode

R. C. Moore

To requisition

By E. M. HoDdr

T. E. White

.Tas. Cullison

D. F. I uckev

S. H. Elkins

S. H. Elkins

E. F. Ammei-man

H. V. Goode

L. D. Brown

Nora K. Hall

J. W. Connnway

Missouri Statesman

W. F. Berry

To requisition

By J. S. Melloway

.Tesse Robards

W. F. Berrv

H. II. Wolf

•T. W. Connaway

W. P. Smith

R. C. Moore

F. W. O'Brien

D. F. Luckev

Nora K. Hall

W. E. Harshe

Smith-Premier Typewriter Co.

To requisition

D. F. Luckey

F. W. O'Brien...

Nora K. Hall

Jesse Robards ...<■

n. V. Goode

Horace Hradlov

R. C. Moore

Columbia Telephone Co.

$1,485 74

1,000 00

500 00

500 00

500 00

$135 50

31 70

35 65

48 90

2 78

15 85

126 00

6 80

48 20

60 50

212 94

47 70

23 20

25 96

66 45

186 58

8 90

25 00

30 00

36 65

6 35

36 40

8 76

10 50

23 35

22 50

9 00

222 45

7 65

258 10

50 00

16 50

10 80

7 50

9 15

35 00

16 00

5 90

8 50

205 37

22 40

10 60

9 28

28 96

27 40

50 00

2 90

106 15

28 80

1 50

250 25

25 45

18 50

2 90

10 00

49 60

27 50

237 58

50 00

4 85

40 00

281 55

16 70

50 00

132 00

14 00

8 75

66 40

6 75

26

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

STATE VETERINARY FUND— Continued.

Date.

War. No.

Name.

Dr.

Cr.

.Tune
.Tuly

Aug.

1546
1547
1548
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554
1555
1556

1557
1558
1559
1560
1561
1562
1563
1564
1565
1566

Son.

Off.

1567
1568
1569
1570
1571
1572
1573
1574
1575
1576
1577
1578
1579
1580

1.581
1582
1583
1584
1585
1586
1587
1588

N..T.

1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1.596
1597

r^oc.

19.

1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606

To requisition

By Nora K. H.tU

R. B. Lovo

Horace Brarllpy

n. PI. Wolf ^

T. E. White

H. V. Goods

W. F. Borrv

D. P. Luokev

Missouri Statesman

E. F. Ammprmnn

American Express Co

To requisition

By Nora K. Hall

D. F. Luckey

T.yman D. Brown

Jesse Rohards

H. H. Banks

.Tesse Robards

R. B. Love

E. F. Ammerraan

R. C. Moore

Horace Bradley

To requisition

By Columbia Telephone Co

S. II. Elkins

U., K. & T. R. R

Nora K. Hall

S. H. Elkins

T. E. White

Horace Bradley

D. F. Luckey

Missouri .'statesman

W. F. Berry

Ljman D. Brown

.Tesse Robards

E. M. Hendy

E. P. Ammerman

To requisition

By Smith-Premier Typewi'iter Co.

D. F. Lnckey

Barnes-Crosby Co

Horace Brariloy

R. C. Moore

Nora K. Hall

Missouri St.M tesman

E. F. Ammerman

To requisition

By R. B. Love

Jns. Cullison

Lyman D. Brown

.Tesse Robards

Horace Bradley

F. W. O'Brien

R. C. !Moore

D. F. Luckev

Nora K. Hall

To requisition

By F. W. O'Brien

D. F. Luckev

. Nora K. Hall

Ijyman D. Brown

Jesse Robards

E. Bralnerd

W. F. Berry

Jas. Culiison

R. C. Moore

To requ isi t ion

Bv balance

500 00

500 00

500 00

1,000 00

500 00

800 00

500 00

$8,285 74

50 00

22 50

14 00

8 00

12 20

13 05

5 00

228 27

2 50

82 20

53 93

50 00

218 83

43 76

147 50

30 00

144 50

24 00

4 43

130 85

16 60

7 45

5 04

25 68

50 00

21 50

15 00

17 30

198 06

31 65

7 45

22 40

141 25

10 45

87 25

1150

229 39

1 65

39 75

63 SO

50 00

3 00

8 13

35 50

37 10

48 84

140 50

26 10

33 70

24 60

239 79

50 00

48 99

2&3 93

50 00

57 60

159 50

18 00

7 50

10 50

97 85

860 11

$8,285 74

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

27

SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Distrihntion of Annual Report Fund.

Date.

n. ■

Cr.

January 1, 1904

To balance on appropriation

$250 00

By vouchers paid

$250 00

$250 00

$250 00

Monthly drop Report Fund.

January 1, 1904

To balance

$73 42
1,250 00

balance on appropriation

By vouchors paid

$813 71

December 20 1904

bal.ance with onr treasurer

159 71

balance not drawn from State Treas..

350 00

$1,323 42

$1,323 42

Expense of Members' Fund.

January 1, 1904.

December 20, 1904.

To balance

balance on appropriation

By vouchers paid

balance with our treasurer.

$397 82
600 00

$997 82

$532 90
464 92

$997 82

Farmers' Institute Fund.

January 1, 1901

To balance

$1,192 18
6, 000 00

balance on appropriation

Bv vouchers naid

$4,789 35

December 20, 1901

balance with our treasurer

1,002 83

balance not drawn from State Treas..

1,400 00

$7,192 18

$7,192 18

Office Expense Fund.

January 1, 1904...
December 20, 1904.

To bal ancc

balance on appropriation

By vouchers paid

balance with our treasurer.

$138 37
500 00

$638 37

$479 64
158 73

$638 37

State Veterinary Fund.

January 1, 1904...
December 20, 1904.

To balance

balance on appropriation

By vouchers paid

balance with our treasurer

balance not drawn from State Treas.

$1,485 74
8,700 00

$10,185 74

$7,425 63
860 11

1,900 00

$10,185 74

SECOND ANNUAL MEETING,

Missouri Corn Growers' Association.

Convened in Agricultural College, January 12, 1905. (Held under the
auspices of the State Board of Agriculture.)

Abstract of Addresses Delivered.

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS.

(E. E. Laughlin, Rich Hill, Mo.)

The Missouri Corn Growers' Association is entering upon its second
year. I am glad to say the past year has been a prosperous one for the
Association, however disastrous it has been for the corn crop. We
were in a new field, not having a prestige to follow, nor having many
breeders of pure-bred seed corn in the State. But if we keep up our
pace in corn agitation, we will soon be abreast or ahead of our neighbor
states.

Last year we encouraged members to write essays for the agricul-
tural press. Others outside were moved to write, thus stimulating edi-
tors to give editorial space for corn. This had its part in causing a gen-
eral awakening in the subject. At our farmers' institutes the prevalent
interest to know more about corn was in evidence by the large audi-
ences when the corn talks were announced.

The Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture has done much to
make our association popular. It is always gratifying to have a Con-
vention reported. The report of our first annual meeting was printed
in bulletin form and given general distribution, and in advertising the
farmers' institutes, the Missouri Corn Growers' Association Bulletin was
generously used. We hope the coming year this literature can be ex-
tended to still more good. Along with good reading it has seemed wise
to show good seed ears at farmers' institutes and I am sure will be pro-

CORN GROWERS^ ASSOCIATION. 2()

lific of much good. The Agricultural College has shown us great favors
and is ready to do more.

We are pleased to see the interest the railroads are taking in corn.
One of the leading features the past year was the exhibit car, which
Vv'as highly educational and I am assured will be given a prominent place
in the industrial encouragement the coming year.

As to the future: We need the help from the Experiment Station
in the study of corn for Missouri. We want to know more of the plant,
the seed, the breeding, the different phases in feeding. We sorely need
the information on seed — how large or small the kernel should be to
give the best plant. When we consider how susceptible the corn plant
is to the hand of man, how by selection we have the different varieties,
popcorn, sweet corn, flint and dent; how by selection each joint may or
may not produce an ear — is it not time that we have some scientific in-
vestigation on corn? The wheat plant has had special attention in Min-
nesota and Dakota, but not until recently has any state had special ap-
propriation for corn. Let us stop and consider some of the possibilities
of corn. You all doubtless know an acre of corn, (fifty bushels) will
produce 600 pounds of pork — but what of human food? If we were
confronted as Japan is, to what could we turn for food? Our dietary
standards call for 4 4-5 bushels of wheat to sustain a person one year.
Let us count that twenty-five bushels of corn, a very low product for
one acre, will maintain 5 persons one whole year — each section of land
more than 3,000 people. Or the corn crop of Missouri for the year
1902 would feed fifty million persons a whole year. So with this wonder-
ful plant, let us have scientific investigations — some special money for
corn study.

Our members of the Association can, however, do much in helping
or stimulating corn shows. Li these shows I would suggest, where
moneys cannot be had, the use of the blue and red ribbon can be used
effectively, being conducive of much educational value.

Last year we were desirous of doing the greatest good, and in ask-
ing advice from many, one was worthy of consideration. He said:
"Get the membership enthusiastic on corn. When a great revivalist
came to town the first thing was to get the members enthusiastic or
consecrated, so when the time comes they will work." This week is a
good time to become enthusiastic or consecrated to corn. Let us have a
consecration acre. Dignify one acre for seed corn. This acre must be
v/here it can be watched. It must be rich. Take the hog lot. It will
take work to keep it clean, but this is what you must have to keep in
touch with the seed plat. All of you doubtless have your seed picked

30 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Gilt. You ought to have an ideal ear in your minds. Out of this seed
sort a bushel of the best ears. Then cull out, leaving only enough to
plant the plat. Have them look as near alike peas in a pod as possible.
Go over them many times. Learn the characteristics of each ear — for
even if they are brothers they have each an individuality.

Here we have an ear with 56 grains in a row and 18 rows around.
Multiply 56 by 18, it gives us 1,008 grains. There are about 3,500 hills
in an acre. Placing two grains in a hill, we take 7,000 grains to plant
the acre. So if all the kernels are planted and only one acre is used, it
will give us the trouble of getting only 7 ears. With these 7,000 grains
each grain should produce an ear as good as this one. This ear will
shell one pound, or 120 bushels to the acre, provided there is no loss in
germination, accidents or the greatest loss, not pure bred seed — not hav-
ing the power to reproduce itself.

What an easy matter it will be to get a good start of corn if we
apply ourselves. If you are not fortunate enough in having the variety
desired, buy a bushel, paying a good long price, if necessary, and re-sort
to get seed for the consecration acre. As I said, plant these 7 ears
v.'here they can be watched. Study the tiny plant. Study it at the first
plowing. Study it up to ripening. Mark the desirable stalks. This
will take time, but you are going to make it pay.

Consecrate one acre for good seed corn. Talk about it, plant it,
plow it, study it. Pick next year's seed from this. Become enthusiastic
on corn and next year come to Columbia and tell the Missouri Corn
Growers' Association how you have succeeded.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. Ellis — Mr. Laughlin has suggested that the breeding plat should
be the richest of the farm. That raises a very important question in
my mind, whether we shall grow our seed corn on the richest land or
Vvfhether we will not get better results by growing seed corn on a poorer
soil, and changing it to better land. I would like to have that question
brought out by some of the men who have been breeding corn.

Mr. Laughlin — The object in growing the seed corn on a rich plat
is to make it grow corn and take on that characteristic and it will keep
it up.

Mr. Mumford — I was thinking while the discussion was in pro-
gress of a historical event in connection with the improvement of farm
crops. One of the most noted varieties of wheat, I suppose, that was
ever produced anywhere was called the Hallet pedigreed wheat that
was produced in England a good many years ago. A single kernel was

COkN dROWEKS ASSOCIATION. 3 1

planted in a hiil and the hills were one foot each way. The objectioa
was offered that this was not an ordinary condition, that we do not
plant wheat in that way, we broadcast or put it in thickly and that
supposing you improve a variety under these conditions, it would not
sustain its characteristics when grown in the ordinary way. The re-
suit was that in a few years' time the Hallet wheat produced a variety
that yielded fifty bushels more under good conditions, and under all
conditions, poor or rich soil, the Hallet wheat developed in that way be-
came a better yielding variety than any other known at that time. The
same thing may be said about improved live stock. A good many men
say that in order to have good Shorthorn, Hereford or Angus cattle you
must feed them. That is true, but at the same time it is true that good
care and feed given to ail animal or plant tends to develop in that plant
or animal certain characteristics which the animal or plant will sustain,
and it will tend to sustain these characteristics under favorable and un-
favorable circumstances. If the circumstances are nearly like they were
when that particular characteristic was developed — if, as in the case
of beef breeds of animals — we continue to feed them and give them the
same care, they will reach a still higher development; but even under
scarcer feed and with less care, these animals will still have a tendency
to fatness. Some animals will stay fat all the time and some animals
under the same conditions v/ill be lean. Corn is the same way. In order
to develop a good ear — in order to develop that characteristic, we must
supply the favorable conditions, that is, grow it on a fairly rich soil
and we need not expect that if the corn is planted on a poor soil it
will do as well, but it will have acquired the power to sustain these
characteristics and will do better than unimproved varieties.

Dr. Huston — I remember the saying of Peter Henderson in dis-
cussing peas. He said: "You have produced the largest and the smallest
pea, the earliest and the latest pea, but if someone would only produce
the pea that will be eaten !" You must keep in mind what you are going
to use your crop for. The great majority of the corn raised is raised
with a view to feeding. The Indiana Station did considerable work
along the line of investigation of the chemical composition of corn with
a particular view to handling protein in connection with hominy corn.
We did the same with field corn. It was no trouble to increase the pro-
tein, but unless great care was taken the corn became flinty, and the cattle
would not eat it unless it was ground. We may say, we have the big
and little com, the early and the late corn, but give us the corn we can
eat! That point must be kept in mind. Some of the stations that are
working on corn are not keeping that point in mind.

32 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

In regard to the adaptability of corn to its locality, that is an ex-
ceedingly important thing. I notice that perhaps because in our work
we have to go from here to the extreme northern end of the corn belt
and from Ohio to the west on the Pacific coast and we see a great deal
of variation in condition, and the corn which is highly esteemed in one
locality you would not think of planting on your farm in Alissouri, be-
cause you have a type that is much better adapted to your land. I have
seen fine corn in some localities which would be totally out of place here.
The most productive corn in Indiana for certain types of land — bottom
land — and we have a good deal of it in Indiana — is grown on such a
form of ear that it would not go in the score card at all, yet its average
yield is twenty bushels more per acre than any other type of corn on
that land. It is not a feeder, it is a corn seller. That may not be the
best form of agriculture, but we have to have some of it.

Do not tie yourselves too firmly to the present score card. There
is lots of very good, very profitable corn, corn of the highest type for
specific purposes that today could not be scored on that' card at all. It
would be rejected. Those who are earnestly endeavoring to make a
practical score card have that matter under consideration, and I have
no doubt that you will soon have a much more flexible corn score card,
one that will recognize certain particularly desirable ears, but will also
recognize the practical application of your corn.

Mr. Gabbert — Corn planted in a very rich soil will develop the root
better than on a poor soil, and I would not think it suitable for a clay
soil after it was grown on a rich bottom land.

Dr. Tucker — We can go to extremes in this matter of variety of
soils. We have such extreme types of soil that we cannot say we should
plant on the best soil that we have, but we should plant in the best
soil within certain limits of soil type. If we have prairie loam, we should
plant in the best of that kind of soil. If we have a clay soil, we shoukl
plant in the best of that kind of soil. When we transfer our corn from
one extreme to the other, as Mr. Gabbert has just said, there is such a
variation in the root development that it does not bring out the char-
acteristics that we want. The reason that we should plant on the best
land of a certain type is because the plant is kept supplied with food in
sufficient quantities to bring out the best characteristics of soil of a
similar type, and which would not be brought out on another type of
soil; hence the possibility of fixing qualities on a plant grown on a cer-
tain kind of soil. It is my practice to put the seed on the best of the
type of soil on which I -wish to plant my corn. There are extremes in
soil types and a breed of corn cannot successfully be transplanted from
one extreme in soil type to another.

H

-•3

D

C O

^ 5J

CORN GROWEl^S ASSOCIATION. 33

Mr. Forbes — There is one phase of this subject which has not been
mentioned yet, the matter of variabihty. One of the first requirements
to every improvement in plant or animal life is variability, that is, differ-
ence of individuality. If they were all alike there would be no possi-
bility of improvement. From Darwin's time to the present day we must
provide a plant with abundance of nutrition — that is the way plant
breeders throw plants into variation, by putting them where there is
abundance of nutrition and without these conditions we never develop
the possibilities that there are in a plant. We never know what we have
until we grow them under such conditions as induce variability and al-
low a plant to express its individuality.

Dr. Huston — In animal breeding you are dealing with the animal
as an individual.

There is a law in regard to the development of plants which seems
to be pretty well established, that is, as you increase the amount of avail-
able food for the plant, you increase the amount of vegetative stuff you
produce as compared with the amount of reproductive stuff you produce
in the plant. To put it in a different way, on your corn problem alone,
if you continue to raise seed corn on your very best land, or your hog
lot, if you please, you will tend to develop a type of corn with very
large proportion of stalk to ear. If you want to raise the vegetative
parts, the stalks and the leaves in excess, I have no doubt that you can
develop such a type of corn by planting in your hog lots. I believe that
this matter is worth taking into consideration in the breeding of your
seed corn, not to plant it on too rich land unless you wish to produce
only stalk. I assume you do not wish that. It is a matter worthy of
consideration, the more you increase the vegetative part of your corn,
the less you increase the seed.

Dr. Tucker — Another suggestion in regard to the rich land. By a
rich land, I do not mean land with an excess of nitrogen, but I mean a
well balance4 land — a land which will be well balanced so far as nutri-
ment for the plant is concerned, so that it will not grow to be a deformed
plant either in stalk or grain. By a rich soil, I mean a soil that com-
bines all the elements of plant food in an available form, so that we will
not put the plant on the land and expect it to grow an especially. rich
£:talk or leaf, but develop into a normal plant.

Mr. Ellis — I have had no experience in this matter myself. I wished
only to have it brought out. It is an important matter for the farmer
to know whether they shall continue their present method of corn selec-
tion. I believe farmers generally select their seed corn from the richest
land for the reason that they get the best or largest ears there. The
A -3

34 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

point I hoped to be brought out has not perhaps been covered by any
experiments that have been made. If I wanted to select an ear of corn
to feed, without knowing anything about its chemical composition, of
course, I would take the ear that had the greatest weight of grain on it.
But if I select an ear to plant, there is something else to consider —
whether it has the power of reproducing itself — whether it has the pro-
ductive power, as Dr. Huston brought out in an indirect way, for mak-
ing grain or fodder. This is my point — and I take it that our experi-
ment stations are in the dark about it, because I have not heard anything
on it yet — whether a good ear of corn grown in the poorest part of the
field is not a better ear to plant for seed than an equally good ear grown
in the best part of the field. That is it exactly. By growing the seed
corn on land of at least moderate fertility, we will perhaps form char-
acteristics of hardiness and grain productiveness that we will not get if
we pamper our seed as we sometimes do our breeding cattle, and in
that way impair their reproductive powers. This, I think, is a safe
statement that it is better to plant seed on land as good or better than
the soil where the seed grew, than it is to plant it on soil poorer than
wliere it grew.

THE WORK OF OUR EXPERIMENT STATIONS ON CORN IM-
PROVEMENT.

(Prof. M. F. Miller, Department Agronomy, Agricultural College.)

The scientific study of corn has been in progress at our experiment
stations since their establishment. Among the first problems attacked
were those having to do with corn, but naturally they dealt almost en-
tirely during the first decade with methods of culture, such as depth of
plowing, time, manner and depth of planting, number of kernels per hill,
distance apart of rows, hill and drill culture, depth and frequency of
cultivation. Most stations reached more or less definite conclusions
regarding all these problems. It was found for instance, that the depth
of plowing depended largely upon condition, but in general the deeper
the better up to a certain limit, this limit depending upon the soil in
question. The distance apart of the hills was also found to be a matter
of local condition, the richer the soil the closer the hills, other things
equal ; little difference was found in hill or drill culture when growing
corn for grain, providing the same number of stalks were grown per
acre and the matter again became one of soils largely, as some soils
will bear one way cultivation better than others because they are not

CORN growers' association. 35

so foul. The time ajid depth of planting was found to be a local and
seasonal matter varying from one to three inches. The frequency and
depth of cultivation were shown to depend largely upon the season, a
deptli of three inches being generally recommended for most soils, but
with a slightly greater depth allowable early in the season. Level culture
was found to be best for most upland soils while the frequency of culti-
vation for any soil is determined by the necessity of keeping a loose
mulch on the surface.

The matter of corn improvement by selection and breeding was
also begun early, but no great advancement was made until the matters
of soil treatment above mentioned were definitely determined. Much
advancement, however, has been made in the last half dozen years in
this work, investigations following two general lines; first, the increase
in total yield of corn or of grain and fodder per acre, and second, the
improvement in the quality of the plant, more especially of the grain. In
improving the quality two definite ideas have been in mind, the one
to improve and fix certain varieties, the other to develop strains in which
the grain varies in general constituents, such as starch, oil and protein,
the idea being to produce corn of particular quality for a particular pur-
pose. One of the most striking things shown by this work is the ex-
treme susceptibility of corn to change through selection. It has been
found, for instance, that it is possible to change the height at which ears
appear on the stalk in any variety as much as 20 or 30 inches in 3 or 4
year's selection ; that the same time is sufficient to develop a plant with
heavy or light foliage with many or few suckers, with red or white
cobs, etc. All experiments emphasize the fact that the corn plant is
very readily changed either for good or for bad by close attention to the
matter of selection and herein lies the importance of careful attention to
its proper breeding.

The increase in yield per acre has been the end toward which most
of the breeding has been directed, yet it is the one thing on which little
definite results are obtainable, for the reason that it takes a number of
years' averages to demonstrate whether or not a given variety of corn
has been improved materially in its pi'oductive power; but that some
varieties or some ears of corn when planted, have a prepotency or in-
herent property of producing more corn than others under exactly sim-
ilar conditions, even when both have been grown in the same locality
and under similar conditions has been definitely proven. The method
then of finding just which ears will produce most corn and of propa-
gating these is the problem which constitutes corn breeding for in-
creased yield per acre, and various methods have been adopted by the

36 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

stations for determining the matter. For instance tlie most common
method is to plant each selected ear in a row to itself on land that is
perfectly uniform in fertility and general characteristics, give each ex-
actly similar treatment and then determine the highest yielding row. Ex-
periments at our own station the past year show that when tested in
this manner some ears will produce twice as much as others, while ex-
periments at various stations have given similar results. Should we
take seed corn as we find it in a farmer's crib and make this same test
we would find a much greater difference. The Iowa station made a
test recently of the productive power of a series of corn samples gath-
ered from farmers in the state of the kind which they were to use for
planting that particular season. The result showed a variation in yield
of frem 8 to 91 bushels per acre. Some of this was undoubtedly due
to poor germination and a consequent poor stand ; but a large part was
undoubtedly due to the natural character of the seed. Instances have
come under my notice where ears planted thus in rows and with stands
approximately uniform have shown an extremely great variation. Now
since each ear possesses an individuality the same as an animal and is
possessed of the power of transmitting good or poor qualities to its off-
spring, the possibilities of selection for the good ears in a breeding plot
of this sort is indicated. To be sure we do not have a case strictly
analogous to that of animal breeding as the ear is a collection of indi-
viduals and we usually do not know the character of the male parent
which fertilized each particular grain. So far as the mother is con-
cerned, however, or the plant on which the ear grew we do have the
case exactly similar, and herein lies tlie most important means at our
hand for exercising a selection, in the case of artificial pollination of
ears by pollen from a stalk the character of which is known we may
have a case almost exactly alike that of the animal breeder, but these
methods in corn breeding require time and some expense so that they
are necessarily the work of the experiment station or the scientific corn
breeder. Not that the average farmer has not an abundant opportun-
ity for improving his corn in the exercising of care in selection, but for
the most painstaking and thorough work the average farmer has neither
the time nor the means to devote to it.

There are several methods now being eniploj'ed by the various ex-
periment stations in the corn belt which thus seek to improve the yield
and quality of the product of our corn fields. A common one is that
which has already been mentioned, commonly known as the row method
of selection. A perfectly unifonn plot of ground is selected of sui-
ficicnt size to give a length of about 100 hills to the row and a width

CORN GKOVVEKS' ASSOCIATION. 37

corresponding to the number of ears which it is desired to propagate,
usually from 40 to 50. These 40 or 50 ears are carefully selected from
the very best seed obtainable of any good variety adapted to the locality,
or from the stock of the preceding year, and are planted one ear to
each row so that the general character of the corn and fodder as pro-
duced from each of these ears may be accurately determined. Careful
notes are taken regarding each ear to be planted before shelling and the
test of its vitality is usually made by germinating a number of kernels.
The tips and butts are discarded in order that all grains planted may be
exactly alike as to size and general character. A border 3 or 4 rows
wide is planted around the plot from the mixed corn left from planting
the various rows. This is for the purpose of preventing outside pollin-
ation as much as possible and for giving the outside rows exactly the
same chance as the others. Careful notes are kept throughout the sea-
son of any peculiar or particularly important characteristics shown by
each row, such as size of stalk, height of ear, amount and character of
the foliage, time of tasseling, time of ripening, number of barren stalks,
etc. At the time the tassels appear all stalks which do not show healthy
shoots are detasseled to prevent their pollen from fertilizing ears on
desirable stalks. Selection for the next year's planting is made in the
field that only ears from desirable stalks may be selected. This corn
from each row is carefully weighed and the weight finally added to the
weight of the remaining corn of the row to get the final yield. Selec-
.tion for the next year's planting is made from the most desirable ears of
the highest yielding rows. It will be seen at once that such a method
ofifers some opportunity for '"in-breeding" or "close-pollination" (and by
close pollination is meant the fertilization of the ear by a stalk of the
same row) since the stalks grown from kernels of a given ear stand
side by side in the row. The effect of inbreeding or too close breeding
in plants is the same as in animals and is therefore to be avoided. To
obviate this danger some stations follow the practice of detasseling every
other row and .then making a selection for the next year only from the
highest yielding detasseled rows. The Illinois station has found a dif-
ference in yield of several per cent in favor of the detasseled rows
which would indicate that this fear of inbreeding is well grounded.
However, a part of this might well be due to the fact that the rows not
detasseled were very probably more of them close fertilized, since the
rows on either side of them produced no pollen. Experiments have not
progressed far enough to give specific data as to this point.

Another micthod which is being used to some extent is that of
planting in blocks instead of in hills, mixing the corn from two desir-

38 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

able ears to plant a block from 10 to 15 hills square. The general
character and yield of each plot is accurately recorded as in the row
method. The idea in this method is to prevent cross pollination, since
the mixing" of the seed before planting insures quite thorough crossing
between the progeny of the two ears planted. The method requires
that the land be extremely uniform in character and it does not permit
of such accurate data being kept as to individual ears. The method
evidently requires considerably more time in developing a particularly
desirable strain than the row method.

The breeding of corn for a change in its chemical composition is
being conducted at the Illinois station with considerable success, and
this work has been receiving no little comment, especially at the hands
of writers for popular magazines. The details of this work are quite
complicated and only the general method will be mentioned here. It
should be stated that it has been found possible to very greatly change
the proportions of protein, starch and oil in the grain of a particular
variety of corn by a careful selection, accompanied by chemical analysis
to indicate the varying proportions of these constituents. Strains have
been developed some of which yield over twice as much protein or
almost three times the amount of oil as do others, while the starch can
be changed accordingly. The breeding plots for this work are arranged
after the order of tiie row method before mentioned, the selection being
made largely on the basis of high protein, high oil or high starch, as the
case may be, with a fair consideration of yield per acre. It has been
found possible in this work to rely partially on a simply physical ex-
amination of the grain which lessens considerably the cost of work by
decreasing the number of chemical analyses necessary. It has been
shown for instance, that the germ contains the greater proportion of
the oil and by selecting for large germs a fairly accurate estimate can
be made of the proportion of oil in the grain. The protein is very
largely contained in the clear or horny starch of the grain so that by
selecting ears whose grains show a large proportion of this horny starch
there is every probability of getting the high protein cars. It should
be noted that while there is some variation in the composition of in-
dividual grains on the ear they run fairly uniform on the whole so that
the composition is an ear characteristic rather than a characteristic of
individual grains and consequently by determining the protein or oil in
a few grains from an ear a very accurate indication is given of the total
protein or oil content. The means of developing varieties of corn thus
varying in composition comes from the fact that for special uses as for
feeding, for starch manufacture or for production of corn oil, the corn

CORN growers' association. 39

can be much enhanced in value for these particular purposes by having
its composition fit the requirements, and there now exists a marked de-
mand for varieties of corn having these different characteristics.

It will be understood that whatever system of breeding is followed
a propagating field or plot will be provided for growing the seed from
the breeding plot in large quantities. This plot is planted with the
best of the ears remaining from the choice rows or blocks, as the case
may be, after the final selection for the next year's breeding has been
made. This plot varies in size from two to several acres and not only
furnishes a means of supplying large quantities of the improved seed,
but also gives opportunity for testing on a large scale the character and
yield of the corn produced in the breeding plot. Various methods are
employed regarding the management of this propagating plot, but they
difi^er little in important details. It will readily be seen that such a plot
is necessary, that quantities of the seed be produced, and since it is
supplied each year from the product on the breeding plot of the previous
year it is only one year removed, and the character of the corn will be
approximately, that of the breeding plot itself.

The plan of crossing com by artificial pollination is being practiced
at various stations in the process of forming new varieties. The tas-
sels of the stalk which it is desired to use as a male parent and the ear
of the female stalk are carefully covered with cloth bags until time for
pollination arrives when the pollen from the male is transferred to the
silks of the female thus controlling accurately both parents and fer-
tilizing the new ear with pollen from a plant of known characters. The
method offers much to scientific corn breeders in the forming of new
varieties since it is thus possible to cross two ears of very high protein
or oil content or of very high yield, or of very desirable stalks and know
that kernels on the yoimg ear will probably each produce plants of
characters which blend those of the parents. It will be seen, of course,
that this operation is suited to breeders who have time and means to
devote to it and is not for the practical man.

Aside from the mere matter of breeding, some of the stations are
doing much of a practical nature by disseminating knowledge of the
methods of corn improvement among the farmers and encouraging them
in every way to take up the matter of improving this cereal. One fea-
ture of this work which offers much in Missouri is that of co-opera-
tive work between the station and the farmers. This can be made espe-
cially practical in the testing the varieties to determine those suited to
each locality. It has been abundantly proven that particular soils and
localities require particular kinds or varieties of corn for best results

40 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

and a great deal of valuable work is being done by the stations in thus
aiding the farmers to find the most suitable varieties for their conditions.
The encouragement of corn breeding by individual farmers is also be-
ing practiced, which is evidently bearing fruit, since a great deal of in-
terest is being shown throughout the corn belt in this matter of corn
improvement.

As to the methods and plans of the experiment station which are
applicable to use by the practical farmer something might be said. Un-
doubtedly much will depend upon the skill and intelligence of the.
farmer as to how far he is able to apply the methods of the experiment!
stations in his own work. Certainly every farmer of average intelli-
gence who grows corn to any extent can apply som'e of these principles
at least in a slightly modified form. I am convinced that every farmer
who is engaged in corn growing would be amply repaid by setting aside
a small tract of land, say an acre, on which to grow his seed, and plant-
ing this with corn from the 15 best ears he can select from his crop of
the year before. This will mean that he will have good ears planted
together where they may be closely observed and where fertilization
will take place mainly between stalks of desirable character. This will
be true even though the plot lies in the center of the field, but it would
undoubtedly be much better were the plot located at one edge, prefer-
ably on the side toward the prevailing winds, or probably better if it
could be isolated from the main body of the field entirely. In any case
the soil on which it is grown should be an average in fertility of the rest
of the land that the corn developed for seed will be exactly suited to the
conditions under which the main field will be grown. I believe further
that for our most intelligent and progressive farmers the breeding plot
mentioned before where rows arc grown from individual ears can be
used with success. It is being done in Iowa, Illinois and Ohio to quite
a great extent by practical farmers and is by no means impractical for the
man who is giving his best attention to the improvement of his corn'
crop. Lastly, the development of varieties parlicukirly suited to given
conditions lies within the province of the farmer's ability. In certain
localities we need drought resisting varieties, varieties suited to par-
ticularly thin land or very rich land or varieties adapted to various pe-
culiar phases of soils and climate. Careful selection and breeding of
corn by the practical farmer will make these things possible and until
our farmers appreciate the necessity for care in handling this important
crop and the possibilities of changing it by selection to suit his condi-
tions wc shall never have the highest development of corn in Missouri.
Scientific breeders and experiment stations can do very much but by no

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 4I

means all. The permanent improvement of corn for the future will de-
pend largely on the skill and intelligence of the farmer himself.

WHAT THE FARMER MAY DO IN CORN IMPROVEMENT.

(Col. G. W. Waters, Canton, Mo.)

This paper on "What the Farmer May Do in Corn Improvement,"
follows logically Prof. Miller's paper on "What the Experiment Sta-
tions are Doing," (and have been doing) in the same line of work. He
tells us what has been accomplished by scientific investigation and care-
ful experimentation. It remains for us to inquire in how far the farmer
may follow in adopting the methods of the progressive corn breeder.

Assuming that the findijigs of the experiment stations are correct
and that corn is susceptible of great improvement by proper selection
and breeding, the subject appeals at once to the farmer as well worthy
of his consideration.

The farmer will do one of three things : First, wholly disregard
the experiment station work by going on in his own way planting corn
grown without reference to improved breeding, taking no advantage
of the progress of the times ; or, second, he will rely for his seed upon
others who grow it more or less upon scientific principles ; or, third, he
will adopt' the up-to-date methods of seed corn growing which have
been clearly described in Prof. Miller's paper preceding this.

In many cases it will be the best for farmers to adopt the second
method ; that is, to secure their seed corn from some responsible grower.
There are a number of precautions necessary to be taken in the pur-
chase of seed corn. I will mention some of them :

(a) It should come from somewhere near the same latitude. Corn
grown further south would ripen later and probably have a tendency to
produce excessive stalk, for it is noticeable that the stalks grow taller as
w^e go southward. Corn from the north would, on the other hand,
ripen too early to get the benefit of the entire growing season.

(b) Again, if grown and developed on land entirely different from
that where it is to be used, it would probably be disappointing. How-
ever, from observation and experience, I conclude that seed corn should
be grown on good land and receive good cultivation so as to give the
seed great vitality and prepotency toward a profitable yield. Corn will
deteriorate and degenerate in the same manner as will live stock if sub-
mitted to adverse conditions as to feed and care. I have in mind two
fields of corn, both planted with first-class seed of the prize-winning

42 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

kind, shown by Mr. Raine of Canton at the State show in St. Louis,
February, 1904. One field was good ground, planted in good time and
given good cultivation and produced corn true to type and as good as
the original. The other field was wet land, planted late and was poorly
cultivated. The corn of this field has deteriorated so much that no one
would recognize even of what variety it is. While the land should be
fertile an'd of the same general character of the land upon which the
seed is to be used, yet it should not be one-sided in its fertility. If too
much nitrogen were in it, as would be the case in an old feed lot men-
tioned by President Laughlin in his annual address, it is probable there
would be a tendency to an excess of stalk.

Perhaps the most difficult single problem the farmer has to solve
is just what particular type of corn and of what particular origin will
be the most proltable corn to plant in any given locality. The Tennessee
Experiment Station found by a trial of three years that corn developed
on rich bottom land did not produce so well when planted on upland as
corn developed on upland, and vice versa. It is true, however, that
corn adapts itself to environment and becomes acclimated more readily
than any other farm crop. A neighbor near Canton sent north a few
years ago for seed corn. The crop the first year was very disappoint-
ing. The second season it was larger and better. The third year it
grew well, retaining its characteristic form with greatly increased size
and yield. It was good enough to afford splendid specimens for the
Missouri exhibit at the World's Fair.

In the majority of cases coming under my observation, where far-
mers have sent off to seedsmen for new and untried varieties which
were extravagantly advertised, they have abandoned them the second
year, either because the yield was disappointing or it was allowed to
become mixed so as to lose the type. But where farmers have secured
good seed in the ear of the standard varieties from reliable growers
within one hundred miles of their own latitude, they, as a rule, have
been well repaid for the expenditure.

In view of the many difficulties and uncertainties attending the plan
number two (that of sending away for seed corn), I deem it much the
safest and best to adopt the third plan (that of developing and raising
one's own seed corn). This may be done, however, to great advantage
by the co-operation of a group of farmers in a given community. One
member of the association whose farm is suitably located, is selected to
grow a single variety, all of the members agreeing to buy their seed
from him at a remunerative price, say $1.00 per bushel. This grower,
so selected, would be expected, of course, to adopt up-to-date methods

CORN growers' association. 43

in corn improvement, as well as in handling and caring for the corn.
This plan offers many advantages and is being adopted in some locali-
ties where we have held institutes. Judiciously carried out, it solves the
seed corn problem. The corn thus grown and developed is, or will
be perfectly acclimated and adapted to the- land and locality. In order
to determine which type or variety is best suited to the locality, a num-
ber of varieties should be tested. Each farmer should plant several va-
rieties in platsi side by side, watch their growth, ascertain their yields
and in this manner from a number of such comparisons the very best
varieties could be selected for all the farmers of the locality. Of course
the corn from these particular plats would be unfit for seed, a variety
selecting being the only objective point.

It makes less difference than many suppose, which variety is chosen
for ultimate adoption, provided it be bred up in the manner outlined by
Prof. Miller. However, it would be best to begin operations with corn
already developed to a high standard, and by judicious breeding keep
up the standard of excellence, and in addition secure adaptation and ac-
climatization to the given locality.

In my judgment it will be unwise for the farmer corn breeder to
try to develop two or more special traits, but he should strive in the one
direction, large yield, for it is a well-known principle in animal breeding
and plant 'breeding as well, that it is easier to develop a single trait or
character, than two or more at the same time. It would be better to
grow legume crops for the necessary protein, than to try to get it as a
special development in corn. If it is true, as, suggested by Prof. Mil-
ler, that the protein is very largely contained in the horny starch of the
grain, it follows that high protein corn is harder, more flinty, and not so
easil}^ masticated, and hence not so desirable for cattle feeding, and even
may be objectionable on account of its hard, flinty character for other
stock. Again, it is best to give animals a greater variety of feeds, no one
single feed equaling in efficiency a variety. Another point in growing
legume crops for protein, we aft'ord the land a desirable rotation.

The oil content, however, being largely in the germ, it will be well
to select corn of large germs, as this development will probably cor-
relate with largeness of yield. Another advantage may be gained by se-
lecting large germs, that is to secure increased vitality. Grains with
large germs will send up larger and more vigorous sprouts, (plumules)
and start to grow more readily. It has been observed that grains with
large germs and thick bodies, somewhat flinty, will germinate and grow
under more unfavorable conditions, (as wet, cold weather) than thin
gourd seed grains.

44 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Seed corn growing- and seed corn selection, presents a many-sided
problem. In the work of continuous improvement, or even in keeping
up a very high standard of productivity for the whole country, the farmer
must do his part. In studying the principles of corn breeding, and
in practicing scientific methods, he may not only enjoy increased yields
in his crops, but rejoice in his accomplshments, due to careful thought
directing his labor. There is a pride and satisfaction that comes to the
grower of any product, plant or animal, when he views it, recognizing
the fact that its superiority is due to his intelligent management. Na-
thaniel Hawthorne, in viewing his plants said: "Gazing at them, 1
felt that by my agency something worth living for had been done. '-^ *
They were real and tangible existences which the mind could seize, hold
and rejoice in."

DISCUSSION.

Mr. Ellis — ^There is one practical question I think we should dis-
cuss, and that is whether a farmer shall grow his own seed?

Mr. Gabbert — I believe that the seed corn men should have the
field and should send out tested seed ,and we can devote our time to
something better. I believe the seed man should have the full field.
That is my idea about it and I will buy my seed from him.

Col. Waters — I think that is the tendency now. I find that plan
seems to be the most favorable one. At Trenton, in Grundy County,
they have an association of corn breeders, but have one, two or three
men to raise the seed corn for the whole community. One man might
raise the yellow Dent, another the Boone County White and another
some other kind.

Mr. Laughlin — I think a man should raise his own seed, adapted
to his own kind of land. If you want a peculiar type, you might buy
the seed from a pure bred seed raiser, but I think every farm has char-
acteristics of its own, and if you let some other man raise the seed corn
you will lose enthusiasm and there is a whole lot in that, and if we
would keep up the proper enthusiasm it is necessary that every man
should raise his own seed corn and not buy from some one else.

Mr. Ellis — There are some difficulties in the way of the farmer
breeding his own corn. The average size farm in Missouri is only one
hundred and twenty acres, and perhaps the average corn acreage on
that farm is less than thirty acres, and unless one can get the entire
neighborhood to grow one kind of corn, he cannot control the breeding
of his corn. That is one objection to it. Another objection is that the
ordinary farmer cannot become an expert corn breeder because he has

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 45

SO many other things to I'ook after. (Jn the uthcr hand there is danger
of buying your seed corn from a breeder if you get it from a distant'
place and change its environment too much that it may deteriorate.
You might possibly improve it by the change, but can only tell by trial.
I think it a good plan for the farmers in a neighborhood to have some
intelligent farmer in that neighborhood make experiments with different
varieties on the typical neighborhood soil and find out about what va-
riety seems best adapted to that neighborhood. Or let a neighborhood
form an association, as they have done at Bunceton or Qarksville — ap-
point a man to experiment and find out what kind is adapted to that
neighborhood and agree to buy the seed from him. Let the man best
situated for it and most inclined to breed the corn, be selected.

The average farmer does not try to keep up his cattle by breeding
purebreds. He must buy his purebred stock from a breeder. Is it pos-
sible for every farmer to devote the same attention to breeding live
stock that the breeder does? I do not believe it is. Nor do I believe
it is possible for the average farmer to devote the same attention to corn
breeding as the expert seed breeder does. I do not believe it is prac-
ticable for every farm;er to take up this question of corn breeding. If
the farmers of the neighborhood will form an association and determine
in some way what variety of corn is best adapted to their neighborhood,
then grow one kind of corn, or two kinds if necessary, and buy no seed
except from the seed grower, it seems to me that that is a practical plan
and will keep our varieties practically pure.

Mr. Carroll — Aren't they doing that in St. Charles county?

Mr. Ellis — Yes. The farmers of St. Charles county have devel-
oped the St. Charles White variety, and have discouraged the growing
of any other variety. I do not think that they have adopted the plan of
one man growing the seed.

COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS AS SUPPLEMENTS TO FARM
YARD MANURES AND LEGUMES.

(Dr. H. A. Huston, St. Louis, Mo.)

Crops remove certain things from, the soil and these must be re-
placed if productiveness is to be maintained. If all the crops raised on
the farm were fed on the farm, and all the manure returned to the land,
the land would, in theory at least, become more productive. The in-
crease would be due to a small amount of nitrogen received from the

46 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

rainfall and the minerals rendered more available by natural processes
that are always in progress in the soil.

On most farms grain is sold and carries with it considerable plant
food. The straw and corn stalks are only partially utilized, and the
manures are not handled to the best advantage. About one-half of the
plant food in the feeding stuff is contained in the liquid portion of the
manure and this is seldom utilized. Fermentation of the manure re-
sults in a loss of nitrogen and leaching in a loss of all ingredients,
Hence, it happens that even on farms where most of the crops are fed
there is a great waste of plant food. Actual investigations conducted
on farms that were considered to be well managed', showed that there
was a loss of from twenty to fifty per cent of the plant food in the solid
part of the manure before it was actually applied to the land. Even
where the use of maimres is supplemented by clover and other legumes
there is still a loss of mineral ingredients. The question then arises
whether it is best to purchase plant food after utilizing as completely
as possible the manurial resources of the farm.

In most of the territory west of the Mississippi the opinion is
frequently expressed that commercial fertilizers are not necessary to
supplement the home supply. The progressive farmer does not deal
with the other problems of the farm on this basis. If he did he would
have no improved live stock, no self-binder, no thrashing machine, and
in fact he would have only the simplest implements of agriculture. All
these improvements are not necessary. The world got along very well
without them until about fifty years ago. They have come into general
use because they were found to be profitable. It is not any matter of
theory or "it stands to reason" talk. It is a matter of experience. Yet
when the farmer is asked to apply to his soil problem, exactly the same
principle that he has applied in all other departments of farm work, he
shifts his base and thinks it is not necessary, instead of asking "will it
pay?"

It certainly will pay you to find out whether you can profitably
supplement your farm manures and leguminous crops with commercial
plant foods. Why? Because even virgin soils differ greatly in pro-
ductiveness owing to difterences in both physical and chemical condition.
The kind and amount of plant food in any soil depends on the origin of
the soil and the original growth upon it. A lime stone soil is vastly
different from either a drift soil or a peat formation. Starting with a
clay soil in its virgin state and utilizing manures and legumes to the ut-
most would never correct the deficiency of phosphoric acid, which is

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 47

cl aracteristic of heavy clays, nor would the same treatment correct the
lack of available potash in a true lime stone soil.

Different crops require plant food in different proportions. One of
these elements cannot replace the other. A soil that yields fair crops of
wheat may need an additional plant food element to produce the best
results on corn, potatoes, or clover. Moreover, different crops have
different foraging power for plant food. Hence the results of a chemi-
cal analysis of a soil are very difficult to interpret.

Another point to remember is that, if you have only enough of any
one element, say potash, in an available form, to produce twenty bushels
of corn, the crop will be limited to twenty bushels even if there is enough
of the other elements in an available form to produce three times this
yield. Under the soil skinning processes that have been in vogue on
most American farms it has usually happened that the crop producing
power has been decreased and frequently this has been by the reduction
of the amount of only one or two elements. If phosphoric acid is the
one that failed first the condition cannot be most profitably corrected by
farm yard manure, because manure is low in phosphoric acid and by
using it alone on such land you lose the benefit of the nitrogen, which
is its most valuable, abundant and characteristic ingredient. In the
same way the use of manure alone on much land or black prairie wastes
a lot of nitrogen without fully supplying the deficiency of potash.

By the use of commercial plant foods any element may be increased
at will, and both soil differences and crop requirements may be provided
for.

Will it pay? Many Misouri farmers evidently think it does pay,
for they are using over 30,000 tons of fertilizer per year, and the amount
is rapidly increasing. Most of this is on wheat, but experiments con-
ducted in this State during the past season indicate that its use on corn
and potatoes will also prove profitable. The first fertilizers introduced
into the wheat territory are usually packing house products of good
quality, but containing only nitrogen and phosphoric acid.

In the following experiments nitrogen and phosphoric acid were
tested against no fertilizer on one side and a complete fertilizer on the
other :

EXPERIMENT AT MARIONVILLE, MISSOURI.
(By Mr. William Menogue, On Corn.)

Plat I, no fertilizer. Yield 20 bushels per acre, mostly nubbins.

Plat 2, fertilizer with 336 lbs. bone and 188 lbs. blood. Yield 29 1-3

bushels of mostly small corn. Fertilizer cost, $8.50, increase

worth $4.66; net loss $3.84.

48 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL RF.rORT.

Plat 3, fertilized with the same material as plat 2, and 120 lbs. sulphate
of potash, in order to make complete fertilizer. Yield 49 3-5
bushels; all sound corn. "Fertilizer cost $11.70; increase of
crop was worth $14.80; net gain $3.10. The use of the com-
plete fertilizer converted a loss of $3.84 into a gain of $3.10.
The diflference in cost was $3.20 and the difference in returns
$6.94, a gain of over 200 per cent on the extra money invested,

EXPERIMENT AT OSCEOLA, MISSOURI.
(By Mv. W. M. Love, On Potatoes.)

Plat I, no fertilizer. Yield 141 bushels.

Plat 2, fertilized with 450 lbs. bone meal and 180 lbs. blood. Yield
157 1-2 bushels. Fertilizer cost $12.57; increase crop sold for
$12.37; "^t loss 20 cents.

Plat 3, fertilized with the same materials as plat 2, and 120 lbs. sulphate
of potash, in order to make complete fertilizer. Yield 181 1-2
bushels. Fertilizer cost $16.14; increase of crop worth $25.87;
net gain $9.73. The use of the complete fertilizer converted a
loss of 20 cents into a gain of $9.73. The difference in the
cost was $3.57 and the difference in returns $9.73, a gain of
275 per cent on the extra money invested.

EXPERIMENT AT NEVADA, MISSOURI.
(By Mr. J. D. Morris, Crop Potatoes.)

Plat I, no fertilizer. Yield 62 1-2 bushels per acre.

Plat 2, fertilized with 600 lbs. acid phosphate and 250 lbs. blood.
Yield 85 bushels. Cost $15.00; increase of yield worth $11.25;
loss $3.75.

Plat 3, fertilized with the same materials as plat 2, and 200 lbs. sul-
phate of potash, in order to make complete fertilizer. Yield
199 i-io bushels per acre. Cost $19.90; increase of yield
worth $68.30; profit $48.40. The use of the complete fer-
tilizer converted a loss of $3.75 into a gain of $48.40. The
difference in cost was $4.90, and the difference in returns $52.15,
a gain of over 1000 per cent on the additional money invested.

These experiments were made on Missouri farms during the past
year. The cultivation and other conditions were the same as in or-
dinary farm practice. They can be duplicated by anyone. You will re-
call the heavy rainfall of last spring and the difficulty of planting and
tending spring crops. Yet very striking and profitable results were
obtained.

CORN growers' association. 49

What do these experiments mean? At first sight one might say
that potash was the one thing needed. But this is not the proper in-
terpretation of the results. The bone and blood are materials that are
first to appear in the wheat sections and almost always give good re-
turns on wheat for some years, but when used on spring crops they
have not always proven profitable. Hence, these experiments were
made to compare a partial fertilizer already in common use with a com-
plete fertilizer. In these experiments the partial fertilizer was used at
a loss, while the complete fertilizer converted this loss into a handsome
profit.

These plain facts are presented, not for advertising purposes, but
with a view to calling attention to the desirability of testing your soils
and to the necessity of using complete fertilizers made from the standard
materials in the proper proportions in making these simple tests. Of
course, a more elaborate system of tests can be made in which the re-
sults show just what plant foods are needed, but in a section where the
fertilizer question is not well understood the farmer wants first to know
whether any fertilizer will be profitable, and to arrive at this knowledge
with the least possible trouble. Once he has found that the complete
fertilizer is profitable he is quite willing to experiment further to see if
all the ingredients are profitable.

It will be noted tliat the quantities per acre are larger than the
wheat farmers are accustomed to use, and that the cost per acre is also
high, from $12 to $20. Yet the increase in yield paid for the fertilizer
and gave a handsome profit on the money invested. The lowest profit
was 21 per cent, and the highest 243 per cent on the money invested.
The highest per cent of profit was on the highest expenditure per acre.
However, we must bear in mind that there is a limit beyond which profits
begin to be reduced. This depends upon the kind of crop and the con-
dition of the land. The wheat crop limit would be much lower than that
for potatoes or fruit. The better the land the greater the amount of
fertilizer that can be profitably used upon it. This is because poor lands
generally have such bad physical conditions that they do not retain
enough water to mature a maximum crop, even when the other plant
foods are suppliel in abundance.

The question of the use of commercial plant foods is well worthy
of your attention. It will pay you to find out whether you can use one
or more of them profitably. To find this out, use known quantities of
high grade plant foods. Having found out what is needed, buy what
you need without regard to what the agent may try to sell you. High

50 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL RErORT.

grade fertilizers are the cheapest. The two things that keep up the
price of plant food in mixed fertilizers are the long credits asked hy the
farmers and the demand that fertilizers be sold at a low price per ton.
The longer the credit and the lower the price per ton the higher is the
cost per pound of real plant food in the fertilizer.

I have only .spoken in general terms because the subject is too
large to be treated otherwise in so brief a time. The matter of the
composition of fertilizers for different crops under average conditions,
the characteristic needs of the different kinds of soils, the time and the
manner of applying fertilizers, are all questions that at once arise after
we have learned that they can be used at a profit.

If I can render you any assistance along these lines, I shall be glad
to do so.

DISCUSSION.

Col. Waters — Would you put your corn fertilizer in the hill?

Dr. Huston — No, because it is too heavy and you are liable to de-
crease the germinating power of your corn and when the dry weather
comes, it will have no power of resistance. The average corn raiser
who uses a hundred pounds of fertilizer to the acre thinks he is doing
a pretty good business in putting it in the hill. But some experments I
conducted five or six years ago showed whether the fertilizer was
drilled in with the corn or dropped in the hill. Up to the time we laid
the corn by, that corn where the fertilizer was dropped in the hill was
quite in advance of the other corn — that is, where it was broadcast —
yet when we came to harvest and weigh it — I assume that you raise
your corn for pounds and not for stalks — we had gained one bushel
where wc applied it in the hill and ten bushels where we broadcasted it.

Mr. Ellis — If you had a very poor piece of land that you wanted to
improve, would you recommend plowing under a green crop to begm
with before you began using a commercial fertilizer?

Dr. Huston — It would depend upon what stage the land was in. I
believe for bringing up your lands, if you raise wheat, the place to be-
gin is on your wheat crop with a fertilizer. Take, for instance, the
Marionville experiment. You would not get much more wheat with
the 1 20 pounds of sulphate of potash, but you should follow that wheat
with clover. The wheat fertilizers, if followed with grass and clovei
ought to bring up the land.

You may reduce the nitrogen in your corn fertilizer, and as the ni-
trogen is the most expensive, you may split your bill in two by putting
in a leguminous crop.

CORN GROWERS* ASSOCIATION. 5 1

Mr. Laughlin — ^Thcre is some corn on exhibit here on which the
farmer used ditierent amounts of fertiHzers, and he found a hundred
pounds did as well as three hundred pounds — ^but the fertihzed corn
kept on growing all the time, while that not fertilized turned yellow.
The fertilizer was planted in the hill.

Dr. Huston — If he had broadcasted a part of the fertilizer, his in-
creased fertilizer expenditure would have been profitable. In the latter
part of the season, when you did not have so much water, probably
these plants sufiiered from lack of water and could not use the additional
amount of fertilizer. If it had partly been broadcasted, they could have
utilized it.

There is a great deal to be learned in regard to the methods of
application, and while you do not get as striking results, I believe, after
twenty-five years' experience you get more corn by broadcasting the
fertilizer, and that is what we are after.

Mr. Laughlin — I would like to ask what kind of a machine you use
in broadcasting.

Dr. Huston — We do it with the wheat drill. Broadcast immedi-
ately after you plow, before you harrow.

Mr. Boles — I have heard that if you continue to use a fertilizer, it
kills the ground.

Dr. Huston — I am glad you spoke of that. Ever since 1884 I have
had charge of the fertilizer business in Indiana, something over a mil-
lion tons have pased through our office. I have had occasion to visit
practically every county in the State and always inquired about those
lands which had been damaged by the use of fertilizers and they were
always in the next county.

There is an immoderate use of fertilizers which may do you dam-
age. It is a substitution of commercial fertilizers for farm yard manure
instead of using the commercial fertilizer as a supplement that does the
damage. I can point to a great deal of land which has been damaged
by continual wheat sowing or corn growing. Our fertilizer furnishes
only a small amount of nitrogen. By the continual planting of one crop
you remove a dozen elements of plant food from this land and you put
back one. This one cannot be substituted for the other eleven and I do
not think it would take you long to figure that the withdrawal of twelve
elements from your soil and the return of one is bound to get your land
out of balance. This is the reason we hear of commercial fertilizers
injuring the land. They are not properly used. The damage has come
in making them a substitute for barnyard manures. On nothing out-
side of market gardening can that be done with economy.

52 • MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

INDIAN CORN— FROM A PRACTICAL FARMER'S POINT OF

VIEW.

(P, E. Crabtree, Ilannon, Mo.)

There is much more in corn growing than merely the consideration
of dollars and cents involved therein. From the very nature of the
plant, its pliability, the elasticity of its habits and requirements under
varied conditions, it offers a most interesting field of conquest to the am-
bition of an energetic person through the realization of improvement in
habits and development in features pertaining to its growing period, and
the final victory of achievement in the nature of shelled corn passed
over the stales.

I will touch briefly on some of the essentials of successful corn
growing and I will ask the audience to bear with me should some of my
experiences not coincide with yours, and will state that my place of op-
eration and my field of observation is located in the southwestern quar-
ter of the State of Missouri. My work has been carried on exclusively
on a light, sandy soil that does not naturally produce clover or even
nourish it when planted. However, the cow pea is a leguminous plant
to which our soil bids welcome.

Fertility. — I will only touch lightly on this subject, as it is more
properly covered in another lecture. Suffice it to say that the richer the
soil the better, up to the point where the corn plant shows a tendency to
sucker and to produce smut, then desist in further supply of fertility ex-
cept in the way of replenishment. Do not, however, lose an opporunity
to constantly add humus, in some form, to the soil, and thus keep it
loose and friable, that moisture may be retained from one shower to
another, and thus hold the available fertility in soluble form constantly.

Soil Preparation. — Although the "early bird" story is usually appli-
cable to the matter of planting corn, one should not stir the soil when
muddy. It is worse than time lost, as it interferes very materially with
tlie tending of the crop later in the season. Plow as early in the season
as it is possible to find the soil in the proper condition for stirring. Plow
moderately deep and do a good smooth job, seeing to it that it is all cut
and turned. Fall plowing is still better in this locality where such is
possible, but at any rate the plowing should invariably be done long
enough before cropping time to permit a few good soaking rains to
settle and firm it as much as possible — the more the better at the bottom
of the furrow.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 53

At the first germination of weed seed in the spring the plowed
ground should be double-disced. In doubling in this manner do so by
over-lapping the disc one-half and thus the ground is left with a level
surface. Ten days should now be given for the germination of weed
seed then double-disc again, then with a spike tooth harrow, work the
ground once at an angle, then double-harrow the way the rows are to
be run, and the field is ready for planting. This, to some, will seem ex-
cessive tillage of the soil previous to planting, but I feel well repaid for
such work later, in the absence of weeds, in the better condition of the
soil for the first cultivation, and in the additional plant food thus liber-
ated by such tillage.

Planting. — Experience and observation have taught me that there
are two mistakes pretty generally made in the planting of corn. One is
to plant too thickly, the other to rely somewhat on replanting done by
hand or otherwise where hills are missing. In regard to the former,
my plan is to plant both rows and hills as close together as I can con-
veniently work them with a two-horse cultivator, then put just two
grains to the hill. As to the latter, I do not inter-replant. If the stand
is too poor, disc and plant over. My planter is set to plant the rows 3
feet, 4 inches apart, and I use a 3-foot, 6-inch wire. I have done some
careful experimenting in regard to checking versus drilling. I advise
checking, and in no instance to drill, unless your rows run north and
south, so that the sun will at least warm the soil once each day.

I find that the trouble of corn being planted too thickly does not
come from a lack of plant food to nourish it, as is generally supposed,
for that we can supply, but it lies in the plants shading themselves and
the ground, thus robbing themselves of the heat, sunlight and air. I
endeavor to plant an average depth of 2% inches, varying deeper if the
ground is light and dry, and shallow if the ground be damp and cold.
I use an edge drop .planter with attachment for commercial fertilizer,
and after repeatedly experimenting have settled on checking 100 pounds
per acre or drilling 150 pounds per acre of the fertilizer. A larger
amount is at a larger cost, and also produces corn coarser and more
irregular in grain, and a much larger amount produces suckers and
smut.

Cultivation. — A farmer does not always get just what he wants,
but, weather permitting, I always want my corn cultivated just four
times, no more, no less, and am very particular about how it is done ;
preferring to do it myself.

You will knoAV from what I have said on tilth of the soil before
planting that I can cultivate it very young. I use a six shovel riding

54 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

cultivator, and for the first cultivation, remove the shovels next the row,
replacing them with bull tongues. Cultivate deep and close this time
in preparation of staying at respectable distance thereafter. The first
cultivation once properly accomplished, the farmer has his own way foi
the three later cultivations. Cross the field at the second cultivation and
do not ridge it more than you are compelled to, staying a moderate
distance from the row, and not cutting too deeply. Cultivate as planted
the third time, stay well away from the row and cut shallow. Ridge
no more than compelled to by weeds. Now, as to the fourth and last
cultivation use the warped shovels next the row ridging somewhat, but
keep well away from the plants, cultivating shallow to avoid severe
root-pruning.

Type of Corn. — I deem it improper for me at this time and place
to remark on the varieties of corn, so will refer interested ones to my
exhibit to verify the feasibility of a farmer producing the type of corn
which he champions, and which he finds most remunerative. We know
full well that it is not advisable to expect the best results from corn
that has lately undergone a very marked change either in latitude or
altitude. This being true 1 advise home growing of seed corn so far as
it is practicable. Of course if one has not already a thoroughbred corn
of really high producing capacity, get it first, get it as near home as
possible, then proceed to make it better and of a higher producing
capacity each year I know that this line of work is sadly neglected by
farmers in general. I also know there are so many features of the corn
plant entirely undeterminable in the show room and at fairs, in short,
by examination of the ear, that play a very important part if the ability
of a variety to produce a really heavy crop of sound, merchantable shelled
corn, that farmers often get hold of a variety of high exhibition quality
corn that proves to be a really light cropper of sound corn.

The reason is obvious. The ear that is of the prescribed confor-
mation wins, and is used for breeding stock regardless of field condi-
tions surrounding it. That is why I advocate field selection of the seed
always. Keep it up and make producing capacity your watchword.

After securing the corn that will } icld properly, raise your own
seed and in so doing select it in a manner to conform with your ideal of a
perfect corn, considered from a utility point of view. Although the
farmer may at times show an exhibit of corn, that is a secondary con-
sideration with him and his profits lie in wliat he cribs and not what he
shows. Now let no one understand mc to wish to discourage corn shows.
Far from it, I strongly favor them as a stinuilant to endeavor, but T
l)lacc utility above fancy points, and advise that the enterprising farmers

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 55

of every neighborhood ascertain by trial the very heaviest cropping
corn possible to secure in that particular locality, and once having secured
it "hold fast to that which is good." If it deviates too severely from
the prescribed standards and score cards, make one calculated to fit it,
including anticipated improvements, and hold local shows, invite good-
natured friendly rivalry, and have good and profitable meetings.

Exclusive of Score Card. — Granting now that the farmer is really
getting interested in his work and has determined to raise his seed corn,
I will outline his procedure in field selection :

Do not be misled into selecting the biggest, loosest ears in the field
for seed. Invariably the very largest ears have the largest cobs, and are
also slower in maturing as well as shelling out a poor percentage. The
aim should be rather to eliminate nubbins and barren stalks, secure a
moderate, quick developer for this locality, select a type neither too flint
nor too dent, but sufficiently hard to mature in a marketable condition,
solid, compact, bright in color, and flint enough to have a good woody
stalk, stiff enough to support its burden and stand erect all winter if neces-
sary. The stalk should be short-jointed, thus insuring good leafage,
medium height, tapering from the ground to the top rapidly, and should
carry the ears uniformly in height, varying in strength of soil and
seasonable conditions, from waist high to chin high. Secure the heaviest
system of brace-roots possible. A single stalk has been known to ad-
here 97 pounds of soil, the brace-root producing a perfect mesh of feed-
ing rootlets. I find that the brace-roots have much to do with the yield.
Do not select seed from stalks producing two ears. Such corn plants
are retrograding toward whence they came, to that extent. The single
ear stalk produces the largest weight of shelled corn and is the heaviest
yielder, also the double-eared stalk more than doubles the husking bill,
which in this locality is 3 cents per bushel. With all these things taken
into consideration you have taken the necessary precaution regarding
one of the parent stalks of your seed ear. Remember the stalk on
which the ear grows is always the female parent of the said ear, and of
all the grains thereon. Also remember that in the general fields the
chances are against its being the male parent of more than perhaps 20
per cent of the grains of the ear, the rest probably being fertilized by
pollen from the tassels of other stalks, which accounts for it taking con-
tinued, persistent effort in the direction of line-breedmg to produce what
we desire.

Now to be reasonably sure as to the merit of the male parent of
voiir seed ear it is neeessary to see to that the seed ear ccnics from a
stalk, the hill of which contained no stalk with seriously objectionable

56 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

ear, and also that the same degree of merit extended to the four hills
surrounding the one from whence came the seed ear. Even then we
have no positive proof that every grain which the ear contains is a well-
bred germ, but we do know that a big majority of them are, and I find
that this plan of field selection carried out for a few years will simply
work out surprising results in the nature of preferred type, and especi-
ally in producing capacity. As an example of the latter I mention that
I well remember some years ago it was generally believed that forty
bushels per acre was an outside limit in corn production en this thin
soil. I was repeatedly told as much when I attempted to surpass it.
But I had to "be shown." Time and effort have furnished me with
some data on this matter. In 1902 I measured oflf what I considered
my best acre, and it weighed out 82 bushels and 25 pounds. I then
adopted the plan of annually measuring a small portion, the best of each
field, and weighing it for my own information and as a check on all new
varieties tried. In 1903 the best produced at the rate of 100 bushels
and dy pounds per acre. In 1904 the best produced at the rate of 158
bushels and 45 pounds. As to the various fields the past season the best
of one, made at the rate of 97 bushels and 10 pounds. Another 129
bushels and 50 pounds, another 158 bushels and 45 pounds. I hope the
end is not yet for I am not the person who will not try to surpass it
another year.

I advise all farmers to begin at once and produce their own seed
corn from a good beginning in the manner herein prescribed, and if
they will but do so the printing of statistics relative to the yield of the
corn belt will necessitate the use of much additional type.

I referred to the matter of checking upon other breeds of corn.
I have generally given trial to about five varieties per year, and I usu-
ally find that the corn handled as above produces from ^4 to 2^/2 times
the yield, under some conditions, as does the new varieties.

Fertilizers. — We will grant that the various kinds of fertilizers con-
taining nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash in the proportion required
bv corn, and likewise similarly available should, in theory, be about
of equal value. However, after experimenting with seven kinds and
compounding two home-mixed formulas I greatly prefer the packing
house product. All farm manures should be utilized both for the plant
food and for the humiis they contain, but I find that in addition to all
those, it is a great help in the cultivation of a corn crop to give it addi-
tional plant food in the hill and force it above weeds that surround it,
thus enabling one to properly accomplish the first cultivation.

The Score Card. — For the judging of corn, as also all other judg-

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 57

ing- by score card, the card has its uses and abuses. The card furnishes
a record of the judge's opinion, if he has one, and if he has not it re-
veals the fact. In show room work I prefer the use of the card only
where the judge has become expert in its use. In the case of ninety-
eight judges who have come under my personal observation in the use
of score cards on animals, I found that few of them worked with a de-
gree of accuracy, that their variation in test work where the same ani-
mals were repeated on them in an irregular and puzzling manner so as
to defeat any effort, whatever, at memorizing, and to compel them to
rely solely on the merit of honest estimate of the various specific re-
quirements of the animals, amounted to a variation of i-8 of one per
cent. No one can claim for any system of judging that no variation
whatever, of a person's estimate occurs, and I firmly believe that a cor-
rect card properly used will produce results more accurate than is possi-
ble by any other system of judging. Please do not understand me to
affirm that no variation occurs in score card work ; but I do contend
that the same judge on the same specimens would do more inaccurate
and consequently more varying work without the card than with it.
granting that he be equally experienced in the two methods of judging.
The simple truth is that without the card his errors are never revealed,
while with it, he goes on record in every detail, and from the fact that
the mathematical estimate of outs sometimes falling between 1-4 and
^, or whatever the case may be, the slight variation would, at times,
occur and would show against the judge, were the specimen being shown
repeated on the judge. Thus it is that the argument against the score
card judge on account of an occasional variation in the test work, and
in favor of the comparison judge, where his shortcomings are not re-
corded, finally narrows the matter down with the exhibitor to the con-
soling stage of mind that "ignorance is bliss."

But to lay aside all preferences for or against the score card as a
means of judging corn, I have a much greater, more constant and more
beneficial use for it as a handy means of carrying, in condensed and well
grouped form, the standard values and specific requirements of corn for
seed and for market purposes, but particularly in that a reference to the
card occasionally calls my attention to any oversight that I might make,
and it is for this purpose that I find the card of incalculable value.

I believe that a score card similar to the following one should hang
above every farmer's desk, to be used as a breeding directory in the
selection of his seed corn, and that great good would result from such
a practice. I present herewith a score card I have worked out for my
own use.

58 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Southern Missouri:

*SCORE CARD FOR CORN.

Name

Owner's ndrlross
Entry No

Variety Breed.

I ijPDgth of ear, 11 Inches.
Oflicial. ■{ Circnmfprenoe of ear, HVi inches.

(.Proportion of corn to ear, SO per cent.

An exhibit consists of not less than ten ears.

Value. Outs

Glass Entered

Number Ears Entered.

f Of Ears

I Of Body Grains.

Uniformity i Of Tip Grains. .

I Of Butt Grains..

I Of Surface

fOf Ear Proper ..

J Of Tips

1 Of Butts

lOf Rows

Shape ...

Color

Size

( Of Cob

J Of Grain

I Foreign Grains

J Length

1 Circumference.

Absence of Furrows

Depth of (irain

Solidity, Firmness

Marketable Ckindition

Proportion of Corn to the Ear.

Total Value.

5
5
5
5
5

5
5
5

T)

5
5
5

.■)
5

5
&
5
5
10

ICO

Total Ouls

Score of exhiMt.

President

Secretary

Judge.

Describe More Strict Attention. — As I see it, the things that at
present arc deserving of more strict attention in the matter of corn selec-
tion follow. I regard them in importance, in the order named :

Producing Capacity.

Marketable Condition.

Uniforniity of Grain.

Proportion of Corn to Ear.

Size of Germ.

Most Common Hrror.s'. — I regard the following as the errors most
commonly made hv corn growers whose methods have come umkr my
ohservation :

Tilling the soil when muddy.

♦The above score card Is one used by Mr. Crabtree and Is not printed here as the
standard for Missouri, but Is printed for study and comparison.— Editor.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 59

Failure to properly assort the seed corn into two sizes, namely,
large and small.

It is no extra trouble for me to shell an ear off into two pails instead
of one. I first butt and tip the seed ear then proceed to shell, and more
often a part of it shells as large seed and a part as small. The propor-
tion often ranges from one-third to two-thirds as the point of distinction.
Now there are two reasons for this. It sometimes occurs that we have
occasion to change planter plates as a consequence of the difference in
size of the seed, but there is a much more important reason. The larger
the grain in a hill the larger and stronger plant it will grow. The differ-
ence in the young plant is greater and continues to be more noticeable
as they grow older. On examination one will find that the larger plants
are robbing the smaller ones of sunlight and air above ground, and that
their roots are far outreaching them in the soil, and robbing them of
their fertility. They can never hope to catch up and thus is enacted one
of the most fruitful sources of nubbins. It is similar to feeding calves
and grown cattle together. Plant the seed graded as large, first, and
when that is gone plant that graded as small. The stalks in the hill
of either will run uniform in size and all will thrive well.

Another error is in selecting long-jointed, top-heavy stalks with the
ear set too high, from which to save seed. Another is the selection of a
variety too dent and soft to mature soundly, but inclined to mold fast to
the husk and rot before drying. Another is to throw too great stress
on the importance of having the tip of cob entirely covered, resulting in
a concession on the p^irt of yielding capacity, and producing a corn of
short cob, one that shells out a handsome proportion of corn to ear, but
one that is a really light cropper.

If anyone is of the opinion that each of the things mentioned do not
play an important part in corn production it would be worth their while
to visit a farm where those things are considered in the growing season.
After visiting such corn fields an old gentleman of perceptive ability and
discrimination once said to others, 'T tell you the county could well afford
to pay the owner of that farm a thousand dollars a year to go around
and tell the farmers how to raise corn." The remark was criticised as
the product of a fertile imagination by one who had a reputation for
annually raising the poorest corn in that locality, whereupon the old
man retorted, 'T mean it. I am not joking. The county could never
make another equally good investment." Thus it is that what one sees
another sees not. What one does another does not.

0-c'cr Populated.— ^Some entertain fears lest the corn belt region
will soon become over populated. Many years ago the majority of the

6o MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

pioneers in this part of the State thought they had "corned" the land to
death and sold out and left the country. Today under intelligent
management and with proper treatment those same old farms are pro-
ducing crops of corn that would amaze the old-timers. Let us welcome
the day when a more intensive cultivation, intellectually applied will
make the corn belt bloom as never before. I have stood on the banks
of the Humber river in England, where the soil has been continuously
cropped for centuries, and in estimating the tremendous garden crops
that were there being produced I could but think of the folly of some
of us of the corn belt region of America cherishing the idea that it is
necessary, under proper management, to wear out a farm and move on
every fifteen years. I believe that American agriculture is" still in its
mfancy. I believe that the time will come when we will not only know
how to double or treble our annual yields per acre, but also how to care
for the fertility of our soil as well ; when we will be as well prepared to
utilize the valuable land which we possess as are the inhabitants of
the old countries. Such will be accomplished largely I think through
interesting the boys and young men of the country in an agricultural
education.

The Institute. — Let me say a word here in favor of the commend-
able work now being done by our State Board of Agriculture. The
Farmers' Institute and the display car of products are working closer
into the confidence of the older farmers than ever before. They have
made a deep impression on many of the younger farmers, who are al-
ready beginning to take hold. They carry out their educational work
in a manner that is readily grasped by the students of the public school,
and never fail to say a good word for the work being accomplished by
the Agricultural College.

Recently one of those institute meetings was held for us at Liberal.
Missouri. The Liberal schools were dismissed in the afternoon for the
occasion, and the interest shown by the students was intense. The young
ladies were equally interested in the lectures, especially pleased with
the contents of the display car, and many students expressed a desire
to, at some time, succeed in attending the Agricultural College, and de-
voting themselves in that direction.

That is what is wanted. A stimulus to the ambition of the youth
of the land in an agricultural direction, for let it be understood that a
person never achieves anything which they have no ambition for. Tf a
man has not an ambition to drive the best team in the county he will
never drive it. If he has no ambition to raise the biggest crop of corn
in the State he will never raise it. If he has not an ambition to accom-

CORN growers' association. 6i

plish something- he will never accomphsh it. Ambition must precede
the accomplishment. Cause must precede the effect. No cause, no
effect.

The recent lecture of the President of the Missouri Corn Growers'
Association at Liberal is already bearing fruit and more work in that
line is now craved by the farmers.

CORN POLLINATION.

(H. S. Reed, Agricultural College, University of Missouri.)

We do not usually think of the corn plant as having flowers, as
our ordinary flowering plants have; it is only when we find that it has
the same floral organs that we come to the conclusion that the corn
really belongs to the flowering plants. We know that our ordinary
Howers have, in the center of the Hower, one or more organs which are
somewhat rough or sticky on the upper end, which we know as pistils.
Surrounding these we have a circle of filaments which are yellow on the
ends and if we stick our finger into the flower, we withdraw it covered
with a yellow powder which is the pollen. We know that in order to
have fruit such a flower must be pollinated ; i. e. this yellow pollen from
the stamens must by some means be brought upon the end of the stigina,
and when it is brought there it brings about fertilization and the act of
transferring the pollen from the end of the stamens to the pistil is what
we know as pollination.

In Howers of the apple or lily type, we have a dift"erent kind of
flower from that of corn, because in them we have the stamens and the
stigmas all in the same flower, while in corn they are separated. When
a bee alights on the apple or lily blossom and searches for honey he is
pretty sure to rub his head on the stamens and then rub some of the
pollen on the stigma and so pollination is brought about. As the bee
goes from one flower to another it carries some pollen on its body and
thus a flower may be pollinated by pollen from another flower. This
brings about cross pollination. If a flower is pollinated with its own
fiower, we say it is self pollinated.

As long as one hundred and ten years ago it was noticed that many
flowers had adaptations to prevent being pollinated by their own pollen.
In a very curious old book which was published at that time, the author
said that Nature seemed to have intended that no flower should be
pollinated by its own pollen, but rather by the pollen from another
flower of the same species.

(^2 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAT, RF.PORT.

Now there are, if we begin to examine them, a great many causes
which prevent this self pollination and they tlo prevent it very efTcctu-
ally. One is by having the pollen ripen at a different time from that in
which the pistils are ripe, so that when the pollen is ripe the pistils
cannot be fertilized and the pollen must be taken to some other flower
and when the pistils are ripe they must be pollinated from some other
fiower because their pollen is all gone. Another way is by having the
stamens some distance from the pistil so that when carried by wind
or insects, the chances are small that the pollen will get from the stamens
to the pistil of flowers on the same plant. In corn we have the stamens
removed a long distance from the pistil because in the corn the stamens
are the "tassel," and the pistils are the "silks." You have seen a yellow
powder shaking ofif from the tassels when the wind is blowing. It sifts
down and the wind carries it along and some of it is sifted on parts of
the plants below. This powder is the pollen. Insects do not aid in
carrying the pollen of the corn, it depends upon the wind. The silks
are connected with what later come to be kernels, so that in the corn we
have a mammoth pistil with a very long drawn out filament which is
rough or sticky at the end and which gets its pollen sifted down from
the tassels. Now if we could take this and examine it under a micro-
scope at this time, we should see something interesting going on. The
pollen, lighting on the end of the silk, grows out into a tube which
carries a cell-nucleus down the silk to where the kernel forms later on
and this accomplishes the fertilization.

The whole structure of the corn plant is one which almost entirely
prevents self-pollination. The chances are greater that the silk will be
dusted by pollen from another corn stalk than by its own, and I may say
here that even if it should be pollinated by pollen from its own stalk,
that the pollen from its neighbor would germinate quicker and outrun
its own pollen growth. Corn is essentially a cross-pollinating plant.
I'his fact has some very distinct advantages. I was not able to find the
data on the effects of cross-fertilization in corn, but I found other data
which will show what I want to say equally as well.

Chas. Darwin in his study of cross and self-fertilization has left us
valuable records of experiments that he carried on. Here is one with
the common Morning Glory. He raised his plants in a green house
where he could cover them with a fine net, keeping out all insects, and
did the work of pollination with a brush. He pollinated some with the
pollen of other plants and some with their own pollen. The first gen-
eration the cross-pollinated plants had an average height of 86 inches
and the self-pollinated plants of 65 inches, or in the proportion of 100 to

CORN growers' association. 63

y^i. He saved the seed from these plants, planted them and carried on
the same polhnation process, and in the second generation the cross-
polUnated plants average 85 inches, vv^hile the self-pollinated plants
averaged 66 inches, or a ratiof of 100 to 79. In every case the cross-
pollinated plants were taller and more vigorous than those which had
been raised from seed pollinated by its own pollen. Now the difference
was not due to one or two unusually tall individuals which brought up
the average. The difference was due to every plant being larger than
the corresponding plant from the self-pollinated seed.

Again he carried on some experiments with carnations on the effect
of cross-pollination and also the effect of self-pollination. He had three
lots, one which had grown in his own garden and were pollinated from
flowers brought from London, another lot was pollinated from other in-
dividuals grown in the same garden and the third lot was pollinated from
its own flowers. So we have what he calls the London crossed, the inter-
crossed and the self-fertilized plants. In comparing the London crossed
with the self-pollinated, we have the greatest difference, the average
height was in the ratio of 100 to 81, the weight of seed in the ratio of
100 to 33. The ratio of the London crossed to the inter-crossed, that is,
the relation of those crossed with a new stock to those crossed by their
own brothers and sisters, was 100 to 45 and the weight of seeds the
same. The ratio of the inter-crossed to the self-fertilized was 100 to 67
and the ratio of the weight of seeds 100 to 73.

This plainly shows one or two things. First, there is an advantage
in crossing from a fresh stock. It gives new vigor. Second, the gain
in the weight of seed is greater than in the height or general vigor of
the plant and further shows that the plants which were cross-pollinated
even with their own stock were more vigorous and produced more seed
than those which were self-fertilized. So we can appreciate to some
extent the value of cross-pollination in the corn.

Now as a result of this crossing, we sometimes get undesirable
things in our fields, that is especially true where we are raising corn for
seed purposes. These considerations should teach us that we must be
very careful about keeping our seed plat some distance from other corn
if we want it to be vigorous and hardy. It is as important to pay atten-
tion to the plant which bears the pollen as to the plant which bears the
ear, because the offspring is as likely to inherit the characteristics of one
as the other. To guard against this possibility, we must use great care
as to where the pollen comes from and the best thing to do when the
corn is ready for pollination is to go through the patch and cut off all
the tassels on weak stalks so that the pollen will come only from the

64 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Strong stalks, true to the type which we wish to raise. Then we must
have our corn some distance from any other field because the pollen may
be carried sometimes one-fourth of a mile by the wind and this accounts
for our getting ears in our corn containing colors and characteristics
which are not in the regular crop. People are at a loss to know where
they come from. They come from some adjoining field the character-
istics of which are brought by the pollen.

This also has bearing on the question of running out. Many corn
growers think that they can only raise corn from a certain strain for a
number of years and must then go or send elsewhere for a new strain
because the old one has "run out." There is really no such thing as
"running out." It would be better to say it is carelessness in allowing
the corn to be pollinated by pollen from any kind of corn. If the corn
is selected — that is, if the tassels are weeded out before they shed their
pollen and care is taken to prevent mixtures from worthless kinds of
corn, the corn is in no danger of deteriorating or running out. In
this way the corn is not only kept up but improved from year to year.

DISCUSSION.

Col. Waters — (Holding up some ears). Here is the pure white
corn. Here is the detasseled corn and here is the first cross.

Mr. Reed — It has just begun to be recognized that the character-
istics of both the parents are not always transmitted. We may have
for instance a white and a yellow corn and after allowing them to cross
we may get seed which is entirely white, or we may get seed which is
entirely yellow, or we may get a mixture of the two. Now suppose we
had crossed the white and yellow corn and the seed from that cross was
all white. We plant that corn and the corn which we raise from that
seed may be part white and part yellow. It is due to what is called the
dominance of characteristics that the white character was dominant in
the first generation, but it might not be dominant in the next generation,
that is, the next generation may resemble the grandparents without
resembling the immediate parents.

Mr. Kurtz — We have a type of corn in our county but the great
objection to it is that the ear is too small. But when we put it on the
scales it is as big as anybody's. I thought that by crossing we might
increase the size of the ear. I planted an ear of white and an ear of
yellow side by side. I took the tassels out of the white and made the
first cross. How many crosses will we have to make to increase the
size of the ear without losing any of its good qualities?

Mr. Reed — Such things occasionally come the first time as a result

CORN growers' association. 65

of what we call a sport, but more frequently and in the cases where the
most valuable changes are brought about, they are brought about slowly
from year to year. There is a little increase each year and by selecting
the largest ear or the one closest to the type from year to year we can
increase the variation or fix the characteristics.

Col. Waters — You mean simply by selection?

Mr. Reed — By selecting the materials for crossing.

Col. Waters — We could get a better result by selecting larger ears.

Mr. Kurtz — tMy idea was to keep on — to get the length of the
yellow corn without losing any of the good qualities of the white corn.

Mr. Reed — The longer that is kept up, the more you can select and
the greater the size you can bring about. You may perhaps never get
the white corn to the size of the yellow corn, but you may get the de-
sirable characteristics of the yellow corn.

Mr. McFarland — If I was going to make a cross I would use two
dififerent types of yellow corn. The experiments in the different colors
would show what I could do, but if I wished to make a cross I would
use tvv^o different types of yellow corn.

Mr. Ellis — Would it not be more desirable to increase the size by
selection than by crossing?

•Mr. Reed — The size can be increased by selection of the largest
ears from a particular variety but it is a question whether it can be
profitably done in this way.

Mr. Ellis — When you begin crossing you lose your strain and have
to begin all over again.

Mr. Reed — That is simply what every breeder of pure bred seed
corn is trying to do.

Mr. Ellis — I do not think so. No breeder of Hereford cattle, for
instance, would think of going outside of his breed for improvement,
but would hunt for the best blood among the Herefords. If he wanted
to establish a new or distinct breed, he would do it by crossing. If
there is such a thing as heredity in plants, then the purer we keep the
strain we are breeding, the stronger the prepotency of that strain and
the more certain can we control the performance of the plant. I do not
understand how we are to establish a pedigree for a variety of corn if
we continue to cross it with other varieties. Will it not be better to
look for stronger blood in the same variety and keep the strain pure than
to introduce outside blood and lose our pedigree?

Mr. Reed — Of course, if a man insists on keeping up a pedigree, he
can only improve his variety by selection ; but if he is anxious to change
some characteristic (such as length of ear or weight) he will get wider

A- 5

66

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

variations by crossing with another strain than by inbreeding and selec-
tion. For this reason I think Mr. Kurtz will increase the length of the
white corn faster by crossing and selection than by inbreeding and
selection.

Mr. Ellis — Variation is just the thing we want to avoid and true-
ness to type is the thing most desired, and for that reason we had better
keep our variety pure and we will then have a reasonable assurance that
the good qualities of the parent will be reproduced.

THE CHEMISTRY OF CORN.

(Dr. R. M. Bird. Agricultural College.)

In speaking to an audience upon a chemical subject great difficulties
are met with by reason of the fact that chemistry demands the use of a
large number of technical terms of which the average man would not be
expected to know the meaning; and futhermore, the subject is so ex-
tremely broad that it is well nigh impossible to make much out of it
during the few minutes which are allowed me this evening. Therefore,
I shall attempt to deal with a very few compounds that occur in the
corn and a very few processes which go on during the period of growth.
Only the high places can be touched, and tliese very lightly.

The corn plant is a machine of the most delicate and complicated
construction by means of which the farmer transforms certain raw

I'AICTS or (JKAIN OK CORN.

CORN growers' association. ^

materials into certain finished products. His raw materials are the car-
bonic acid of the air and the water and mineral substances from the
earth, and his finished product is starch, oil and protein. These are the
principal compounds which occur in the kernel of corn and for which
the farmer works from seed-time to harvest. Nature is a wonderful
chemist and works in a very small laboratory, but she has many of
them. These laboratories are the plant cells ; they are in the stems, the
leaves and the grain. The carbon, the hydrogen, the oxygen, those
elements of which the plant needs most, together with nitrogen, phos-.
phoric acid and potash are transformed into compounds totally unlike
those originally fed into the machine. The carbon is breathed in by the
leaf cell as carbonic acid gas, and the water comes up from the ground
and brings with it the mineral constituents. If you were to look at the
leaf of the corn plant under a microscope, those particles of green which
make the whole appear green to the eye would become separated one
from another. These green "corpuscles" called chlorophyll corpuscles,
are the places wherein the carbonic acid gas is split up and where starch
first appears. But starch cannot pass through the walls of these small
cells and reach the ear of corn, and therefore Nature changes it into a
compound near akin to sugar which will dissolve in the juices of the
plant and be carried from the leaf to the grain. Likewise those com-
pounds of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, known as proteids,
which are likewise formed in the" leaf cells are transformed into soluble
compounds and journey along with the sugar-like bodies to the kernel,
where they are transformed into proteid matter again. The sap of a
plant is a water solution of these sugar-like and nitrogen-containing
materials together with certain other things and it is by means of the
sap-flow that the products formed in one part of a plant are carried to
that part from which they are harvested.

If you were to take a grain of corn and soak it in hot water for
about thirty minutes, then split it, you would see certain marked differ-
ences in its different parts which are represented in Figure i.

It can be seen that a large part of the corn is relatively pure starch,
another part is rich in proteid matter, and yet another part contains much
oil. The following table shows whereabouts in this corn kernel the
finished products of the farmer's machine are contained.

68

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

TABLE A.

Parts.

Per cent, of total
Protein.

Per cent, of total
OiL

Per cent, of total Per cent, of total
Ash. Carbohydrates

In tip caps

1.14

2.07
59.03
17.62
20.14

.69

1.08

14.53

1.27

82.43

1.06

3.06
10.94

4.39
74.55

1.56

In hull

In horn J" parts

6.80
58.37

In w'uite starchy part.
In germs

28.40

4.97

In total corn.. ..

100.00

100.00

100.00

. 100.00

This table tells of the total proteid matter ; a very little is in the tip
caps, little in the hull, about six-tenths in the horncy part, about one-
sixth in the white starchy part and about one-fifth in the germs. Of
the total oil, the horny part, contains less than one-seventh and most of
the rest is in the germ. The germ likewise contains about three-fourths
of all the mineral matter which forms part of the compounds contained
in the seed. The last column shows that the white part shown in the
drawing, while called the starchy part, in reality contains less than one-
half the amount of starch and starch-like compounds which are in the
kernel. The horny part, which is richest in proteid, is also richest in
starchy matter.

To cause nature to increase the amount of proteid matter is one of
the most important of the modern problems for the expert corn grower ;
for if he can so change the conditions of feeding and growth that the
proteid matter will be increased and the starchy matter decreased, his
grain of corn will more quickly approach the balance ration and will
contain more of that substance for which the farmer pays most when he
buys concentrated food stufiis, for concentrated food stuffs are food stuffs
rich in proteid matter principally.

Dr. Hopkins of the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station has
had wonderful success in coaxing Dame Nature to make more concen-
trated food stuff's in the laboratories which are situated in the corn. He
has been able to increase the proteid by more than one-third and this is
accompanied by a large increase in oil and the consequent decrease in
starch.

Even if one should want to raise corn for the starch factory, it
would probably be best to increase the horny part, because although you
thereby decrease the starch, the valuable by-products (oil and concen-
trated cattle food) would be increased at a much greater ratio than the
starch would be decreased, and the total value of all the mill products
would be greater than with the corn poor in proteid.

CORN GROWEl'iS ASSOCIATION.

69

We may sum up roughly the changes that are spoken of in which
carbon plays the most important part as follows:

Carbonic acid, gas and water.

i Stareb and oil

fOarboliyd rates -> Froteid matter

I and I (as end products).

J Nitrogen
1 Potassium

Phospliorus
[Sulphur, etc.

I Nitrogenous- f

Nitrates— Relatives of ammonia Carboliydrates.-! (jomDounds- with '

I Phosphorus and Sulphur. I,

Proteid matter

During the few minutes that remain I shall speak very briefly of
those for us more important chemical elements which the plant obtains
from the soil, namely the nitrogen, the phosphorus and the potash. As
you know, the nitrogen is taken up by the roots in the form of a nitrate.
It is changed probably in the stem to a near relation of ammonia ana
goes in that form to the leaf cells where it is combined with carbon,
ox3^gen and hydrogen to form protoplasmic materials, these in turn
yielding the proteid which builds muscle and tissue in the animal. The
phosphorus enters the plant root in the form of a phosphate, the potash
probably as a salt of an organic acid. These also probably go first to

ST. CHARI.ER YEIXOW.— Grown by C. S. Grelsnauer, O'Fallon, Mo. Ears deep
golden yellow, smooth, 914 to 10 inches long and 7 to W2 inches in circumference. Cob red.
Rows of Icernels rather open, making it somewhat loose on the cob. Kernels of fair
depth. This Is a good foundation for a promising variety. Exhibited at State Com Show.
Crop 1304.

70 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

the leaf cells in order that they may aid in the production of starch and
proteid.

The cell must have phosphorus or it cannot digest its nitrogen. If
it does not get a sufficient quantity of phosphorus, it cannot digest enough
nitrogen to satisfy its needs. It must have nitrogen or it cannot assimi-
late the carbonic acid gas which the leaf breathes in as we breathe in
the air. It must have potash in order to accomplish the changes where-
by the carbon of the atmosphere becomes starch, sugar and oil. In
brief, phosphoric acid governs the quantity of nitrogen the plant can
take up ; and the nitrogen the quantity of carbon it can breathe in ; and
potash the formation of organic substances.

Such is about what goes on under your eyes every day in every
plant, and while we have applied it to this particular plant that is under
discussion, the same is true of all plants because the compounds that I
have mentioned occur in all, and the machines which Nature provides
only manufacture more of one and less of another.

♦MISSOURI CORN SCORE CARD.

Uniformity of Exhibit lO

Maturity and Market Condition 15

Shape of Ears 10

Color

(a) Kernels 5

(b) Cob 5

Butts 10

Tips 5

Shape of Kernel • 10

Proportion of Length to Circumference 10

Space between Kernels 5

Proportion of Corn to Ear 15

Total 100

DIRECTIONS FOR JUDGING.

Uniformity of Exhibit. — The ears of the exhibit should be similar
in size, shape, color and indentation. For each ear defective in this re-
spect cut the exhibit not more than one point.

Maturity and Market Condition. — E^rs should be firm and kernels
sound and free from mould and injury. Kernels should be tight on the
cob. Determine this by twisting in the hand or moving kernels with
the thumb. Cut not more than one point for each ear defective in these
respects.

CORN growers' association. 71

[Shape of Ear. — The ears should be cyhndrical or nearly so. Cut
not over one point for each tapering ear.
Color. —

(a) Kernels — Kernels should be uniform in color. Cut
i-io point for each kernel that is off color. If 5 or more the ear will of
course be cut the full limit — 1-2 point.

(b) Cob — The cobs should be all of one color. Cut one
point for each cob off color up to three which will disqualify the exhibit.

Butts. — Butts should be well rounded out with deep, regular kernels,
solidly compacted together. Attachment to the stalk for medium vari-
eties should be 3-4 inch. Cut not more than one point for each cob
showing marked defects.

Tips. — There should be deep kernels well out to the end of the ear
in as regular rows as possible. The ideal tip is completely covered.
Cut 1-2 point for tips seriously defective.

Shape of Kernels. — The kernels should be uniform in size and shape.
They should be uniformly wedge-shape but not too pointed. The length
should be a little over once and a half as long as the width. Remove
three kernels from near the middle of each ear for comparison. Cut one
point for each ear with poorly shaped kernels.

Proportion of Circumference to Length. — The proportion of circum-
ference to length should be as 3 to 4, or the circumference divided by
the length should give .75. An ear 10 inches long should be yYz inches
around at one-third the distance from butt to tip. Cut one point for
each ear markedly defective in this proportion.

Space Between Kernels. — Furrows between rows should be narrow
and kernels should fit tightly together in the row. Cut not over J/2 point
for each defective ear.

Proportion of Corn to Ear. — The proportion of corn to ear should
not be under 85 per cent. Cut i^ point for each per cent below this
limit. The per cent is best determined by shelling every other ear of
the exhibit and weighing. It may be done with a fair degree of accu-
racy by shelling but two representative ears.

*0FFICIAL SCORE CARD.

Although the Missouri Corn Growers' Association has been organ-
ized for about two years, this is the first announcement of an official
score card to be used in judging corn in this State. It was deemed
better to make haste slowly than to make a mistake in the adoption of
a score card that could not be used in judging some of our best corn.
At the Annual Meeting of the Corn Growers' Association held in the

72

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Agricultural College January 12, 1905, a committee was appointed to
prepare and publish a score card which is to be the official standard for
judging corn for the present year or until it shall be changed by the
association. No standard of varieties of corn has been adopted ; there-
fore, it is necessary to adopt a score card that may be used with some
modification in judging all varieties exhibited. As soon as a standard
has been fixed and different varieties recognized as standard by the asso-
ciation, it will then be necessary to adopt a score card for each standard
variety.

SAMPLE EARS EXHIBITED AT STATE CORN SHOW — CROP I904.

COB PIPE CORN, grown In Franklin Co., Mo. Ears .SV2 to 9 in circumference near
butts, smooth, cobs very large especially near butts, white in color, kernels shallow and
rather wide. This corn is raised especially for the cobs which are used in the manufacture
of pipes.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

7Z

GARTNER CORN. Grown by T. W. McFarland, Cooper Co., Mo. Ears a rich golden
yellow, 71/; to' T-Vi inches long, 7%to 1% inches in circumference. Inclined to be rough.
Cobs smaH, deep red color. Kernels very deep. Rather inclined to spread at top, and
to be loose on the cob. This corn was orig-inatod in Cooper county by John Gartner about
forty years ago This corn won a gold raedal at the World's Fair, St. Louis. At the
State Corn Show in 1904, it made a higher per cent of shelled corn than any other variety
exhibited, testing 90.3 ner cent shelled corn. Mr. R. B. Johnston of Cooper county reports
a yield in 1904 on one acre of SO bushels and 25 pounds, which is an excellent yield for
so unfavorable a season. This corn is increased somewhat in size will no doubt make
an excellent variety for medium uplands soils.

74

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

SAMPLE EARS EXHIBITED AT STATE CORN SHOW — CROP I9O4,

TOr ROW: St. Clinrles White, grown by Geo. II. Sly, Rockport, Mo. Ears 9 to 9%
Inches long, 7 to 7% in circumference, inclined to be rough, cobs deep red, medium size,
kernels fnlr depth.

rOTTOM ROW : St. Charles White, grown by J. II. Plrtckenieier, St. Charles, Mo.
Ears S'.-j to 9 inches long, 6V^ to 7 Inches in circumference, Inclined to be smooth, cobs deep
red, medium size, kernels fair depth.

CORN growers' association. 75

DISCUSSION OF SCORE CARD.

Dr. G. M. Tucker — The proportion of corn to cob is something
that has very little relation, it has been found, to the actual production,
so far as yield per acre is concerned, that is, we can have a small cob
with a large amount of grain relatively on it, and that kind of a cob
may produce very small ears, or its other characteristics be such that
it does not produce a big yield per acre. Some of the new score cards,
in place of the proportion of corn to cob, call for the actual weight of
the grain, the actual weight of the grain being much better indication
of the productivity of the corn than the length or circumference of the
ear. Tt is the weight of the grain that we take in computing the yield
per acre, and the weight of the grain on the ear multiplied by the
number of ears in the field will give that yield. The amount of grain
on the ear is the thing that we are after and counts more than anything
else in profit.

The score card, while it does not in any of its points actually bear
upon the productivity of the corn, yet it does have an important bearing
upon bringing before the producer little points found in the corn which
go to make up corn and which have a special bearing in producing a high
bred corn and corn which has character, so that before big yields can
be intelligently produced the score card must be studied closely and these
points brought out by studying the ear.

The points which are actually useful to the producer — the grower
of com — are character. By character I mean just the general appear-
ance, the conformation, I may say, of the ear which shows breeding;
then weight of the grain ; the commercial grade — which, of course is
important ; and the yield per acre. These four points are the ones which
have a direct bearing upon the interests of the corn grower.

In selecting my seed corn last spring I judged it by the score card,
I had no other means. That was the teaching that I had had, that the
score card was something by which I could judge my corn, and in
computing the value of each ear as a breeding ear I based my judg-
ment by comparing each ear with the score card and in planting my
breeding plats I put my best ear — or the one I thought ought to pro-
duce the largest yield, judging from the appearance of the ear — in the
center of the plat and graded on either side toward the edges, so I had
the best ear in the middle and the poorest ears on either side,

Mr, Ellis — What were the results ?

Dr, Tucker — The results were quite peculiar. My best ear which
was numbered 34, was right in the middle of the plat; it gave a yield

76 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

of 105 bushels per acre which was very good. It was a fairly good
sized ear — 9.8 inches long and had a weight of 14^ ounces of grain.
The per cent of grain to cob was 91, which was very high for Boone
County White. That was exceptionally high, and I had an idea that I
had a very fine ear of corn, and it produced 105 bushels per acre. But
let me show you where my best ear was : it was the second one from
the outside edge. That was my most productive ear, the one that gave
the largest yield per acre, and it was one that I had considered to be
about the poorest ear in the lot. It gave a yield of 156.3 bushels per
acre. It was a large ear, having rather small per cent of grains on it,
but it had a power of reproduction which cannot be found out by the
score card. The weight of the grain on that ear was one pound.

Mr. King. — Was there any difference in the care given it?

Dr. Tucker. — None. We planted one row after the other, taking
the same care.

Mr. King. — You said this was next to the last row. What of the
last row?

Dr. Tucker. — The ear on the last row on that side made 144 bushels
per acre. That was more than my best ear.,

Mr. Ellis. — Was there any difference in the soil?

Dr. Tucker. — There was no difference that I could discover. It was
in the midst of a one hundred acre field.

Mr. Boles. — How do you account for the fact that your good ear
did not make any more?

Dr. Tucker. — It was only good looking. It did not have good blood
in it.

Dr. Huston. — What kind of corn was it?

Dr. Tucker. — Boone County White.

Dr. Huston. — Was there any relation between the position of your
tiles from drains to this plat that could influence it?

Dr. Tucker. — I think ncit as the large yielding ears were scattered
throughout the plat, not all being on one side.

Dr. Huston. — It was symmetrical so far as the plat was concerned?

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, and the yields varied the other way as well.

Mr. Boles. — Then you never know the best ear until you try it?

Dr. Tucker. — I did not then know because T bought the seed. In
the future I will select the seed from the actual performance and not
from the score card. It is all right on the show table to compare ex-
hibits. I do not see that it has value anywhere else except as an aid
in studying corn.

CORN growers' association, 'J'J

Mr. King. — Of two equal scoring exhibits the one with the best
pedigree is the one to plant;"

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, a pedigree based on performance and not on the
score card — a pedigree based on the actual yield in the field.

I had a photograph of some of the ears that I bred from last year.
1 photographed all of them so as to get an idea of how they would re-
produce themselves in shape and appearance.

Mr. . — What was the lowest yield per acre?

Dr. Tucker. — 40 bushels. They ranged from 40 to 156 bushels per
acre.

■ Mr. . — Did you plant by tier or by row ?

Dr. Tucker. — By row. I did not plant all of the corn on the ear,
but from the same place on the ear. Whatever I used I planted from
the whole length of the row on the ear.

Mr. . — Was the ear that produced 40 bushels apparently as

good as the others ?

Dr. Tucker. — No, not quite so good. It was a smaller ear than
some of the others. I had placed it next to the last. The second best
ear produced 1443^2 bushels to the acre. That ear weighed 18 ounces, its
per cent of grain was only 81 and we are taught that is very low. The
per cent of grain for Boone County White should be 86. This one was
way below the standard, and yet the actual amount of grain on that ear
v/as 14;^-^ ounces. It lacked only an ounce and a half of putting a pound
of grain on that ear. The ear that produced only 40 bushels to the acre
had on it only 11^ ounces to the ear. So there seems to be in gen-
eral some relation between the actual amount of grain in weight on an
ear and the total yield per acre of grain. The ear that gave the small-
est yield was a pretty good ear according to the score card. I placed it
as No. 17 in my plat, and the one which gave the largest yield I placed
as No. 24. These yields were apparent even in the gathering — in the
size of ears themselves.

Mr. Reed. — Where was the seed raised that you planted?

Dr. Tucker. — In Illinois.

Mr. Reed. — Was the seed corn pollinated by corn in the same patch
or by corn in that neighborhood?

Dr. Tucker. — It was all the same kind of seed, the Boone County
White, and this breeding plat was entirely surrounded by the same
variety.

Mr. . — On what kind of soil?

Dr. Tucker. — Drained, re-claimed swamp lands near Blodgett, Scott
county.

78 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Dr. Huston. — Not peat lands are they?

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, rather peaty.

Dr. Huston. — Enough to burn?

Dr. Tucker. — I do not know. I should think not. There is quite
a little sand mixed in with it.

Mr. . — Do you ever investigate whether the quantity of yield

per acre had anything to do with the percent of starch or protein in the
corn?

Dr. Tucker. — No. There is a question that I would like very much
to have discussed and on which I would like to have the opinions of
those who have formed any, and that is the advisability of breeding corn
lor a high per cent of protein, to be placed on the market or used by the
feeders. Is it profitable for a man who has the ground to grow corn
which requires a large amount of nitrogen to augment the natural ten-
dency of corn to grow protein or is it better to grow a kind of corn that
will produce oil and grow alfalfa, cow peas, clovers or some of the
leguminous plants and get his nitrogen from the air rather than from
the soil?

Mr. . — Does not the protein in the corn weigh heavier than

the starch? Does not the flinty corn outweigh the other?

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, the flinty corn outweighs the other. There are
two kinds of starch, horny and flaky. Weighed per grain or ear, the
flinty corn would produce a little heavier weight, that is the struck half
bushel of the flinty corn would weigh heavier than a struck half bushel
of the rough corn, but where weighed per acre, we get the greater yield
from the rough corn, we are finding down in Scott county.

There was some complaint about the Boone County White corn be-
cause it was sort of chafify or light weight, a struck half bushel weigh-
ing only 2y pounds, while the more flinty corn would weigh 29 pounds,
but they did not take into account how much area they had to go over
in their land to get that half bushel. One car of the chafify corn would
produce more than one ear of the flinty corn because the kernel was so
much deeper.

Mr. Gabbert. — I prefer the dent corn always to feed to cattle com-
pared with the flinty corn, unless you grind the latter.

Col. Waters. — In my judgment it would be unwise for the farmer
to breed for a high per cent of protein because he wiU have enough
to do to increase the actual yield, disregarding the protein and to raise
this protein in other crops. I totally disregard the idea in farm practice
of endeavoring to develop especially high i-)rotcin corn. Put all your
emphasis on increase in yield, because we can go forward in the develop-

CORN GROWERS* ASSOCIATION. 79

ment of a single particular much better than we can carry forward two
or more particulars.

Dr. Huston. — So far as you know does the market distinguish be-
tween high protein corn and high starch corn ?

Dr. Tucker. — I have not found one that does in those terms. Of
course there is the hominy market.

Dr. Huston. — The corn for the hominy market is a white, flinty
corn, and has as a basis the Johnson County White. Outside of the
hominy district, so far as I know, there is no great market for this
special kind of corn, but outside of that district there ought to be a
market for the high-starch corn, and hominy mill people and the starch
people ought to want a corn with a relatively high oil because it is a
very important factor, particularly in the starch factories. But whether
they are willing to pay for it is another matter.

There is another kind of corn that from the farmer's standpoint
seems to be very profitable and easy on the land, and that is a corn
with cob that will carry five pounds or more of water to the bushel. This
is the type of corn they Hke to sell to the elevator man, and have been
very successful in doing so. Five pounds of water to seventy pounds
of com is a pretty fair margin, and I know farmers who esteem this
type of corn very highly, combined, however, with a very high yield.

Mr. Gabbert. — I prefer that kind both for yield and feeding value.

Mr. . — Why does Mr. Gabbert prefer a soft ear for feeding?

Mr. Gabbert. — It will grind smoother. In feeding whole ears to
beef cattle they will thrive faster on softer than on flinty corn.

Dr. Huston. — As far as the hominy corn goes, the feeding tests on
hogs have shown no difference, practically, between white hominy corn
and the ordinary yellow corn of the corresponding neighborhoods.

Dr. Tucker, — It seems to me, without the data to go by, that a man
is treating his farrn better and liable to get better results from feeding
the kind of corn which does not have a tendency to high protein power
than one that does. I want to know whether that is right or not.

Mr. Gabbert. — Protein is pretty high when you buy it, but it does
not cost much in legumes.

Dr. Huston. — Don't you think it possible to develop -a less flinty
corn with a high protein?

Dr. Tucker. — The point I had in mind was in producing a high
protein you are using a large quantity of nitrogen which is difficult to
get in the corn. Putting the protein there is an expensive operation, as
it impoverishes the soil of that expensive element.

Dr. Huston. — If you feed it you can get it 80 per cent easier.

8o MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Dr. Tucker. — If you grow it in a legume, so much the better.

Mr. . — The tendency of the protein corn is to become starchy

all the time.

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, it has to be bred close to keep up the protein
content all the time. It has to be selected for that purpose or it will
run back again to the usual kind.

Mr. . — Is it profitable to grind corn and cob together?

Mr. Gabbert.— Yes.

Mr. . — It is said both cattle and hogs feed better on yellow

corn than white.

Dr. Tucker. — You cannot pin any quality to color. The value of
the corn depends on where and how it is grown.

Mr. . — Do you select a small or large cob?

Dr. Tucker. — Very little depends upon the size of the cob. A great
many have complained about the Boone County White corn because of
the large cob, but a large cob has more grain. The larger the cob,
within certain limits, the larger the amount of grain.

Mr. Boles. — The large cob matures slower.

Dr. Tucker. — Yes, and takes a later growing season.

Col. Waters. — It exhausts the land more.

Dr. Tucker. — Only because it grows a bigger yield.

Mr. Erwin. — Did you ever notice which will raise more bushels, on
poor land, the large or the small variety?

Dr. Tucker. — A comparative!);, small-ear variety will do better on
thm land than the large ear.

Mr. Erwin. — That is my experience.

Dr. Tucker. — About the capping over: Whether the corn growing
over the tip of the cob has anything to do with the breeding quality or
not, is another question. I would just as soon plant an ear that is not
as one that is fully capped over. I would just as soon breed from it.
I do not think data enough has been taken to know which does the best.
Actual performance is better than such a minor point as that.

Another point in the score card is the length of the ear. The
standards adopted by the Illinois association called for a definite length
of ear. The Boone County White ears that we planted ranged from 8
to 9^ inches, but in thd crop I gathered from that there were many
ears which were lo inches in length and over. I have some of them
here.

Mr. . — Where did the score card fellows get their standard?

Dr. Tucker. — From the standard in that cornmunity. When you
grow a corn on different soil, you must have a different standard. You

CORN GROWERS^ ASSOCIATION. 8l

must take into consideration the climatic and soil conditions under which
that corn was grown.

Dr. Huston — What do you think of the 14-inch ears shown in the
Missouri exhibit? Is there any object in producing that particular type
of corn?

Dr. Tucker — I do not know. They are usually so slender, the cob
and the ears equally small. A cylinder like that has less corn on it
than a thick one. I go by weight of grain, as we judge the race horse
by the speed and the dairy cow by her butter performance, we measure
the corn by its productiveness.

Mr. Mumford. — How important is it that an ear should be cylin-
drical? What facts have we to prove that a cylindrical ear is better
than a deeper ear?

Dr. Tucker — The greatest point is the uniformity of the kernel. As
an ear tapers, the kernels will grow smaller or be irregular.

Mr. Unless the cob tapers relatively.

Dr. Tucker — Even then there will be irregularity if the rows drop
out and that means a possibility of not getting a uniform stand in drop-
ping with the planter. So far as actual yield is concerned, I do not
know that there is much difference. I do not know why there is not
the same chance of the cob tapering as the ear does.

Mr. Gabbert — They are getting graders to grade the seed, it would
be better if a man buy seed corn that has been run through the grader.
Dr. Huston — Don't you think it advisable to always buy seed corn
on the ear?

Dr. Tucker — Yes.
Mr. Boles— Why?

Dr. Tucker — Because one can see the size of the ear he is getting.
The shape does not make so much difference. You can get just as
good looking grains from any of the low grade ears where the ear is too
short or not big enough. But if the farmer buys his seed corn in the ear
he sees what he is getting and the probabilities are that he will get better
ears. If he buys the shelled corn he would not know the difference, the
kernels of the small ear look as well as the kernels of the big one.

Mr. Carroll — When will Missouri be able to get over that sneer
about the score card?

Dr. Tucker — When all our farmers breed ears that will produce 156
bushels to the acre. Of course the score card will have to be used
or at least those points which the score card brings out will have to
be studied in improving corn because there is, of course, undoubtedly
some relation.

A-6

82 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Mr. Don't you think that farmers should stud}- to know

their type of soil in studying the type of corn to plant?

Dr. Tucker — Within certain limits. Of course there are different
types of soil and corn becomes adapted to a certain type, and should
not be changed abruptly to a different type of soil. The Boone County
White is adapted to a fertile soil and when put on a clay hill, it probably
would not produce as well as some other variety.

THE QUERY BOX.

(Conducted by I'lof. F. B. Mumford.)

Q. Will it do to cultivate corn after it gets too large for the two-
horse cultivator?

Mr. Laughlin — Yes sir, for the reason that the corn does not really
begin to make its growth until brace-roots are formed. The object
of cultivation largely is to get rid of the weeds and other grasses that
grow around them and which would take up the nutrition that the corn
plants should have.

Prof. Mumford — What kind of cultivation ought we to give?

Mr. Erwin — Just as shallow as it is possible and disturb as few of
the roots as possible.

Prof. Mumford — What is shallow cultivation and what is deep
cultivation ?

Prof. Miller — Usually shallow cultivation runs about 2 1-2 inches
on upland. On some soils., it might be considered that 3 or 3 1-2 inches
would be shallow. It depends upon the soil largely, but 2 to 2 1-2 inches
would be pretty shallow cultivation. With very wide shoveled culti-
vators that would be out of the question, but with fine toothed instru-
ments, it should be about 21-2 inches.

Q. Will white corn yield more per acre than yellow corn?

Prof. Mumford — The yield of corn does not depend upon color.

Q. Is there any virtue in the cob? If not, what is gained by
grinding it?

Prof. Forbes — Grinding the cob with the meal is of benefit only
in feeding steers. It is of no benefit in the feeding of hogs. We
grind the cob with the meal, not because of any very great amount of
nutriment that it contains, but in order to lighten up the meal. If fed
to a hog, it is a detriment to the animal. For steer feeding, if corn is
worth 30 cents per bushel, we are adding 7 1-2 cents worth to it by
grinding and if we can grind for 71-2 cents a bushel, it is worth it, but
if not, it is not.

COl^N GROWERS^ ASSOCIATION. S3

Prof. Mumford — Ihere is very liltle nutriment in the cob, it is
sometimes an advantage to lessen the ration, it promotes digestion,
averages real nutrition in the corn meal better. It would probably be
just as efficient, if not more, to mix the corn meal with chaff.

My experience in grinding corn and cob meal is if you grind the
cob fine enough so that it is finished as a feed, it will cost more than it
is worth. It is of no advantage to feed cob the way it is ordinarily
ground in large pieces. However, where the experiment stations have
carefully investigated this matter and have ground the cob fine enough,
it is true that a pound of corn and cob meal has been as valuable as a
pound of pure corn meal and we might assume that it is, when mixed in
that proportion, of the same value as a poimd of corn meal, but you
must always carry with that the idea that it must be ground fine, and
there's the rub.

Q. Is the corn worm or its fungus injurious to live stock that is
fed on such corn?

Prof. Mumford — That is a question that has agitated a good many
men in the last few years.

Mr. Gabbert — It is not the worm, it is the dust that injures the horses
more than cattle.

Prof. Mumford — It seems to be the general impression that there
is some injury following the feeding of such corn to animals. Whether
from insects or dust, it is not as good corn as corn not worm-eaten.

Q. Is it better to feed cotton seed meal to beef cattle in con-
nection with corn?

Prof. Mumford — We have fed cotton seed meal a little to beef
cattle at the Experiment Station for seven years, and it has been our
experience in almost all of these experiments that when corn is worth
50 cents a bushel and cotton seed meal is worth $22 to $24 a ton that
it does pay to feed cotton seed meal.

There are two things that we aim at in feeding cattle, we aim to
finish them to a point where they will satisfy the demands of the market
and to make the gain necessary to produce that finish at the smallest
possible cost. If you consider only the increased gain from a given
amount of grain, it does not always pay to feed the cotton seed meal.
A hundred pounds of corn fed on blue grass pastures will produce the
gain more cheaply than the corn and cotton seed meal can but the
cotton seed meal will fit them for sale very quickly.

It sometimes pays to feed a small amount of corn and cotton seed
meal when it would not pay to feed a large amount.

O. Should each farmer have a corn breeding plat next year?

§4 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Prof. Mum ford — That was threshed out pretty well today and some
decided that he should while others decided that he should not, and
my opinion is that it will not help matters for us to continue the dis-
cussion on that subject here. It is a question in my mind. Every
man should not be a breeder of purebred cattle or horses and it is a
question in my mind if every farmer should try to breed pedigreed corn.
It is a nice theory and it is a nice business, so far as that is concerned,
but the average farmer is concerned with making money and if every
farmer was a breeder of corn, I am afraid tliey would be like Kilkenny
cats. But it is safe to say this, that it might be profitable for every
farmer here to go home and have a breeding plat next year. This
question lies with the farmer.

Q. ' Will a general planting of the Hallet wheat reduce it to the
original ?

Prof. Mumford — I expect that is aimed at me because I had some-
thing to say about Hallet wheat here today. It is a principle which
applies to the breeding of plants and animals that in order to main-
tain them to the state of development to which they have been brought
under certain conditions, those same conditons must apply. The Short-
horn and Hereford breeds of cattle have been developed under high
conditions of feeding, care and shelter. These cattle will not main-
tain their high excellence and quality under poor conditions of feed
and shelter, and no improved variety of wheat or corn, under careless
handling will maintain the good qualities which have been brought by
good conditons.

Q. Which would be the most profitable, to plant corn checked or
drilled?

Prof. Mumford — Is it more profitable to grow corn in hills three
or four feet each way or in rows or drills as we say ? I will call on Mr.
Laughlin to answer that question,

Mr. Laughlin — It is better on my farm to grow in hills because the
cultivation can be carried on both ways, and if we have a wet season we
can get the weeds.

Q. What constitutes the best seed corn for the Missouri River
bottom land?

Prof. Mumford — There are two questions here by different per-
sons on the same subject, "What is the best variety of corn for river
bottom land in the State of Missouri?" Who has some varieties of
corn growing on river bottom lands? I suppose nearly everyone who
has had experience in growing corn on river bottom land would recom-
mend two varieties for Missouri — they may not be the only ones but
there are two varieties that have given uniformly high yields on

CORN growers' association. 85

bottom lands, the St. Charles White and the Boone County White. Is
there any other that is better than either of these?

Dr. Huston — I am not quite sure about Missouri River bottom, but
the Wabash River bottom lands yield the best with the McKinley, which
is a yellow corn. While I do not know that it has ever been compared
with your St. Charles White corn, it has had to compete with Johnson
County White corn and other corns of that class like Riley's Favorite
and Boone County White and the McKinley corn has exceeded the
other varieties on the Wabash River bottom.

Q. Has anyone tried early corn in a river bottom planted early by
the side of large corn? How did it do?

Mr. Erwin — I have never planted it, but I have known of its being
planted a number of times. It will yield 5 or 6 barrels where the large
corn will yield 10 or 12.

Q. What is the best method of using corn fodder?

Prof. Mumford — I presume that this question refers to corn stover.
Corn fodder is common in Missouri after the ears have been removed
and this is a practical question — it is a live question. We hear a good
deal at the present time about silos and shredded fodder and stalk fields
and other methods of utilizing the fodder or stover. This is a question
upon which we could spend the entire evening in trying to answer it and
we mght not come to any better agreement at the end of the discussion
than before, but will Mr. Harned please tell us about the best method
of utilizing the corn fodder ?

Mr. Harned — I suppose you mean the fodder after it has been
shocked ?

Prof. Mumford — Yes.

Mr. Harned — Well I think there is a great difference of opinion
about that. I am afraid I will be very much by myself, but I have been
convinced that I would not have my fodder shredded if I could have it
done free. I believe that it would be worth more taken out of the
shocks and scattered on the grass just as it is, the simple and old
I)Ian, and I never have been convinced so far that there is anything
better.

Mr. Erwin — I have handled shredded fodder a good deal and I
shred it and then bale it. I often take the shredder into the field
and set the baler behind the shredder and use a slat elevator instead of
a blower to feed the baler and it is the most economical way. If Mr.
Harned had to go out a day like this and get the fodder in out of the
snow, I am sure lie would prefer to have it in the barn.

Prof. Mumford — How many in the audience have shredded fodder

86 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

and prefer that method of handling it? Three. How many have shred-
ded it and do not Hke that method of handling it? Five.

There are some facts in regard to the utilization of corn fodder in
Missouri that it will be well for us to consider. There are thousands
of tons of fodder going to waste in the State of Missouri every year.
The men who own this corn fodder in the stalk fields get a return of
25 cents an acre for it, or 25 cents a ton as it is now handled.

It is a principle which is always correct that you cannot afford to
put too much work on a cheap product and as long as we waste so
much fodder, we will not spend much money in preparing it in any way,
in the silo, or shredding it or any other way.

We have performed one experiment in trying to feed shredded
fodder as against that not shredded. It seemed to indicate that the
animals would eat more fodder not shredded, but it required less fod-
der when it was shredded. They had to eat more of the faulty part
when it was shredded because we could manage to fool them and work
off on them some of the pith, but when it was not shredded they were
able to take out the good part and discard the remainder.

Mr. Shephard — I have had quite a little experience in feeding fod-
der to milk cows and there the effect is very easily detected, beacuse it is
an effect that shows in a very few days' time and I agree with Mr.
Harned exactly that the best way to feed fodder is directly from the
shock and scattered over the pastures. Often it is greater economy from
the fact that it takes less labor that way and the stock can select the best
part of it and reject the faulty part, and there is always faulty fodder.
The trouble with the shredded fodder is that the faulty part is mixed
with the good and the cows are either compelled to eat what is not good
or reject the whole, and after quite a little experience I agree exactly
with Mr. Harned.

Mr. Erwin — I have been feeding shredded fodder since 1900. My
cows were disposed to sort the fodder and take out the good and reject
the bad, and I have fed corn fodder not shredded to my cows for more
than 30 years. I find from much experience in handling a large quantity
of corn fodder and getting it from the field during the winter that it is
cheaper to handle it shredded than from the field direct and I find no
difficulty so far as the yield of milk is concerned or so far as the growth
of the animals is concerned ; and I find that the corn fodder is far better
than timothy hay, especially for horses that may be affected with heaves.

Mr. Harned — How can Mr. Erwin find it cheaper to shred the
fodder than to use it whole, it costs $1.50 a ton to shred it?

Mr. Erwin — It costs in oiu- section of the country 15 cents a shock

CORN growers' association. 87

to get the fodder husked out in the field by hand. We can get the
machine and an engineer and feeder to run the shredder for 12^ cents a
shock. The same team that it takes to move the fodder out of the field
will move it to the shredder and you balance the one with the other and
then the work is done and the fodder is stored so that it is ready tot
handle and can be taken out whenever you want to feed it.

O. At what age can high grade cattle be made to weigh 1200 to
1400 pounds, given the ordinary farm treatment and feeding the general
farm methods.

Mr. Gabbert — I do not know what the ordinary conditions are. I
do not know what ordinary farm treatment is. It would take him all
his life, the way cattle are treated on some farms. I have fed a good
many Hereford steers and I can make them weigh that at 22 months
old and I generally sell about that time. But I do not have ordinary
farm conditions — I have the best I know how.

Q. In the selection of the premium corn, was there any thought
given to the value of the fodder?

Prof. Miller— The value of the fodder is always considered in
making field selections, but on the judging table we can know nothing
about that at all.

O. Which is the most nutritious as a feed for horses, hogs and
cattle, white or yellow corn?

Prof. Mumford — Well it depends on the corn. It happens that one
of the varieties of corn which has been improved in the direction of
high protein content is the white corn, but there is no essential dif-
ference in the yield or quality of corn, dependent upon color. Color
is not related to the valuable characteristics of corn in any very close
way. There are some varieties of yellow corn better for hogs and horses,-
and vice versa.

METHODS OF CORN BREEDING.

(Oyril George Hopkins, Ph, D., Professor of Agronomy in the Agricultural College and Chief
in Agronomy and Chemistry in the Agricultural Experiment Station.)

From Bulletin No. 83, 111. Ex. Sta.

It is a well established fact that there now exists markets and de-
mands for different kinds of corn.

The price of corn varies, say from one-half cent to one cent per
pound.

The cost of protein in the principal stock feeding states varies from
three to five cents per pound. In other words, the protein is several

88 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

times more valuable per pound than corn itself. Consequently, stock
feeders want more protein in corn. (Very possibly the feeders in the
southern states want more carbohydrates to supplement their present
more abundant supplies of nitrogenous food stuffs.)

The price of corn starch varies from two or three cents to five or
even lo cents per pound, depending upon the wholesale or retail nature
of the sale. The manufacturers of starch and of glucose sugar, glucose
syrup, and other products made from starch want more starch in corn.
In its own publication a large commercial concern, which uses enor-
nious quantities of corn, makes the following statements:

"A bushel of ordinary corn, w^eighing 56 pounds, contains about
4^ pounds of germ, 36 pounds of dry starch, 7 pounds of gluten, and
five pounds of bran or hull, the balance in weight being made up of
water, soluble matter, etc. The value of the germ lies in the fact that
it contains over 40 per cent of corn oil, worth, say 5 cents per pound,
while the starch is worth 1^2 cents, the gluten i cent, and the hull about
J/j cent per pound.

"It can readily be seen that a variety of corn containing, say one
pound more oil per bushel would be in large demand.

"Farmers throughout the country do well to communicate with their
respective agricultural experiment stations and secure their co-operation
along these lines."

These are statements and suggestions which should, and do, attract
the attention of experiment station men. They are made by the Glucose
Sugar Refining Company of Chicago, a company which purchases and
uses, in its six factories, about fifty million bushels of corn annually.
According to these statements, if the oil of corn could be increased one
-pound per bushel, the actual value of the corn for glucose factories would
be increased 5 cents per bushel ; and the president of the Glucose Sugar
Refining Company has personally assured the writer that his company
would be glad to pay a higher price for high oil corn whenever it can be
furnished in large quantities. The increase of five cents per bushel on
fifty million bushels would add $2,500,000 to the value of the corn pur-
chased by this one company each year. The glucose factories are now
extracting the oil from all the corn they use and arc unable to supply
the market demand for corn oil. On the other hand, to these manufac-
turers, protein is a cheap by-product and consequently they want less
jtrotein in corn.

Corn with a lower oil content is desired as a food for bacon hogs,
especially for our export trade, very extensive and thorough investi-
gations conducted in Germany and Canada having proved conclusively
that ordinary corn contains too much oil for the production of the hard,

CORN growers' association. 89

firm bacon which is demanded in the markets of Great Britain and
Continental Europe.

The methods of corn breeding devised by the Illinois Experiment
Station and now used not only by us, but also by the Illinois Seed Corn
Breeders' Association, and, to some extent, by other Experiment Sta-
tions and other corn breeders, have for their object the improvement
of corn — in yield and in quality. In the main the methods are now the
same as we have employed for the past six years and they have given
results which enable us to assert with confidence that by these methods
corn can be improved in a very marked degree and for many different
purposes. The yield of corn can be increased, and the chemical com-
position of the kernel can be changed as may be desired, either to in-
crease or to decrease the protein, the oil, or the starch.

Following is a brief description of the methods of corn breeding
which we practice and which we have recommended to others:

PHYSICAL SELECTION OF SEED CORN.

The most perfect ears obtainable of the variety of corn which it is
desired to breed should be selected. These ears should conform to
the desirable standards of this variety and should possess the principal
properties which belong to perfect ears of corn, so far as they are known
and as completely as it is possible to secure them. These physical char-
pcteristics and properties include the length, circumference, and shape
of the ear and of the cob ; the number of rows of kernels and the num-
ber of kernels in the row ; the weight and color of the grain and of the
cob; and the size and shape of the kernels. In making this selection
the breeder may have in his mind a perfect ear of corn and make the
physical selection of seed ears by simple inspection, or he may make
absolute counts and measurements and reduce the physical selection al-
most to an exact or mathematical basis.

In this connection let me suggest that there is some danger of corn
breeders making too much of what might be called fancy points in select-
ing seed ears. We should learn the facts which are facts and not base
cur selections too much upon mere ideas and opinions. For example,
it is not known that ears whose tips are well filled and capped with
kernels are the best seed ears. Indeed it is not improbable that the selec-
tion of such seed ears will cause the production of shorter ears and a
reduced yield per acre. It is true that the percentage of shelled corn
from a given ear is the greater, the greater the proportion of corn to
the cob, but our interest in that percentage is very slight compared to
that of yield per acre, and perhaps for the greatest possible yield of

90

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

shelled corn per acre it requires that the ears shall have good sized cobs.
Possibly the corn which shall ultimately surpass all others for yield per
acre will have tapering and not cylindrical ears. These are some of the
points regarding which men have some ideas and opinions, but as yet
v/e have no definite facts, and we shall need several years more to
obtain absolute knowledge regarding some of these points. Let us base
our selections of seed corn first upon known facts and performance rec-
ords, and secondly upon what one may call his "type" of corn.

CHEMICAL SELECTION BY MECHANICAL EXAMINATION.

The selection of seed ears for improved chemical composition by
mechanical examination of the kernels is not only of much assistance to
the chemist in enabling him to reduce greatly the chemical work involved
in seed corn selection, but it is of the greatest practical value to the
ordinary seed corn grower who is trying to improve his seed corn with
very limited service, if any, from the analytical chemist. This chemica'
selection of seed ears by mechanical examination, as well as by chemical
analysis (which is described below), is based upon two facts:

1. That the ear of corn is approximately uniform throughout in
the chemical composition of its kernels.

2. That there is a wide variation in the chemical composition of
dififerent ears, even of the same variety of corn. These two facts are
well illustrated in Table i.

TABLE l-PUOTEIN IN SINGLE KERNELS.

Ear A,

protein,
per cent.

EarB,

protein,
per cent.

EarC,
protein.

EarD,
protein,

per cent, per cent.

Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel
Kernel

No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.

3..

4..
5 .

(!..
7.

8 .

9 .
10.

12.46
12.54
12.44
12.50
12.30
12.49
12.50
12.14
12.14
12.71

11.53
12.32
12.19 j
12.54 I
12.14 I

12.95

12.84

»

12.04
12.75

7.45

8.72

7.. 54

8.41

7.69

8.73

7.47

S.31

7.74

8.02

8.70

8.76

8.46 ,

8.89

8.69 !

9.02

8.86

8.96

8.10

8.89

♦Determination lost by accident.

It will be observed that, while there are, of course, small differ-
ences among the diflferent kernels of the same ear, yet each ear has an
individuality as a whole, the diflfcrcnce in composition between different
ears being much more marked than between different kernels of the
same ear.

The uniformity of the individual ear makes it possible to estimate
or ti'O determine the composition of the corn by the examination or anal-
ysis of a few kernels. The remainder of the kernels on the ear may

CORN GUOWEKS ASSOCIATION, 9I

tlien be planted if desired. The wide variation in the composition be-
tween different ears furnishes a starting point for the selection of seed
in any of the several different lines of desired improvement.

The methods of making a chemical selection of ears of seed corn by
a simple mechanical examination of the kernels is based upon the fact
that the kernel of corn is not homogeneous in structure, but consists of
several distinct and readily observable parts of markedly different chem-
ical composition. (See illustrations.) Aside from the hull which sur-
rounds the kernel, there are three principal parts in a grain of corn :

1. The darker colored and rather hard and horny layer lying next
to the hull, principally in the edges and toward the tip end of the
kernel, where it is about 3 millimeters, or ys of an inch, in thickness.

2. The white, starchy-appearing part occupying the crown end of
the kernel and usually also immediately surrounding, or partially sur-
rounding, the germ.

3. The germ itself which occupies the central part of the kernel
toward the tip end.

These different parts of the corn kernel can be readily recognized
by merely dissecting a single kernel with a pocket knife, and it may be
added that this is the only instrument needed by anybody in making a
chemical selection of seed corn by mechanical examination.

The horny layer which usually constitutes about 65 per cent of the
corn kernel contains a large proportion of the total protein in the kernel.

The white, starchy part constitutes about 20 per cent of the whole
kernel, and contains a small proportion of the total protein. The germ
constitutes only about 10 per cent of the corn kernel, but, while it is
rich in protein, it also contains more than 85 per cent of the total oil
content of the whole kernel, the remainder of the oil being distributed
in all of the other parts.

By keeping in mind that the horny layer Is large in proportion and
also quite rich in protein, and that the germ, although rather small in
proportion, is very rich in protein, so that these two parts contain a
very large proportion of the total protein in the corn kernel, it will be
icadily seen that by selecting ears whose kernels contain more than the
average proportion of germ and horny layer we are really selecting
ears which are above the average in their protein content. As a matter
of fact, the method is even more simple than this, because the white
starchy part is approximately the complement of, and varies inversely
as the sum of the other constituents ; and to pick out seed corn of high
protein content it is only necessary to select those ears whose kernels
show a relatively small proportion of the white, starchy part surrounding
tht germ.

92 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

As more than 85 per cent of the oil in the kernel is contained in
the germ, it follows that ears of corn are relatively high or low in their
oil content, according as their kernels have a larger or smaller proportion
of germ.

In selecting seed corn by mechanical examination for improvement
in composition we remove from the ear a few average kernels ; cut two
or three of these kernels into cross sections and two or three other
kernels into longitudinal sections and examine these sections as they
are cut, usually simply with the naked eye.

If we are selecting seed ears for high protein content we save those
ears whose kernels show a small proportion of the white starch imme-
diately adjoining or surrounding the germ. If selecting corn for low
protein content we look for a larger proportion of white starch sur-
rounding the germ. Otir results have shown that the white starch in
this position, that is, surrounding the germ toward the tip end of the
kernel, is a better index of the protein content than the starch in the
crown end.

If we are selecting seed ears for high oil content we save those
cars whose kernels show a large proportion of firm and solid germ ;
while if seed of low oil content is desired, we look for a small proportion
of germ in the kernel.

It should be emphasized that it is not the absolute, but proportion-
ate, size or quantity of germ or of white starch which serves as a guide
in making these selections.

CHEMICAL SELECTION BY CHEMICAL ANALYSIS.

In selecting seed corn by chemical analysis we remove from the in-
dividual ear two adjacent rows of kernels as a representative sample.
This sample is ground and analyzed as completely as may be necessary
to enable us to decide whether the ear is suitable for seed for the par-
ticular kind of corn which it is desired to breed. Dry matter is always
determined in order to reduce all other determinations to the strictly uni-
form and comparable water-free basis. If, for example, we desire to
change only the protein content, then protein is determined. It we are
breeding to change both the protein and the oil, then determinations of
both of these constituents must be made.

For a satisfactory breeding plot, about 20 to 40 selected seed ears
are required. If the breeder desires to make only physical improve-
ment then he should select, say, 40 of the most nearly perfect ears which
it is possible to pick out by inspection or by exact physical measurements.
H it is desired to improve the composition or (juality oi the corn as well
as the physical properties, then at least 200 physically perfect ears should

CORN growers' association.

93

be selected, and, from these 200 cars, tlic 40 ears which are most suitable
as seed for the particular kind of corn which it is desired to breed should
be selected, either by mechanical examination of sections of kernels, which
aiiybody can make, or by chemical analysis, or by a combination of these
two methods. In our own work we now commonly select by physical
inspection or measurement the 200 ears ; then, from these 200 ears, we
select by mechanical examination of sections of kernels the best 50 or
100 ears, and from this lot we finally select by chemical analysis the
best 20 to 40 seed ears for planting. This combination of methods
effects a very satisfactory seed selection and requires only one-half as
much chemical work as would be required if the method of chemical
analysis alone were employed.

Table 2 shows very fairly the degree of seed improvement which
may be accomplished by these dift"erent methods of selection, when breed-
ing to change only the protein content of corn.

It may be stated that equally satisfactory results may be obtained
ill chemical selection by mechanical examination for securing seed ears
of high or low oil content. For example, the writer has selected by
mechanical examination, from a lot of 272 ears of corn, 18 ears for high
oil content which averaged 5.24 per cent of oil ; and, from the same lot
of corn, 30 ears were "selected for low oil content which averaged 4.13
per cent oil, making an average difference of i.ii per cent of oil.

TABLE 2-SOME FAIR ILLUSTRATIONS OF ACTUAL RESULTS OBTAINED IN SE-
LECTION OF SEED CORN.

(Protein, average per cent.)

Variety.

T>

P
TO

CB

a

50 ears selected
by mechanical
examination...

28 ears selected
by chemical
analysis

c

n
w

01

CD
(B
&

to

P
>^
Oi

W
: 5'

• M

■ .— '

. n>
: 01

. CB

. tB

Silver Mine

10.00
10.57
11.96
11.96
11.27
11.14
11.03
13.48*
9.20t
11.26
11.26

9.47
9.72
11.36
12.44
11.84
11.64
11.38
12.88
9.10
12.14*
10.67*

8.77
9.36
10.79
13.33
13.43
13.11
12.41
14.36
7.77

7.97
8.84
10.08
14.03
13.12
12.55
12.99
14.87
7.56

7.00

Boone County White

8.69

8.82

Learning .

Learning

Yellow Dent

14.63
14.71
13.24

Riley's Favorite

Burr's White

Burr's White

15.78

15.71

7.08

rjpa.min?

* Average protein content of ten field rows of Burr's White after four years' breeding for
high protein.

t Originally from same stock of Burr's White as preceding, but bred four years for low
protein.

■ * Two lots of 42 ears each selected from the same lot of 200 ears for two breeding plots,
high protein and low protein, the seed for which is selected by physical Inspection and me-
chanical examination but without chemical analysis of individual ears.

94 Missouri agricultural report.

ii the method of mechanical examination alone is employed in mak-
ing the chemical selection, then, if possible, there should be some chem-
ical control of the work, at least until the breeder has become sufficiently
skilled, or has had sufficient experience, to feel that he knows how to
make a chemical selection of seed ears by mechanical examination of
kernels. Such a chemical control does not involve a large amount of
chemical work. In Illinois the Experiment Station offers such a chem-
ical control to farmers who will agree to make the selection of the best
possible seed, both by physical inspection of ears and mechanical exam-
ination of kernels and who will further agree to secure data and breed
the corn in accordance with our directions.

This control is aft'ected by analyzing only two samples of corn each
year; one composite sample of the rejected ears, five average kernels
being taken from each ear, and one composite sample of the 20 to 40
selected seed ears, twenty average kernels being taken from each of
these ears, and each of these two composite samples being properly
labeled and analvzed.

One of the best selections which has yet been made by mechanical
examination was accomplished last spring by a farmer who is breeding
corn for higher protein content. Out of a lot of 165 ears of corn he
selected 15 ears whose protein content averaged 1.48 per cent higher
than that of the 150 rejected ears, as was determined by the chemical
analysis of a composite sample from each of the two lots. Because of
the chemical control which the station affords him, he knows each year
just how much he has accomplished.

If the purpose of breeding a kind of corn is principally to change
its content of a single constituent, as to increase protein, then the selec-
tion of the best 40 ears is simple and regular by either method; but if
it is desired to effect changes in the content of two constituents, as to
increase the protein and to increase the oil in the same corn, then one
could hardly expect to make much progress in both directions, if he
relied solely upon mechanical examination of kernels for chemical selec-
tion of seed ears. Even after the chemical analyses of 100 ears have
been made it requires some computation to determine which are really
the best 40 ears. For example, an ear may be desirable for seed because
of its high protein content, but it may not be sufficiently high in oil.
In order to reduce the selection to an exact basis, we have adopted simple
mathematical computations for all such cases.

For high protein and high oil in the same corn, we multiply the
percentage of protein by the percentage of oil and use the product as
the selection coeft'icient, the forty highest products designating the forty
best cars.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

05

For low protein and low oil we multiply the percentages together
and use the lowest product as the selection coefficient.

For high protein and low oil in the same corn, we divide the per-
centage of protein by the percentage of oil and use the highest quotients
as our selection coefficients.

TABLE 3-SELEOTION OF SEED CORN FOR HIGH PROTEIN AND HIGH OIL.

No. Ear.

Protein
in corn .

Oil
in corn.

Selection
coeflHcient

1

11.17
12.66
13.60
lO.gS
11.01
11.50
14.71
10.07
13.14
10.19
11.01
10.39
13.96

6.03
4.90
4.93
4.55
5.72
4.77
5.56
4.73
5.44
5.80
5.97
4.73
5.23

67.30

2

63.00

3

68.89

4.. .. ....

49.89

5

62.97

6

54.81

81.75

8

47.63

9

10

11

12 .

71.53
59.10
65.78
49.13

13

73.72

Average

11.87

5.26

62.50

For low protein and high oil we divide in the same manner, but use
the lowest quotients for selecting the best ears.

Table 3 illustrates the value of this method as applied to the selec-
tion of the best seed ears for both high protein and high oil.

It will be observed that some ears which are high in only one
desirable constituent (see No. 2 and No. 10) must be discarded because
the selection coefficients which they give are even below the average;
while other ears which may be quite low in one constituent (see No. i
and No. 3) still furnish acceptable selection coeft"icients.

THE BREEDING PLOT.

The 40 selected seed ears are planted in 40 separate parallel rows,
one ear to a row, consequently the breeding plot should be at least 40
corn rows wide and long enough to require about three-fourths of an
ear to plant a row. It is well to shell the remainder of the corn from
all of the 40 ears, mix it together, and use it to plant a border several
rows wide entirely around the breeding plot, to protect it, especially
from foreign pollen-
In my judgment one of the most practical and satisfactory locations
for the breeding plot is in a larger field of corn planted with seed which
is as nearly as possible of the same breeding as that planted in the breed-
ing plot itself. The stock seed for this field should always be selected
from the previous year's breeding plot and it may well include as many
of the 160 rejected ears as are known to be above the average of the 200.

96 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Ur, if the breeding plot can be well isolated from all other corn fields
£ind still occupy good soil, this also makes a very suitable location for it.
The very best ears of seed corn are planted in the center rows of
the breeding plot, the remainder of the ears being planted in approxi-
mately uniform gradation to either side, so that the least desirable ears
among the 40 are planted in the outside rows ; and in the final selection
of the best field rows from which the next year's seed ears are to be
taken, some preference is given to the rows near the center of the plot.

While we are not yet ready to make absolute statements regarding
the matter, nevertheless, from the data which we have secured, and are
securing upon the subject, we now recommend that every alternate row
of corn in the breeding plot be completely detasseled before the pollen
matures, and that all of the seed corn to be taken from the plot be selected
from these 20 detasseled rows. This method absolutely prohibits self-
pollination or close-pollination of the future seed. By self-pollination
is meant the transfer of pollen from the male flower of a given plant to
the fem.ale flower of the same plant ; and by close-pollination is meant
the transfer of pollen from the male fiower of one plant to the female
flower of another plant in the same row, both of which grew from kernels
from the same seed ear.

The transfer of pollen from one plant to another plant which grew
from kernels from a different seed ear, we term cross-pollination. We
have been for several years accumulating data which show that artificial
self-pollination is very injurious to the vitality and vigor of the seed
produced, and we have also secured data pointing toward an injurious
effect of close-pollination even by natural methods, so that we feel jus-
tified in recommending, at least tentatively, the use of cross-pollination
in seed corn breeding.

It is also recommended that in the 20 rows of corn which are not
detasseled no plants which appear imperfect, dwarfed, immature, barren,
or otherwise undesirable, should be allowed to mature pollen. Detassel-
ing is accomplished by going over the rows two or three times and
carefully pulling out the tassels as they appear.

Occasionally an entire row is detasseled because of the general in-
feriority of the row as a whole.

FIELD SELECTIONS BASED ON PERFORMANCE RECORDS.

As the corn crop approaches maturity we are then ready for the
first time to begin at the real beginning in the selection of seed com ;
that is, with the whole corn crop and the whole corn plant, as it stands
in the field.

T.IF. FIUST ('[lAMrioNSIiri' ROADSTER TEAM.

Tlio above cut was made from a photograph of the first prize championship roa.isti^r
ttiiiii at tlie St. Louis WorkVs Fair. ••S(,metimes" and "Always,'' a bpautit'iil pair of
cliHstnuts. full brothers, four and five years old. They have been shown in double
liaintss through two seasons, making sixteen shows and winning sixteen first premium-'.
".Always" has made twenty-three shows in single harness, winning eighteen first
preniiun:^, four second and one third, l)eing beaten in three of the above rings by his
mate "S( inetimes." "Sometimes" won at the World's Fair in single harness two first,
four s^ci.nd, and was fourth in the world's championship for roadsters. Missouri's cbii;n
fo being the first State in the Union for first class road horses has been fully sustained
by this great team.

'i'he al)ove team owned and exhibited by Alex. Bradf<ird, .Tr., Colunibi.i , P.uone
county, Miss(,uii.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

97

We then make our iirst selection of seed corn from the field rows
(each of which is the progeny of a separate single ear) on the basis
of performance record. Each of the twenty detasseled rows is carefully
examined. Some of them are discarded for seed purposes by simple in-
spection, and with some rows this decisitjn may be made early in the
growing season ; because, when each field row is planted from a separate
individual ear, that row has an individuality which in many cases is
very marked. It may show very imperfect germination (in the most
careful work the germinating power of each ear is ascertained before
planting), it may be of slow growth, produce small weak plants, or
numerous barren stalks. The plants may be tall and slender or very
thick and short. In one row the ears may be borne high on the stalks,
while in the adjoining row they may average one or two feet nearer
the ground. One rov/ may yield more than twice as much corn as an
adjoining row on the same kind of soil. As a matter of fact, when one
begins to breed corn by the row system (one seed ear to each row), he
is usually surprised to find that the plants in some rows are so very dif-
ferent from those in others, as will be seen from data from one of our
1901 breeding plot, which are given in Table 4.

TABLE 4-PERFORMANOE RECORD OF BREEDING PLOT, 1901.
(Breeding for high protein.)

Field Row Number.

Protein In
seed ear.

Weight of
ear corn
in crop.

1

12.06

12.17

12 19

12.26

12 31

12.40

12.66

13.83'

12.90

15.78

12.93

12.90

12.72

12.45

12.32

12.31

12.23

12.18

12.07

12.06

91.0

2

86.0

3

98.5

4

99.5

5

77.0

6

118.0

7

116.0

8

54.5

9 :';:::; .:;:.:

107.0

10 ■

103.0

11

87.0

12

127.5

13 ■

113.0

14

123.5

15

103.5

16 ■;

92.0

17

85.5

18

117.0

19

140.5

20

97.0

Average

12.59

101.9

We take no seed corn from a row which produces a large proportion
of imperfect plants, barren stalks, small ears or a low yield, even though
a few apparently good seed ears might be found in the crop which that
row yields.

The points to be considered in the selection of the field rows, and
finally in the individual plants from which seed ears may be taken should

A— 7

98 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

include the per cent of "stand" of plants, the height and physical pro-
portions of the plant, the character and amount of foliage, the position
of the ear on the stalk, the length and size of the ear 'shank, the per cent
of ear-bearing plants, the time of maturity, the total yield of the row,
the average weight of the ears, and the number of good seed ears which
the row produces.

Some of these points can be determined by inspection; some require
actual counts and measurements or weights.

The corn from each of the detasseled rows which have not been
rejected by inspection is now harvested. First, all of the ears on a
row which appear to be good ears and which are borne on good plants
in a good position and with good ear shanks and husks are harvested,
placed in a bag with the number of the row, and finally weighed together
with the remainder of the crop from one ear to a row ; then select your
seed for the next year, on the basis of performance record, from about
10 rows which produce the highest yield and the best ears.

Second: Breed corn for a purpose. If you wish to feed corn, breed
and grow high protein corn. If you wish to grow corn for the starch
and glucose factories, breed and grow corn the factory wants.

Third: Until we have facts, don't devote too much time to "fancy
points," such as trying to produce kernels on the tip end of the cob, or
trying to reduce the size of the cob, or trying to make the tip end of the
ear as large as the butt, or pulling out suckers, or doing other things the
Ultimate effect of which is unknown. It is not yet known with any de-
gree of certainty whether such things are beneficial, injurious, or with-
out effect, on the production of the crop.

And don't feel that you can't breed corn even if you are unable to
detassel barren stalks. Last year we had fields with 50 per cent of bar-
ren stalks, this year in some fields from that seed we have about five-
tenths of one per cent of barren stalks, and these examples fairly illus-
trate the tremendous efifect of soil and season and condition of growth,
sls- compared with breeding, upon the production of barren stalks. Barren
stalks bear no ears, and the whole tendency of Nature's Law is to breed
them out, and even without the intervention of man. As a matter of
fact, in order to give to barren stalks an equal chance with ear-bearing
plants to propagate themselves, we should be obliged to detassel every
car-bearing plant in the field. In studying this problem it should be
borne in mind that the female parent of the barren stalk was not barren.

It is probably much more important that we absolutely prevent self-
pollination and close-pollination Ijy dctasseling alternate rows, but ever
tbis practice is still an experiment. It is very true that exceedingly poor

CORN growers' association. 99

corn has been produced by artificial or hand self-pollination, but recent
experiments have also shown that corn may be degenerated by artificial
cross-pollination; and it should be understood that our recommendation
to detassel alternate rows in the breeding plot is tentative, and I cer-
tainly w^ould not urge this practice. Probably such detasseling will prove
somewhat helpful to the corn breeder, but we know that very great im-
provement can be made without detasseling at all, simply by selecting
seed on the basis of performance record and for desirable quality or
composition.

THE TESTING OF CORN FOR SEED.

(Albert H. Hume, First Assistant in Crop Production. From Bulletin No. 96, Illinois Experi-
ment Station.)

In suggesting the plan of testing each ear of seed corn, we do not
mean to insist that every ear must be tested every season and in every
place. We do insist, however, that this would be within easy range of
possibility, as the following pages will show. Before time for planting,
corn growers should test a sufficient amount of their stock of seed, ear
by ear, so that they will know what they have on hand. It may or may
not be necessary thus to test the entire stock, but that it would have
been an extremely profitable procedure the past season for most farmers,
can scarcely be doubted.

It is not sufficient to accept the warrant of the dealer from whom the
seed is purchased, however trustworthy he may be. It is not possible
for those who handle seed on the largest scale to give the closest atten-
tion to its quality. The following devices for testing are suggested as
being obtainable for the general farmer.

Methods of Testing. — There are several methods of testing corn, all
of which depend upon the same principle, namely, that of supplying suf-
ficient moisture and warmth to the kernels to cause them to sprout. The
traditional ways of determining the quality of seeds, such as floating them
in water, or heating them until they pop, or breaking them and noting
the fracture, or cutting them and noting the appearance of the inside,
cannot be called tests, although it must be granted that by practice some
corn growers have become fairly expert in telling whether or not a
given sample of corn will grow. Such methods are not only less accur-
ate, but if carefully performed require as much or more time than need
be taken to make a germination test.

One of the best and simplest ways of sprouting seed is to take a
common dinner plate and fill it nearly full of sand. The sand should be

lOO MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

as clean and white as pussiblc. Such sand will be less likely to mould
than that which has much organic matter in it. This makes it much
more desirable for use in testing, for moulds interfere with the germina-
tion of the corn. After the sand is placed on the plate, it should be
moistened. This can best be done with a small sprinkler, but if one is
not at hand, the water may be poured carefully out of any small vessel
or sprinkled with the hand. After sprinkling the water on the sand,
it is well to mix the sand with the fingers until it is all equally moist. Do
not saturate the sand with water. Special caution is necessary in this
respect, for if the sand is too wet, the corn will fail to germinate for lack
of air. Numerous failures have been reported in testing corn on plates
of sand, the most of which probably resulted from having the sand too
wet.

Having the sand properly placed and moistened, the kernels to be
tested should be pressed into the sand, small end down, in order as they
are taken from the ear. While taking the kernels from the ear, hold it
in the left hand and remove with a pocket-knife or a pair of small, strong
tweezers, a kernel two inches from the butt of the ear. A little practice
will make it easy to remove a kernel with the knife and hold it between
the thumb and the knife blade until it is put in place in the sand. Then
turn the ear one-fourth around and take another kernel in the same
manner, say two inches nearer the tip; then turn the ear the same dis-
tance again and take another kernel two inches nearer the tip. For the
fourth kernel, turn the ear again one-fourth around and take the kernel
about two inches from the tip. Four kernels is a large enough number
to take from one ear for practical work. If they are properly taken,
they represent both ends and all sides of the ear, so far as vitality is con-
cerned. The four kernels from each ear must be placed in a separate
group, and it is best that the group be marked or numbered to corre-
spond.

The Germinating Room. — After the kernels of corn are all placed
as described above, they should be covered by turning a second plate
over them to prevent too rapid evaporation of the moisture from the
sand. They may then be left in a warm temperature to sprout. As
fast as the kernels are well germinated, they should be removed from
the sand, and a careful record taken of the number which have sprouted.
It has been proved by experiment that the best temperature for germinat-
ing corn is yy degrees F. This is only a little higher than the temper-
ature of an ordinary living-room. More harm will result from a con-
siderable decrease of temperature than from a slight increase.

On the average farm it is not necessary to construct a special room

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. lOI

for germinating. Usually the plates of corn will germinate well if put
beside a stove, taking care that they do not get too hot. The plates
must be inspected each day after they are put into the germinating room,
and if the sand is becoming dry, add a little water. The amount to be
put on must be determined by practice, for it will vary with the kind of
sand used and with the humidity of the room. If one is fortunate
enough to have furnace heat in the cellar, he will probably have a place
near the furnace where the heat will be about right for germinating corn.
Such heat was utilized by Dr. C. G. Hopkins, of the University of Illi-
nois, in testing the corn for his own farm in southern Illinois, with en-
tirely satisfactory results.

Testing zcith Plates aiid Sand. — The method of using the plates of
sand for germinating corn is very practicable in that any one can use
it without purchasing any new material. Dinner plates are at hand on
any farm, and sand may usually be had from the roadway or river bot-
tom. But where there is much testing to do the method is inconvenient,
and in some cases unprofitable, from the fact that it takes too much time.
Time is lost in filling the plates with sand and in gauging the proper
amount of moisture, when it must be renewed from time to time.

Testing zi'ith Box and Cloth. — One of the quickest and most con-
venient devices for making germination tests is that commonly known
as the Geneva Tester, so called because it was first used by Professor
Goff at the Geneva Station in New York. This apparatus consists of a
water-tight box across which are extended folds of canton flannel. These
folds are suspended from wires, and can be removed to dry when not
in use. The box must be filled to the depth of about an inch with water,
so that the folds of canton flannel will hang down enough to touch the
water, and thus be moistened by capillarity. The box should be about
12 by 24 inches and 4 or 5 inches deep. It may be made of wood, gal-
vanized iron, tin, or copper, and the wires can be cut from ordinary
smooth galvanized fence wire. When kernels of corn are to be tested
in this germinating apparatus, they are removed from the ears as de-
scribed above, placed between the folds, in regular order and the folds
closed together. If it is thought best, the groups of kernels from the
separate ears may be numbered with slips of paper. This numbering
will not be absolutely necessary if proper care is used to have the groups
of kernels correspond to the ears of corn from whence they came. After
the kernels are put in place, the folds are drawn together at the top,
the lid closed upon the box, and the apparatus left until the kernels ger-
minate. When put into this box, the kernels will not usually sufler for
moisture during the length of time of one test. This is one of the ad-

I02 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

vantages of the Geneva Tester over the plate of sand where the mois-
ture may need renewing each day, or even oftener. The folds are easily
opened w-hen it is necessary to inspect the kernels to count the number
v/hich have germinated. Some care is necessary in lifting the tester,
that the groups of kernels be not jarred from their places.

Testing tvith Box and Blotters. — Another plan is to use a small box,
Avith layers of moistened blotting paper inside. This device consists first
of a small box, say a foot long, six inches wide, and five inches deep.
The bottom of the box should be made water-tight ; if necessary, the
cracks may be stopped with white lead or strips of cloth or asbestos.
The kernels of corn are kept moist by putting water into the box to a
depth of one-half inch more or less. Something must be laid in the
box to hold the first blotter up out of the water. Small sticks laid cross-
wise of the box will answer this purpose.

The blotting papers should be moistened as they are placed in the
box. When the first blotter is laid in, either small sticks or wire cloth
are put down on top of it to mark the spaces for the separate groups of
kernels. These spaces must correspond to the spaces in the frame where
the ears of com are placed. After one layer of blotting paper is covered
with the kernels, another similar layer may be put down on top of the
first, and so on until the box is filled, or until the desired amount of
corn has been put in.

Like the plate and sand method and the wooden box Geneva Tester,
this device is easy to use on the ordinary farm because it does not neces-
sitate the buying of any expensive apparatus or material. If small sticks
are substituted for the wire gauze, it will only be necessary to purchase
the pieces of blotting paper, which can be secured at a merely nominal
cost of almost any printer or stationer. Of course the wooden box will
sometimes warp and begin to leak, making it somewhat difficult to keep
the blotters from becoming too dry. Where it is desired to use a tester
for any large amount of work, it is usually best to have the box made
of copper. -

We have gone into the matter of explaining the devices for testing
seed com at some length from the practical standpoint, in the hope that
the greatest number of corn growers will arrange to test seed by one of
the methods. The method of doing the work is not of such paramount
importance as that it be done, and done thoroughly.

In advocating the testing, when necessary, of every ear of com in-
tended for seed, we have been met with the objection that "it takes too
much time." We have therefore made some careful computations along
this line. In Table i we have recorded the time in minutes used in

CORN GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

103

testing each of nine one-bushel lots of corn. Column one gives the num-
ber of the lot, column two, the number of the ears in the measured bushel,
and column three, the total time used in testing four kernels from each
ear, in the Geneva Tester, with which we have been able so far to do
our quickest work in testing.

TABLE 1.

Number of lot.

Number of ears in bushel

tested .

Total time used in testing.

1

100

45 minutes.

2

98

44 minutes.

3

75

34 minutes.

4

116

56 minutes.

5

80

48 minutes.

6

77

38 minutes.

7

95

42 minutes.

8

96

46 minutes.

9

126

48 minutes.

Total time for 9 bushels, 401 minutes.
Average time for 1 bushel, 45 minutes.

From the above table, it will be seen that the total time used in test-
ing 9 bushels of corn of various sized ears was 401 minutes. It takes
longer to test a bushel of small ears than a bushel of large ones, but the
average time per bushel is 45 minutes. At this rate, counting only 5
acres to one bushel of seed, one man, in 10 hours' total time, can test
every ear of seed corn required to plant 67 acres. Of course the work
must be done before planting time. It is suggested that winter evenings
might profitably be employed in this way, but if the work is not done in
the evenings, let it be done by daylight as part of the regular work. At
all events, do not permit it to be overlooked, especially when we have
such seed corn as much of that planted in 1904.

TABLE 2.

Number of lot.

Number of ears tested
measured bushel.

in

Time

required for testing
in sand.

29

100

80 minutes.

30

98

85 minutes.

31

75

63 minutes.

32

88

75 minutes.

33

92

73 minutes.

Total time required to test 5 bushels, 375 minutes.
Average time required to test 1 bushel, 75 minutes.

As seen by the above, the average time for testing in sand is 75
minutes per bushel as against 45 minutes per bushel with the Geneva

104 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Tester. It is apparent that any one who has any amount of testing to
do, can well afford to make a Geneva Tester or have one made, rather
than use sand.

It is sometimes urged that one who has had sufficient practice can
select seed corn which will grow, simply by inspecting it, and that testing
ii unnecessary.

There are many persons who can tell, with some accuracy, by simple
examination, w^hether or not corn will grow, but we do not believe that
inspection can be so accurate as testing. Moreover, the time used in
carefully inspecting each ear in a given lot of corn is usually as great
or greater than the time used in testing the same ears. The time re-
quired depends much upon the care with which the work is done. If
four kernels are taken from each ear of corn and each kernel examined
carefully and the germ inspected, it will require more time than it will
to test the kernels in the Geneva apparatus. The average time used at
the station for inspecting thirteen bushels of seed corn with reasonable
care, was 31 minutes per bushel. With two lots, when four kernels were
removed from each ear and carefully examined, the average time re-
quired was 44 minutes per bushel. The average time for testing these
same two lots in the Geneva Tester was 32 minutes per bushel. Even
when the time element is taken into consideration, the evidence is all
in favor of carefully tested seed for the corn grower, as opposed to that
selected mechanically.

The following table shows the results which were actually attained
with 37 different lots of seed corn:

Eighteen of these lots of corn came to the Experiment Station from
progressive farmers, and nineteen came from the most trustworthy corn
specialists to be found. In the table given, column i indicates simply
tlie number of the lot of corn tested. Column 2 gives the number of
ears in that particular lot, and column 3 indicates the per cent of the corn,
taken just as it came to the station, which germinated. This test was
pimply a composite one. Three kernels were taken from each ear, one
from the butt, one from the middle, and one from the tip. After three
kernels were thus taken from every ear in the entire lot, they were
mixed together, and 100 of them were selected at random. These 100
kernels were germinated and the resulting per cent was put into column
3. After this composite test was made, every ear in each lot was tested.
b\ taking four kernels from an ear and germinating them in sand. In
case any one of the four kernels did not grow, the ear from which it
came was discarded as unfit for seed. The number of ears thus discarded
is recorded in column 4. The remainder were reserved as being good

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

105

for seed. Then, in order to determine whether such testing really accom-
plishes the desired object, composite tests were made of the "good corn,"
which was reserved for seed, and of the "poor corn," which was dis-
carded. The per cents for the various lots, as derived from these tests,
are recorded in columns 5 and 6.

TABLE 3.

Percent of germination
after testing.

No. of test.

Number of ears
tested.

Composite test
of all ears.

Number of
ears discarded

I

Good corn.

Poor corn.

1

41

91.0

11

98.9

82.0

2

439

82.5

144

97.0

68.0

3

81

87.0

12

99.0

72.2

4

371

84.0

95

95.0

55.0

5

84

78.0

18

97.9

72.2

6

330

95.0

51

98.0

80.0

7

433

94.0

38

100.0

72.0

8

414

83.0

124

95.0

63.0

9

552

77.0

299

86.0

67.0

10

389

97.0

31

100.0

85.5

11

88

96.0

14

97.0

80.9

13

80

82.0

18

94.0

70.8

13

298

93.0

44

98.0

71.0

14

89

93.0

10

97.0

66.6

15

60

84.0

22

96.0

77.0

16

18

88.8

5

89.7

66.6

17

43

83.0

20

<)0.0

40.0

18

451

96.0

33

99.0

68.0

19

332

93. u

88

98.0

81. (

30

456

62.0

295

93.0

30.0

21

278

74.0

164

86.0

36.0

22

109

87.0

21

97.0

71.4

23

45

83.0

17

97.6

75.0

24

40

51.0

28

97.2

52.3

25

78

89.0

20

93.0

48.0

26

144

92.0

36

95.0

81.0

27

100

93.0

25

97.0

69.8

28

98

91.0

18

95.0

68.9

29

75

94.0

17

95.0

76.0

30

88

87.0

26

96.0

66.6

31

92

93.0

13

93.0

77.0

32

116

90.0

39

93.0

70.0

33

80

86.0

34

83.0

75.0

34

77

68.0

41

74.0

42.0

35

95

74.0

54

90.0

57.0

36

96

64.0

63

80.0

51.0

37

126

97.0

20

96.0

60.3

Averages.

85.19

94.00

66.11

It will be observed that the per cent of germination of the "good
corn" in column 5, is higher in every instance than the per cent of ger-
mination of the "poor corn," in column 6; also that there are only two
instances — that of test number 33, composed of 80 ears, and that of test
number 37, composed of 126 ears — in which the per cent of germination
for the good corn is not as high or higher than that of the composite
sample from which it came. This evidence therefore practically all goes
to indicate that the plan is efifective. In other words, having given a
number of ears of seed corn, it is possible to determine with accuracy
which of those ears have the highest average per cent of germinable
kernels.

I06 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

The average of all the tests of "good corn" in column 5 is 94.00 per
cent. The average of the composite tests of the lots of corn from whence
those good ears were taken, is 85.19 per cent. The original lots were
made up of seed corn, which was carefully selected by ordinary methods
bv^fore it came to the Agricultural Experiment Station. The difference
between 94.00 and 85.19 is 8.81 per cent, in favor of the "good corn,"
which is clearly attributable to the fact that every ear was tested and
only the "good ones" reserved. That this difference is correct is fur-
ther attested by noticing the average per cent of the "poor" lots of corn
in column 6, which is 66.11. Evidently from this, no mistake was made
in the kind of ears discarded.

It is fair to assume, according to the above figures, that the seed
corn planted in Illinois during the spring of 1904, might have been at
least 8.81 per cent better than it was. Although it does not follow
absolutely, it is not far from correct to reason that the crop is 8.81 per
cent lighter than it might have been, had the best seed attainable been
used. This is a conservative estimate considering that the original lots
of corn above were probably better than the average seed corn planted
in Illinois in 1904.

Granting, then, that 8.81 per cent of the seed planted failed to grow
and that there were 1,000,000 bushels of corn used for seed in Illinois,
the amount of corn planted which did not grow was 88,100 bushels.
Valuing it at $2.00 per bushel, it represented a dead loss of $176,200.
This amount alone would pay for testing practically every ear of corn
planted in Illinois, counting labor at $1.50 a day. The great loss, how-
ever, consists in the shortage of the crop due to this poor seed. The
valuation of the corn crop in Illinois, as given in the year book of the
Department of Agriculture for the year 1903, was $95,000,000. Count-
ing the proportionate loss therefore, which might have been prevented
by proper testing of seed corn, we have $8,369,500. The data herein
presented certainly justifies the conclusion that such a sum could have
been saved by Illinois corn growers the past year by properly testing
seed.

To bring the matter as closely home as possible to the individual
farmer, suppose that he raises 80 acres of corn, and that his normal
yield is 60 bushels per acre, giving a total of 4,800 bushels. His average
loss this year was 8.81 per cent of that amount, or 422.88 bushels.
Valuing this at 40 cents a bushel, we have a loss of $169.15 due to the
use of untested seed. This amount would pay the necessary wages for
testing every ear of seed corn which would be used on 7,555 acres of land,
counting the wages at $1.50 a day. These figures ought to appeal not

CORN growers' association. 107

so much to our seed dealers as to farmers and corn growers. They are
tlie people directly interested.

Having determined the data above, it is not unreasonable to assert
that every corn grower ought to know beyond any perad venture, just
what kind of seed corn he pours into his planter boxes at planting time.
We do not mean to urge anything unreasonable, and we are not doing so.
If we were to test say 1,000 ears of seed corn from a seed house and
found them to grow perfectly, we would be ready to admit that the next
1,000 ears were reasonably safe for seed, providing they were the same
kind of ears, kept under the same conditions as the first 1,000 had been;
but we would not take too much for granted.

The object toward which we are all striving, is that agriculture be
made an exact science. The testing of each car of seed corn, whenever
necessary, will certainly be a considerable stride in that "direction.

CORN.

PREPARING THE GROUND, PLANTING AND CULTIVATING THE CROP.
(Prof. P. G. Holden, in "Successful Farming.")

There is no one best method suited to all sections, nor to the dif-
ferent' soils of a given section, nor even to the different fields of the same
farm.

Frequently two very different methods may give equally good re-
sults. There are no "iron clad" rules which can be followed blindly in
the growing of corn any more than in any other farm work. Have good
ground, do the work on time and do it thoroughly, should be the object
of every corn grower.

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD GROUND.

Nothing can make up for poor ground. Too many are trying to
grow corn on old "worn out" ground that has produced corn and oats
fcr years. I met a man at an institute in Illinois who said in all seri-
ousness that he was satisfied that the seasons were less favorable for
growing corn than they used to be, as he could get no such crops as
he formerly raised. It developed that he had grown corn for 17 years
in succession on the same piece of ground. No wonder "the seasons
were becoming less favorable."

Let us remember that it was only a few years ago that the land
of the Central West was broken from the virgin sod, and because we

I08 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

have been able to crop the ground continuously in the past is no assur-
ance that it can be done in the future.

The fact is that the time is near at hand when we must pay greater
attention "to the fertility of our soil, to the conserving and restoring of
the elements of plant food or we will soon be compelled to pay out mil-
lions of dollars each year for these elements in the form of commercial
fertilizers as is now done in the east.

The tremendous importance attached to this question cannot be ap-
l)rcciated by those who have had no experience in using commercial fer-
tilizers in the older settled parts of our country.

What is needed is more clover, better use of the barn yard manure
and less of the continuous cropping with corn and oats.

FALL PLOWING FOR CORN.

There is a great diversity of opinions regarding the merits of fall
and spring plowing, even in the same neighborhood. Among the ad-
vantages of fall plowing may be named the following points :

1st. The work can be done at the slackest time in the year when
both men and teams would otherwise be idle.

2nd. Having the ground already plowed in the spring gives us
time to better prepare the ground and what is of equally great impor-
tance, to get our corn in on time.

3rd. Better prepared and warmer seed bed and consequently a
better stand of corn.

4th. Less danger from insect injuries, especially in the case of
scd ground.

5th. Weeds are prevented from seeding and the seeds already in
llie ground will mostly germinate and be killed by the fall freezes before
seeding. This is especially true of early fall plowing.

DISADVANTAGES.

1st. Occasional losses from blowing and washing.

2nd. Unless the ground is disced early in the spring there is loss
of moisture and a consequent "firing" of the corn during tlie latter part
of July and August, especially in dry seasons.

3rd. The fall plowing does not give as good an opportunity to
spread manure during the late summer and through the winter.

During the past year the Soils Department of the Iowa State Col-
lege conducted experiments with fall and spring plowing in different
parts of Iowa and in every case the yields of corn were greater on the
fall plowing than on the spring plowing. While the evidence is generally

CORN GROWERS ASSOCJATJON. lOQ

ill favor of the fall plowing in the cum belt, yet the difference will gen-
erally not be as great as indicated by this year's results. The mistake
is commonly made of leaving the fall plowed ground without discing
until time to plant. The ground has become packed by the snow and
rain and should be disced or at least harrowed as soon as the oat seed-
ing is over. This will conserve the moisture and prevent the "firing"
of the corn in .\ugust, so common on fall plowing.

Ground that is very rolling and likely to wash should not be plowed
in the fall. Early fall plowing is generally advisable where the stubble
ground is very weedy.

In the corn belt where the area put into corn is large and the corn
planting period is short it is the best kind of management to fall plow
all stubble and sod ground.

We should bear in mind that one of the most serious losses each
year to the corn crop is due to late planting. The experiments show
that late planted corn seldom yields as much as the earlier planted corn
and the quality is inferior. The ground becomes hard and out of con-
dition, the weeds have drawm upon the moisture and available plant food,
the corn comes to the dry spell in August at a more critical stage, and
it matures slowly, contains more water and is nuich more likely to be
caught by frost.

Every year there are thousands and thousands of farmers who lose
htavily from late planting. Many of these are good farmers, but are
unexpectedly delayed with the spring work by a combination of bad
weather, sick horses and scarcity of help.

This matter of readiness in the spring is of great importance in the
corn belt and is made all the more so because it is practically out of
the question to secure outside help at this time.

As stated above, it is generally advisable to plow stubble ground
early in the fall.

1st. The weeds which have started will be prevented from seeding
and the weed seeds will be brought near to the surface where they will
germinate and be killed by frost before seeding.

2nd. This second growth of volunteer of oats, weeds, etc., will
protect the ground during the winter and keep the soil from blowing.
The late fall plowing has no such second growth and blows worse in
the winter.

3rd. There is more spare time for the work. If the stubble ground
is left for late fall plowing it is apt to crowd the plowing of the sod
over into the spring, which is bad practice generally.

The reasons for plowing sod ground in the late fall are :

110 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

1st. It gives us the benefit of late summer pasture, and in case of
clover a second crop for seed or for turning under to enrich the ground.

2nd. It is the best possible place to spread the barnyard manure,
as there is least danger of washing or leaching.

3rd. The ground can be much better prepared and with less work
than when plowed in the spring.

4th. There is much less danger of damage from cutworm and
other insects.

It may sometimes be advisable to leave some ground for spread-
ing manure during the winter. In this case it better be the clover sod
rather than the timothy or the bluegrass.

Where clover is seeding with the oats or barley for fertilizing pur-
poses or where rape is sown in the oats for fall feed it will of course
be necessary to plow late in the fall.

BETTER ATTENTION TO FALL PLOWED GROUND.

The fall plowed ground is generally neglected in the spring and left
to dry out and the weeds are left to get a good start, robbing the ground
of moisture and food. Not only should the fall plowing be disced as
soon as the oat seeding is over, but the corn stalk ground as well. When
corn stalk ground is disced early in the spring the moisture is saved, the
stubs and stalks are cut up and mixed with the soil and as a consequence
bother less during the cultivation, and a better seed bed is secured. If
not disced, the surface is turned to the bottom of the furrow in a lumpy
condition, where neither the harrow, disc or cultivator can reach it.

SPRING PLOWING.

We often abuse our spring plowing by turning it up to the sun and
dry winds to bake and dry out, depending on a shower to mellow up the
ground at planting time.

It is a good rule never to leave the field either at noon or at night
without first harrowing the ground that has been plowed. In my esti-
mation no ground can be properly prepared, giving a good seed bed
foi- corn without the use of the disc. A half prepared seed bed means a
poor stand and an imeven growth and the corn will suffer more from
drouth and from insects.

DEPTH TO PLOW.

What is known as deep plowing is generally not advisable in the
corn belt, although the loose soils and bottom lands may be plowed much
deeper than the black prairie soils with less danger of bad results. There

CORN growers' association. tit

is seldom any advantage in plowing- more than six inches deep either
in spring or fall. If ground is to be plowed deeper than formerly it
should be done in the fall. On heavy soils the bad effects of too deep
plowing are often apparent for several years.

TOO DEEP PLANTING.

Too deep planting is especially bad when the seed is weak, and the
spring cold and backward. When the ground is not well prepared or is
very mellow there is danger of putting the seed down four or five inches,
when two inches would be better. Especial care should be taken in case
of early planting when the ground is still cold.

I know of several cases last spring where the same seed was planted
in two different fields, giving a good stand in one case and a very poor
stand in the other. Investigation showed that the poor stands were due
to deep planting. Corn is generally planted deeper than we think. The
planter wheels frequently sink into the ground two or more inches and
the corn is covered another two inches. The planter tracks are then
filled by harrowing and the corn is often more than four inches deep.
We often watch the planter carefully for a few rounds when we start
the planter and then pay no more attention to the depth of the planting.
The soil is generally mellower as we get away from the head land and
consequently the corn is planted deeper than we supposed.

STRAIGHT ROWS AND EVEN CHECKING.

The yield of corn is often reduced and the work of cultivation made
difficult and slow, because of carelessness in handling the planter. Un-
even checking may be due to several causes. In the case of short fields
we generally draw the wire too tight and the planter checks too quick
both ways. On long fields we are apt to check ahead owing to the
slack of the wire, and this is especially true where the tongue of the
planter is raised too high and the team fast.

In the case of irregular shaped fields, the checking is frequently bad.
This is especially true where the ends of the field are not at right angles
v/ith the rows. In this case there will be a jog every four rows, de-
pending on how much the field is out of square.

Carelessness in setting the anchor is the cause of much poor check-
ing. It is a common practice to draw the wire to about a certain tight-
ness at both ends of the field. It is a much better plan to always set
the anchor on line at one end of the field, while at the other end the
ajichor should be drawn to a certain tightness.

112 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

CULTIVATION.

It is not possible at this time to go much into details, and of course
methods will vary greatly with local conditions, but there are a few
things of importance often overlooked.

Many think that there is nothing more to do after the corn is planted
for two weeks until it is up and large enough for the "first cultivation."

There are others who believe in harrowing and even in cultivation
before the corn is up, but on account of the pressure of work, neglect it.
Where ground is left in this manner for two weeks and often longer,
it becomes foul with weeds, which take up moisture and plant food
and make it difficult to work the corn. The ground is packed by the
rains and baked by the sun, until it becomes hard and dry ; that is, "out
of condition."

It is especially important in the case of corn that it should not be
stunted when young, as it never fully recovers even under the most favor-
able conditions.

We should keep a good, mellow, lively tilth until the corn shades
the ground, preventing the rain and sun from beating upon it, making
it hard, dry and mealy.

The time to kill weeds is before they come up and before they have
deprived the corn of moisture and nourishment.

Where it is possible to do so it is a good plan to cultivate the corn
once before it comes up, following the planter with the harrow. If the
piece is small so that the cultivation can be finished before the corn
breaks through the surface, it is well enough to wait until the field is all
cultivated and then cross it with the harrow instead of following close
behind the cultivator. However, in the case of large fields, it is best
to follow the cultivator with the harrow.

It is a common practice with some to harrow corn after it is up,
but I prefer to cultivate and harrow as described above and especially
on corn stalk ground. Even on stubble ground the harrow does con-
siderable damage to the young corn. No one can afford to do less than
to thoroughly harrow the ground before the corn comes up. It is a
serious mistake to let our corn ground once get out of condition in the
spring.

It is also a very common mistake to cultivate shallow when the corn
is small and lay it by with a deep cultivation. The reverse would be
more profitable. There is little danger to the roots from deep cultivation
the first time, and there is great advantage in going deep enough to
secure a good mulch.

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. II3

The following cultivations should be no deeper than is necessary to
keep the ground clean. Many cultivate corn as though the roots went
straight down instead of spreading out through the surface of the soil.
Jt is very essential that we disturb the roots as little as possible when the
corn is "laid by.'' We are very apt to feel that as this is our last chance
at the corn, we must give it a "good laying by," and especially if the
weeds have gotten a start.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPER CARE OF SEED CORN. .

(M. F. Miller, iu Circular of Informatloa No. 19, Missouri Agricultural College.)

The low vitality of much of our seed corn is due to the fact that it
is improperly cared for during the fall and winter months. If the corn
is not thoroughly dry by the time hard freezing weather comes, its
vitality is sure to be injured. It makes little difference how low the
temperature may fall if the corn is perfectly dry, but any hard freezing
when the corn is damp will weaken its vitality and even prevent the
germination of many kernels entirely. It is usually thought that if
corn comes up, the vitality has not been injured, but experiments have
shown that corn stored in the crib will not only produce less vigorous
stalks than those from corn that has been properly cared for but will
fail to make as much corn per acre under exactly similar circumstances,
the difference running from 4 to 16 bushels per acre, depending on the
season. These figures should convince any one that the proper care of
seed corn offers one of the simplest and most important means of in-
creasing corn yields. If we allow an increase of 5 bushels per acre (it
will usually be much more than this) on a crop of 50 acres, the extra
yield would amount to 250 bushels which at 35 cents is worth $87.50.
The extra time necessary to properly care for the seed would not be over
a day and the expense of putting up drying racks is very trifling, as they
may be made of any sort of lumber.

Plant Corn of Strong Vitality. — The failure to plant corn of strong
germinating qualities is undoubtedly responsible for the greater number
of poor stands of corn. The matter of getting a uniform distribution
cf seed is but secondary to the more important factor, that of planting
only corn which is known to be of strong vitality. Germination tests
which have just been made at the experiment station with a number of
samples of corn from farmers' cribs around Columbia, show an average
germination of but 63J/2 per cent. This means that there will be a great
deal of corn in the State this spring of weak vitality, and unless proper

A-8

114

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT,

precautions are taken to test such corn before planting, very poor stands
will certainly result. If only corn of strong vitality were planted, with
due consideration to securing a uniform distr-ibntion of seed, the stand
on average seasons should not run nnich under 95 per cent. Such a
stand means a long step in the direction of a profitable corn crop.

Test the I'itaUfy of Corn in a Germinating Box. — It is perfectly
practical for the average farmer to test for germination every ear of
corn he plants, and wdiere corn has not been carefully preserved this
should always be done. It has been found that if an ear is lacking in vital-
ity, the character is shared to a great extent by the majority of the kernels
on that ear ; consequently if a half dozen kernels are selected from dif-
ferent parts of the ear and tested, a very good idea of the strength of
germination of that particular ear may be obtained. The method of
doing this is as follows : Lay out the ears selected on a long board or
on the crib floor, marking a number opposite each. Prepare a box two,

Figure i.

GermlaallnK Box. The cloth on which the sand is placed is rolled back to show the
squares holdiug the corn.

or three inches deep and two or three feet square (Fig. 2) nailing the
bottom on tightly in order that it will not war]) when it l)ecomes wet.
Place in the bottom of the box a half to three-([uarters of an inch of sand
and moisten thoroughly. Cut a piece of white cloth to fit the box and
mark it off with a pencil into squares 2 to 23/2 inches in size, numbering
them from one up, laying the cloth on the sand. Now remove two

CORN GROWERS'* ASSOCIATION. II 5

kernels about two inches from the butt of ear No. i, turn it one-third
around and take two more from near the middle, again turn it one-third
around and remove two from near the tip, placing- the half dozen kernels
in square No. i. In like manner take the same number of kernels from
ear No. 2 and place in square No. 2 and so on until all the scjuares are filled.
Cover the corn with another piece of moist cloth, which is somewhat
larger than the box, filling in on top of this with three-quarters of an
inch of moist sand. A piece of oilcloth or some wet paper thrown over
the top helps to keep the gcrminator from drying out. Set in a warm
jilace, say near the kitchen stove where the temperature will stand from
/O to 90 degrees, and allow it to remain about a week, moistening the
sand occasionally if necessary and noting the progress of germination
from time to time. At the end of this time the kernels of good vitality
will have sprouted strongly and one can tell by looking at the different
squares which ears are to be discarded for seed. For instance, if ear No.
10 shows a tendency to weak germination, or if one or more of the
kernels failed to sprout at all, such an ear should be thrown out. It will
be found in ordinary crib corn that a large per cent of the ears will have
to be discarded entirely. The ordinary practice of planting such ears
is responsible for most of our poor corn stands.

The time necessary to do this testing is very trifling compared to
the money return which it will bring. By such a test, if one is depending
uj^on the crib corn for seed, a most conservative estimate is that the
s.and may be increased five per cent which should mean two bushels
n^ore corn per acre, where the average yield is 40 bushels. The actual
lime necessary to test sufficient corn to plant 50 acres in this way is not
ever two days and a little figuring will show at once the income which
such work will bring. The germinating box costs practically nothing
and if one wishes, several may be run at once. Probably the most con-
venient size is one two feet square, which will test about one bushel of
corn. Another method of arranging this germinator is to use instead of
the sand, layers of wet paper, or sometimes bran is used, but the sand is
probably the most satisfactory.

It should be said that where very careful attention has been given
to drying out and preserving the seed corn it should test as high "as
95 per cent of the kernels germinating strongly. In such a case it will
[•robably not be necessary to test each individual ear that is planted, but
rather to test say ten kernels from fifty representative ears. Some test,
liowever, should always be made before planting, to be sure that the
corn is of strong vitality.

ii6

MISSOURI AGRICULTrRAL REPORT.

Ears showiug variation in the shape and size ot liernel

Methods of Preserving Strong Vitality. — The best method of pre-
serving corn is to spread it out in shallow layers or in small piles in some
well ventilated room until dry, then ti'ansfer it before freezing weather
to a dry room where a moderate temperature is maintained throughout
the winter. If such a room is not available, build a series of rough board
shelves or open racks in any well-ventilated room where the corn will
dry out rapidly and remain dry. Another method is to hang the corn
on binder twine or wire in a dry room. (A good seed corn rack is made
of 2 by 4 uprights upon which are nailed i by 2 inch strips to hold the
corn.)

Corn should never be piled in large piles or placed in tight barrels
or boxes until perfectly dry, neither should it be placed when moist in
a warm room, as in either case the vitality is liable to be injured by a
tendency to heat or sprout. Again, corn which is thoroughly dry. if

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. II7

subjected to a moist atmosphere, may absorb water in sufficient amounts
to be injured by a hard freeze. It is never desirable, therefore, to store
corn over a stable because of the moist air arising from the stalls. Any
method by which the corn is dried quickly and kept dry will maintain
its vitality.

CHARACTER OF GOOD SEED EARS.

There are certain characteristics in ears of corn which indicate high
yields per acre and which the corn grower should observe in selection.
Some of these are based on the observations of both practical and scien-
tific men, others are more or less theoretical. We must maintain certain
ideals if we are to improve our corn as we have improved our live stock.
It will be understood that the purpose for which corn is grown will in-
fluence largely the ears to be selected but the characters mentioned here
are those which deal simply with yield of shelled corn per acre.

Shape of Ear. — The best shape for an ear of corn is as nearly cylin-
drical as possible. This is desirable for two important reasons. In the
first place, a tapering ear usually means a less amount of shelled corn to
the cob, than if the ear is cylindrical ; it means either shallow grains near
the tip or the dropping out of rows, neither of which is desirable. The
second reason for selecting cylindrical ears is that such an ear bears
kernels of nearer uniform shape and size than the tapering ear, thus
giving a more even distribution of the seed by the planter. It will be
understood that ears perfectly cylindrical can rarely be found but those
that are nearly cylindrical are the ones to select.

Proportions of the Ear. — The proper proportion of length to cir-
cumference in an ear of corn is about 4 to 3, or the circumference should
be ^ the length ; that is, an ear 10 inches long should be 7^ inches
around at a point one-third the distance from butt to tip. It is rarely de-
sirable therefore to select the longest ears that can be found, neither is
it wise to select the shortest ones, when shelled corn per acre is wanted.
It is a common opinion among farmers that the very long ears are best,
but the experience of corn breeders has not shown this to be true when
a series of seasons is considered. Where the corn is to be fed on the
stalk it may sometimes be advisable to select the shorter ears when two
occur on a stalk, but this would not apply to the case where a high yield
of marketable corn per acre is the object.

Space Between Kernels. — It is rarely desirable to select corn with
wide spaces between the rows either at the tips of the kernels, or at the
base next the cob. The space between the various kernels in the indi-
vidual row should be small, so that the ear will be solid and compact.
The flint varieties of the northern part of the United States show the

ii8

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

wide-furrowed character, but for Missouri we should select the more
compact ears, ears in which there is just as little lost space as possible.
Reference to the photograph will show what is meant by wide and narrow
furrows between rows. The ear on the right shows very wide furrows,
the one in the middle a medium width and the one to the left very nar-
row space between the rows.

Butts and Tips. — The butts and tips should be well filled out with
deep regular kernels. This is important because it gives more corn to
the ear. The characters of the butt are more important in determining
the ears to select than those of the tip since they are capable of being
transmitted with greater certainty. The tip oi the ear is afifected quite
largely by season and soil conditions or it may be injured during pol-
lination, thus preventing a proper filling out.

Eirs sliowin'^ ii variation In space between rows.

The kernels at the butt should be uniformly and compactly arranged
about a clean cup shaped depression, the diameter of the scar whore the
sliank was attached being: about three-fourths of an inch in diameter for

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

119

medium sized varieties. If the butt is too small aud contracted, many
of the ears will blow off or they ^vill be knocked off in harvesting with
a corn binder. Too large a butt makes the shucking difficult and is an
indication of poor breeding and careless selection. Well bred corn is
usually shown by the character of the butts of the ears. In Fig. 4 the
middle ear shows the best butt. The one on the right is large and coarse,
the one on the left too small.

Figure 4.

The tip on tlie left in the top row is ideal^ the one in the mickUe is good and the one on
the right is poor. The butt on the left is too small, the one in the middle very good, the one
on the right poor. The cobs on the left are small, those in the middle are good, those on the
right are too large.

The tips should be as nearly covered with deep, well-formed kernels
as it is possible to get them and still maintain an ear of proper length.
A well covered tip is a character usually observed on the shorter cars;
consequently if one selects primarily for covered tips there is danger of
shortening the ears beyond g, profitable limit. It is better to have a good

120 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

sized ear with a tip not completely covered, than a shorter ear with a
covered tip. Of course if a well covered tip can be secured on an ear of
the proper length that is ideal, but there are so few long ears which
show this characteristic that it is usually impossible to secure enough of
these for seed. It is therefore better to select for deep, regular kernels
well out to the end of the ear than for kernels over the end of the ear.
For show corn, however, the more nearly covered the tip, providing the
length is maintained, the higher the score. In Fig. 4 the tip on the left
is ideal, the one in the middle is good, the one on the right rather poor.

Size of Cob. — The prevailing opinion among farmers is that the
smaller the cob the better. In general this may be said to be true, al-
though there is a limit be,yond which it is not profitable to go in the
matter of reducing the size of the cob. It has been well said that the
cob bears much the same relation to the ear of corn as does the bone to
the beef animal. The animal must not be coarse boned, neither must it
be fine boned, a medium bone of clean quality being much preferred to
either. Likewise in corn we should select for a medium sized cob rather
than for a large or very small one. Large cobs usually mean shallow
grains and a coarse appearance. They do not show high quality. A
very small cob tends to narrow pointed chaffy grains which are very
often loose on the cob and uniformly lacking in vitality. What is wanted
is a goodly number of straight, well compacted rows and sufficient cob
must be maintained to bear them. In Fig. 4 the middle ears show the
best sizes of cobs, the ones on the left being too small, those on the
rig-ht too large.

Shape of Kernels. — The proper shape of a kernel is one a little over
one and one-half times as long as wide, of a straight, wedge shape, but
not pointed. It should be of good thickness and while not wide at the
end next the cob, it should still be well shouldered out, giving room for
a strong, plump gernu In the accompanying photograph the two rows
of kernels at the top are poorly shaped, those in the top row being too
shallow and those in the second row too long and slim. The shallow ones
will g'ive a low per cent of corn to the cob while the long slim ones in-
dicate weakness and low vitality. The two rows near the middle show
<^he best shapes. They differ somewhat in appearance but represent very
well the characters to be observed in selection. The kernels in the lower
row show a difference in size of germ. Large germs are desirable in
seed corn for two reasons ; first, because such kernels usually have
strong- vitality and second, because they have a higher feeding value.
A large proportion of the oil in the kernel is found in the germ so that
the larger the germ the higher the per cent of oil. By noticing a num-

CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION,

121

The two upper rows show poor shapes of kernels, the two rows near the middle are good
shapes, and those in the lower row different sizes of germs.

ber of ears it will be found that while there is often quite a difference
in the size of the germs in the kernels of the same ear, }'et as a rule they
tend to uniformity in size, some ears having large germs, some medium
and some small. It is well, therefore, to select ears which show large
strong germs, especially when the corn is being selected for a breeding
plot.

EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING

Improved Live Stock Breeders' Association

(Convened in Agricultural College, Columbia, January 12 and 13, 1905.
Held under the auspices of the State Board of Agriculture.)
Abstract of Addresses Delivere'"'

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS.

(Benton Gabbert, De.iib)rn, Mo.)

We have in our program some subjects that will be a delicious treat
■coming from practical men engaged in the calling they propose to dis-
■cuss. The life of a meeting of this kind is in the exchange of ideas; 'in
the discussions of the papers presented ; and in the discussion of the
methods and manner of doing things. It is the doers and not the
theorizers that have the public ear and the public confidence in these
strenuous times. The doers— the men that make a success, are the ones
we want to hear from, and the man in this company who remains silent
when he knows or wants to know something is injuring himself and
others.

At (Air last annual meeting the papers read were hopeful. I thought
we had reached bedrock in low prices for pedigreed stock, but I find
that the four beef breeds have this year lowered the record fully one-
third from last year, and more than two-thirds from 1902. This is a
statement from the Breeders' Gazette of cattle sales.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF OVTTLE SOLD AT EACH SALE.

of

Breed.

1904

1903

1902

Name

Number of cattle

sold at each

sale.

Number of cattle

sold at each

sale

Number of cattle

sold at each

sale.

Shorthorn

42
51
44

50
67
74

57

Hereford

83

AnRus

62

LIVE STOCK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION.

123

COMPARATIVE AVERAGES BY YEARS.

Name of Breed.

1904

No. of
sales

No.
sold.

Av'e
price.

1903

1903

No. of

sales

No.
sold.

Av'e
price.

No. of

sales.

No.
sold.

• Av'e
price.

Shorthorn

Hereford

Aberdeen- Angus

Galloway

Polled Durham..
Red Poll

65

2753

SIOl 25

89

4474

$174 15

120

6152

28

1481

117 10

30

2029

172 50

31

2597

21

962

133 80

14

1041

220 15

17

1065

3

133

143 55

3

161

116 10

3

206

7

286

100 00

8

282

155 55

5

159

1

48

70 00

1

22

145 00

2

149

$260 40
265 70
259 i-0
185 15
221 !i5
248 03

From this statement we see if they fall in the same proportion for
two more years thoroughbred cattle will be below cost of production for
breeding purposes. John Stuart Mills, the great political economist, lays
down a rule, that holds good in most cases — that supply and demand
regulate prices — that when an article falls in price below the cost of pro-
duction, production will fall away until profitable prices are reached.
The sales above would prove that the sales of registered cattle have di-
minished in numbers to correspond to fall in prices. This falling in num-
bers would indicate one of two things : either the cattle have remained
in the herds, or have found some outlet to other markets. I think
the latter is the case. I believe that the prudent breeder is pruning
down his herd by sending to the shambles the undesirable breeding
stuff; retaining the cream for future use. So the darkest cloud has its
silver lining. If we cannot improve at low prices the scrub herds of the
farmer and ranchman we can improve our thoroughbred herds by judi-
cious culling. No thermometer has yet been found that will apply to
registered cattle. If the public were thoroughly awakened to the fact
that a thoroughbred sire would add twenty per cent to the value of
their scrub herd the demand for blooded sires would increase, when
cattle at the stock yards fell in price. But the thoroughbred seems to be
at the long end of the pendulum, when beef cattle rise the thoroughbred
rises too high, when beef cattle fall the thoroughbred falls too low.
But one potent fact is eliminated from the fall and rise in cattle ; that the
butcher's block is the seal test. The sales of high grade steers at the
markets is more eloquent for good blood than all the breeder shows, and
the strongest advertisement for thoroughbred herds for the year 1904.
and to the intelligent feeder will bear fruit for- a future harvest, and
create a market for pure bred sires among the men who raise the
stackers.

The packers are the basic cause of the rise and fall in prices for our

124 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL RLPORT.

registered cattle. Consumption has but little to do with the price, for
the price paid for cattle on foot has no relative ratio to the price the re-
tailer sells to the customer, or the price the Retailer pays to the packer.
The long headed packer, years ago, studied out the problem that the
private butcher wras a menace to his business and by a systematic freez-
ing out process eliminated the butcher. But one fact now remains to
keep the packer from having absolute control of the markets, both in
buying and selling, and that one factor is organized labor. Whether
the unions are a blessing or a curse to the cattle raiser and feeder is an
unsolved problem. Cattle last year just before the strike were slowly
advancing and all who were interested in raising or feeding cattle were
hopeful that the cattle business was coming back to a paying basis.
The strike was peculiar. The skilled workmen were satisfied with their
wages, but in a spirit of brotherly kindness, at the expense of the [ ackers,
they demanded higher wages for the unskilled laborer. The packers
naturally refused. Then the tie-up in business. The packers could
take but a limited supply, could not fill their orders, consumption fell
off, people found that they could live without meat and feel good on a
cheaper ration, but this state of affairs hurt the cattle raisers and cattle
feeders in the pocket book, the most sensitive and vital part of business.
The unions lost out, for public sentiment was against their generosity for
their fellow laborers, in calling out their men to help force the packer to
pay, not them;, but their unskilled brothers higher wages, and the union of
skilled labor getting the honor for the generous deed, put me in mind of
a story related by Rabelas. A cook was roasting a goose in a Httle
alcove on the street A laborer passing along at the noon hour and
seeing the warm grate and smelling the rich flavor of the goose, took out
a large loaf of bread, his only dinner, and would break off a piece and
hold it over the goose. The fragrant vapor both warmed and flavored
his dry bread and he enjoyed the comforts. When he had finished his
meal the cook demanded pay, but the laborer refused. Why, he said, the
vapor was floating away and was of no account to you. But said the
cook, did it not help your bread? Yes, replied the laborer, but I have
not wronged you. While they were disputing a crowd gathered.
Finally the cook said that they would leave the case to be settled by the
town fool — both agreed. We have such a one in every town. We call
him the town wit or wag. You have all met him. One who sees the
comic side even in tragedy, and turns the most sorrowful woe into a
smile of joy; one who sees the truth in a cloud of bog and can scien-
tifically turn on the X-ray. Well, says the wit to the laborer, you
got the vapor from the goose, it flavored and warmed and moistened
your dry bread and made it eat good. Yes, responded the laborer.

LIVE STOCK BREEDERS* ASSOCIATION. I25

Have you a coin about you, asked the wit. Yes, said the laborer and
handed him a new coin. The wit went up to the metal counter and
rang the coin. "Is that good money?" he asked the cook. "Yes," re-
sponded the cook. "Well, you are paid," said the wit. The laborer has
had the vapor of your goose and you have had the ring of his coin.

In the case of the strike the packers had the vaporings of the union
and tlie strikers failed to get even the ring of the coin, and the cattle
raisers and feeders suffered more or less than either. We undoubtedly
held the bag.

Before leaving this subject of the packing industry, I would ask my
hearers if they have not read two articles published in Wallace's Farmer
of December 22 issue, to get the paper and read them. One is by ex-
Governor Larabee on the railroads and the other by A. L. Ames, presi-
dent of the Meat Producers' Association, both of Iowa. The former
emphasizes the fact that competition can no longer be depended on to
regulate freight rates. That the government must have the power to
regulate the freight rates, or the government must own the roads. He
says no other, even half civilized country, would tolerate such high-
handed robbery, as less than half a score of irresponsible persons dictate
and control the traffic and tax every business for their profit. We know
that the greatest bar to distributing our thoroughbred cattle is the ex-
cessive freight rates imposed. At the World's Fair the good lot of cattle
sold by the different breeders was discounted in price fully one-fourth
by the buyers having to pay such excessive terminal charges to get the
cattle from the fair grounds to the roads over which they were to be
shipped home.

Mr. A. L. Ames speaks of the longer time it now takes to get beef
cattle shipped to market and the rebates that Swift and Armour get in
their shipments, proving that the two, the transportation and packing
companies are in collusion to collect tribute from the shippers. The
shrinkage in these dilatory hauls takes money out of the shipper's pocket
and puts it in the packer's safe. This all proves that the breeder has
other work to look after besides raising good stock.

We now ask the question pertinently, is there any sentiment in
business traffic, commerce or trade, or any other name you may call the
distribution of products? I assert that the golden rule or the decalogue
has little place in modern business methods. I know I may be censured
as strongly as was Senator Ingalls of Kansas, in his travesty on modern
politics, yet the history of the industrial world bears me out in my as-
sertion. It seems to be every fellow, or combination of fellows for
themselves, and the devil take the hindmost. It is war to the knife
and from the knife to the hilt. Why are the agriculturists com-

126 Missouri AORictiLtuRAL REPokf.

ing to the front? Why are the hayseeds of the past becoming the
gentlemen farmers of the ])resent? Because his products feed and clothe
the world. Because his products form the basis of manufactured goods.
Because the balance of trade is alone kept on the right side of the
ledger by the exportation of his products. The transportation com-
panies would have to quit business, the railroad stocks would go begging
and Wall street would be in sack cloth and ashes, and yet they pinch us
and rob us and despoil us. The old adage is indeed a truism, "if the
farmer prospers all the world prospers.'' We want the world to pros-
per, but fair play is no robbery. All we ask is fair play. We do not
want to be held up for all the traffic will bear. We ask that the inter-
state commerce commission be given power to regulate rates ; that they
may act as umpire between the colossal corporation and the smallest
shipper. If we ask for bread they will give us a stone, but if we de-
mand it as our right, and insist on our rights, the gentleman farmer will
get theim. From 1888 to 1898 the commissioners exercised the right as
they understood the law to enforce their decisions, but some shrewd cor-
poration lawyer brought a test case before the Supreme Court and our
highest tribunal decided against the commissioners and the people and
for the railroads. Since then the connnissioncrs have been powerless,
only to suggest, and it leaves the people at the mercy of the railroads,
and although, as ex-Governor Larabee says, the people have paid tril)ute
to the railroads above a legitimate price, to make the jjcople the virtual
owners of the roads, and we believe this statement is true, for tlie rail-
roads have ever and always issued bonds to build the roads, at a rate
of interest that insured the selling of die bonds for cash, with which
they built the roads and bought rolling stock. The excessive tribute
wrested from the people has paid the bonds, and the roads have_ re-
capitalized their stock, or in comiuion parlance, watered their stock four-
fold beyond its actual cost, and the end is not yet. But some niay not
think this a legitimate subject for the President of the Missouri Fine
Stock Breeders' Association, but the whys and wherefores of the unpre-
cedented fall in pedigreed cattle leads us to seek the cause, and to demand
a remedy. We have been hewers of wood and drawers of water in the
years agonQ. Now we demand ecjual rights for all, especial privileges
to none.

The corn growers have been entertiiining and instructing us. A
clipping from an article by Prof. B. T. Galloway, chief of the bureau
of plant industry in the Youth's Companion. The article was on In-
tensive Farming, and speaking of openings fi^r young men claims the
raising of seed corn the most promising. To quote him, there are an-
nually raised abotit two and a half billion bushels of corn in this country,

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION.. 12/

grown on ninety-five millions acres of land. To plant this crop requires
about fifteen million bushels of seed. The average yield is about twenty-
five bushels per acre, but in many places the yield will run fifty lo
seventy-five and even one hundred bushels per acre. Now there is not
the least doubt that the corn crop could be increased twenty-five per
cent by the use of high-grade pedigreed seed. The growing of this seed
as a specialty is one opening for the right kind of young men. Tlie
time will come when farmers will find it to their interest to pay two
dollars or more a bushel for high-grade seed rather than attempt to grow
it themselves. The breeding of this seed is, a science intO' which every
young man shouhl look, and if he finds out what there is to do and does
it right he will have no trouble in disposing of his product. We ought
to have two million bushels of this kind of seed available to-day. As a
matter of fact, we do not have any to speak of, although the work has
already bedn taken up by a few energetic people. Do you corn men
believe that you can increase the yield 25 per cent over the mongrel
seed we cattle men and farmers are using? If you believe it, can you
demonstrate it with facts? Then if you can we are very foolish to use
the corn crib mongrel seed. But how slow we are to take hold. Just
as slow as you corn seed growers are to take hold of our cattle. We
know that a thoroughbred sire will add to the value of a scrub herd fully
25 per cent.

In the same connection Prof. Galloway says: "If we need this
sort of work for corn we need it much more for cotton ; the great staple
crop of the South, which annually brings to the country five hundred
millions of dollars. The twenty-five million acres devoted to cotton re-
quires twenty-five million bushels of seed. The breeding of cotton seed
for special purposes, for special localities and for special needs has
hardly begun." But if the cottoni seed man could increase the yield of
cotton, would he be a public benefactor? This year the yield is in ex-
cess of the demand, and the burning baled cotton at Fort Gaines, Geor-
gia, to place cotton on a paying basis proves that the man that makes
two bales grow where one grew before is only adding fuel to the flame..
The same means to enhance the price of thoroughbred sires has been
advocated by many stock breeders, by sending all but the best to the
butcher's block, but this always seemed to me like killing the goose that
laid the golden egg. The farmer and the ranchman are the ones to
wdiom we are to look for a market. We can afford a sacrifice in selling
to them, for once buying a thoroughbred they become permanent cus-
tomers and want better ones as they become educated. High-priced
lands and high-priced feeds call for a better class of stock. Brother
breeders, prices are low, but let us stand bv our colors and raise the best

128 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Stock we can, and if our bank account is not so plethoric we can, with
g'ood grace, lay claim to patriotism and say what is our loss is our
country's gain.

T had a letter from one of the best breeders in England and he sent
mi,, along with that letter, a paper. He had a bull called Lord Roberts
that he thought could win anything at the World's Fair. I wrote back
and told him he ought to bring his bull over. This paper was one of
the leading live stock journals in England and I looked it over. What
was called quite a sale, a big run, was, all told, six thousand cattle of
all kinds. This was an unprecedented sale. I wrote back to him : "Old
man, cross the water if you have to come in a tub, and go to our cattle
markets and it will be an eye-opener to you." This man was Wm.
Tudy, one of the best cattle breeders in England. What a surprise it
would have been for him to go to the Chicago market, for instance, and
see thirty-two thousand head of cattle and hogs come in ! They don't
know that we have such a country and we hardly know it ourselves.
We have made money easily because we had a fertile soil and while we
are hampered by the railroads, it is because our eyes are not opened.
If we were pushed to the bed rock and each man had only three or four
bullocks and had to account for every penny that he made, we would
wake up and attend to things. Undoubtedly we would see that the cat-
tle markets were not controlled by the railroad men.

But the farmers are coming to the front because they are becoming
educated. Our papers are being brought to our doors and the telephone
and other things are waking up the farmers.

But these agricultural colleges are the colleges. I have as much
veneration for the classic pile that stands before us as anyone. An edu-
cation can hurt no one. It is a scafTolding on which one can climb
higher. When you read a thing, you not only read it, but digest and
assimilate it and understand it. But with an academic education, unless
the boy has a marked talent for the calling for which he has educated
himself, he will be a cripple all his life. He has nothing practical to
which he can hold on. Failing in a profession, lie can do nothing but
teach school.

When our farmers have been educated in the agricultural colleges
we will leave the old methods and follow new ideas. We will not only
be the granary, but we will feed the world, and we will be the masters
of the world. Other nations may build up their great navies, but if we
farmers will build up our granaries, we can say to them, "we will shut
off your feed if you fool with us," and we will be the masters of the
situation, for the pocket-book rules the world.

We cannot with the widest scope of the imagination read the magni-

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LIVE STOCK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION. . I29

tude of our future. We do not even know the magnitude of the present.
There is hardly a farmer in this land but sends something to market. The
good wife sends eggs and chickens. These httle streams start from
every farm and form Httle creeks and these Httle creeks form rivers
which flow into the great channels and these form the great ocean of ihc
markets. The commodities have come from all over the .country. VVf
fre the greatest people in the world and we have her commerce. Our
future is great if we awaken to our responsibilities.

'•MORE LEAN MEAT AND LARGER LITTERS" DEMANDED

IN THE POLAND CHINAS.

(W. B. Cully, Bunceton, Mo.)

The demand is one that we know exists, but the solution of the
problem under present conditions is difficult. The present type of
Poland Chinas is one that cannot be eliminated from the profitable pro-
duction of pork where corn is the basis of all economic feeding opera-
tions.

The demand for more lean meat is an acknowledgement the Poland
China will get fat. This is one of the foundation stones upon which the
breed has been established. For his easy feeding qualities his popu-
larity has, for over fifty years, held sway wherever corn is king. Some
have ventured to suggest the bacon hog as the solution, but that sugges-
tion has died in its utterance. In the first place the pork producers of
the corn belt are not struck with his shape ; secondly, time is too precious
to produce him, and, lastly, the market demand would be limited, because
it demands both meat and lard, two articles equally valuable.

The most perfect specimens of the breed today are veritable paral-
lelograms of flesh. The waste is minimum when placed upon the block.
The awards for grand champion barrow at our recent World's Fair
were made by Mr. Ferguson, buyer for and representative of Swift &
Company of Chicago, a man thoroughly familiar with the type and kind
of hog in favor for the block. The Poland China barrow. Cricket, won
the grand championship over all breeds. The trend of the market de-
mand in the last few years has caused the evolution of the Poland China
to the present type. A type that because of its time-saving tendency in
pork production has added thousands of dollars annually to our agri-
cultural wealth. To retain this profitable carcass, and still acquire more
lean meat, is a problem that will admit of much experimental research.

A-9

130 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Lean meat is the muscular flesh of the carcass, the growth of which is
greatly encouraged by abundant exercise and food stuff rich in protein
and mineral matters, foods that are within the reach of all pork pro-
ducers, but of which so few avail themselves in sutficient quantities
to balance starchy corn in their feeding rations. Until our markets offer
gicater inducements for more lean meat, we are certain our pork pro-
ducers cannot profit by its production. But when they do, use of more
feeds rich in protein will bring about the desired results, and as delicious
meat will be produced from the Poland China in the corn belt as is pro-
duced with any breed in the agricultural world. As to the race suicide
of the Poland China to a great extent the breed has been unjustly ac-
cused by both rival breeds and by those wdio have overlooked the fact
that the Poland China sow is a great flesh carrier, and have failed to
guard against the over-production of flesh during pregnancy. An exclu-
sive corn diet during the winter months, especially, can result in nothing
1'Ut failure to produce large, healthy litters. With the successful pork-
laiser the diet of the brood sow is even more important before, than after
farrowing. No matter what the ])ree(l, prolificness can only be main-
lalned by intelligent mating and handling. It is also an hereditary char-
acteristic and can be iminessed on the breed through both sires and
dams having a lung lineage of prolific ancestors. Some breeds may
boast of a larger litter production, but for the production of the greatest
number of the most perfect specimens of the breed we can crown the
Poland China sow queen of the i)orking species; for the greatest profit
lies not in tlie greatest number of the species, but in the greatest number
of the most perfect specimens of the breed.

To those who have mastered this, the most important brancii of
bog raising, the prolificness of the Poland China has not been the ([ues-
tion. Given the same conditions under which other breeds have proven
I'Vofilable, we Ix'lieve tlie Poland ( Itina with his t-arly maturity. |)repo-
tency and unirorm (.■xcellenct' will prove even more i)rofitable.

151 IN' INC pi'ni(;Ri<.i':D s\vini«: on mail (tkdlr.

(L. E. Frost. Moberly, Mo.)

1 have no idea of even beginning to cover this to]MC. as it is one that
i? almost inexhaustible, but 1 trust some thoughts may be brought out
that will start a discussion which will i\>nll in good to us all.

In bnxing pt'digri'eil swint' on mail order, we instinctively form a
j-ictnre in mu- minds of ihc' intruded purchase, and frequently are some-

LIVE STOCK RREEDF.RS' ASSOCIATION. I3I

what disappointed when the animal is received. If we order a pig of any
particular blood lines we, of course, have a good idea of the type, and
form a picture in our minds from the description given by the seller.
The pig may be, and generally is, all that the breeder has stated in his
description, but having formed an erroneous idea of his appearance we
are, of course doomed to some disappointment. Besides, dififerent peo-
ple are prone to see different things in a different light, and when the
breeder was describing the pig he did not overstate the good qualities,
but the animal perhaps appeared to him in a different hght than to the
purchaser. For instance, take the Berkshires shown at the World's
Fair. Many competent judges did not agree with the judge who placed
the awards, and yet the awarding judge, I believe, was thoroughly con-
scientious and competent, and placed the ribbons according to his judg-
ment. If one had ordered the best pig of a certain class to be shipped
liim from those shown at St. Louis, he would have received the pig that
nearest filled the ideal of the judge who was making the selection. It
it had Ix'en Mr. A. he would have received a certain pig. If it had been
Mr. P). he might have received an entirely diifercnt one, so that as long
as men's ideals and judgment differ, there will be cause for argument.-
One great trouble with many buyers of pedigreed live stock on mad
order is their hesitancy to pay the price. A buyer writes to Mr. Breeder
and asks him to describe and price, we will say three or four different
male pigs. -He sends a description of one at $25.00, one at $40.00, one
at $50.00 and one at $100.00. The $25.00 pig is doubtless a good pig,
but there is something about the $40.00 one that makes him worth more,
although the general description of the two are about the same. This
is true of the $50.00 and the $100.00 ones, and the buyer concludes that
as they are all about equally well bred, and are all owned by the same
breeder, that he will buy the one for $25.00. If he could have seen them
ail when he was making the purchase, he might have taken the $40.00
one, or the $50.00 one or the $100.00 one, and perhaps is not satisfied
on receipt of his animal. I believe that the better plan would have been
to have stated exactly what he wanted, and asked the breeder at what
price he would sell such an animal. If the breeder stated $40.00 and he
thought he could buy one equally as good from some other breeder for
$25.00 he would have the privilege of buying from the latter breeder,
but the chances are that the $25.00 pig would have been worth $25.00 and
the $40.00 pig $40.00. I have found it necessary to pay the price if you
expect to get the quality. Too many people expect something extra
fine for little money, and cannot understand why one breeder will ask
$40.00 to $100.00 for one small pig when he can buy the best that his

132 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

neighbor has for $15.00 to $20.00. Buying pedigreed Hve stock is Hke
every other mercantile business, you must have confidence in the party
you deal with, and must IrequenLl)- allow the seller to influence you in
making selection. To illustrate this point, I have for many years pur-
chased tooth brushes from a party in St. Louis, and although I pride my-
self on some knowledge of what constitutes a good tooth brush, yet I am
always glad to ask this party his opinion, and whenever I take his judg-
ment I invariably get full value. I certainly use my own judgment as
every purchaser should, but we must be willing to take the other fellow's
judgment to at least some extent, and if we have not enough confidence
in the party we are buying from to do that, we should buy our stuff
from some one in whom we do have confidence. This is especially true
with beginners, but I presume if I was as old and competent a breeder
as our Mr. Gentry, Mr. Harris and many others that I could mention,
that when I wanted to buy an animal out of some other herd, I would
use my own judgment entirely, but if this is true with those breeders, it
is the exception rather than the rule.

Of course, there is the other side to the question, and that is the
breeder or seller should be very careful in his description. I believe our
best breeders are, and if the general public become educated to the point
v/here they are willing to pay the price for quality, there will be less
dissatisfaction in buying pedigreed live stock on mail orders. I have
found that the successful breeders are good business men and good
business men do not misrepresent their goods. There is, however, a
class of breeders who are perfectly honest, but whose judgment is bad.
An intended purchaser may write the breeder of this class asking him
for price and description of a certain kind of animal, and the breeder in
sending description may unknowingly overdraw it. He does this from
ignorance, and not from any intention to cheat. However, the damage
done the buyer is just as much as though he had intended to defraud,
and if he is really honest, he will make the purchase good in some equit-
able way.

There is also a possibility of the purchaser not knowing whether
or not the animal he receives is what it should be. The seller may not
have overdrawn description, but he sees the animal in the light of ex-
perience and knowledge, whereas the buyer does not really know a good
animal when he sees it. I remember an incident of this kind that came
under my notice some years ago. A friend ordered a male pig from a
reliable breeder. The pig came and the buyer was greatly disappointed.
He had in mind a show animal fitted for the fairs, whereas the pig re-
ceived was in good breeding condition only, and of course, not having

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 133

on his dress parade clothes, he did not look as handsome as the same
animal would have looked had he been highly fitted. The buyer did
not know that the animal sent him was really first class, but having
seen some male pigs at the fairs that fall bred and fitted by this breeder
he expected to receive a pig in just that condition. He wrote the breeder
a very scorching letter, but the breeder was wise enough to ask him
to reserve his judgment until after he had used the animal, and if he
was not satisfactory then, to return him and he would refund the price
paid. The purchaser was greatly pleased with his purchase after he
had kept him long enough to know his true value, and afterwards thanked
tJie breeder for sending him this pig. Breeders cannot send out all their
animals fitted for state fairs, but they should send them out in good
thrifty condition. Sometimes breeders depend upon pedigrees alone, but
the buyer is entitled not only to the pedigree that he gets with his animal,
but is entitled to an animal well and carefully developed, and in good
fiesh and perfect health.

I have purchased considerable stock on mail order, and do not think
that I ever was deliberately cheated, although I have often been disap-
pointed at the time the animal was received. However, I believe I have
always gotten full value where the animal purchased had been properly
cared for, and good judgment used in feeding, etc., and was handled
properly after reaching me.

I deduct the following conclusions from my own experience in buy-
ing and selling pedigreed swine on mail order :

1st, You must pay the price if you expect to get the quality. Don't
expect a $40.00 pig for $15.00. It pays to buy the best, and to get the
best, you must pay a fair price.

2nd. Buy only from those breeders in whom you have confidence,
and do not hesitate to take their judgment to some extent.

3rd. Do not be disappointed if on receipt of the animal it is not ex-
actly what you had pictured, provided there are no material defects, and
the seller has not overdrawn his description.

4th. Breeders should be careful in their description, should send
out only really first-class animals, properly fitted, but not overfed.

5th. Buyers should state plainly what they want, and not expect a
breeder to describe every animal in his herd.

6th. Buyer and seller should not be unduly influenced by "fads" in
blood lines, or in certain marked development of the animal. All the
good hogs do not belong to any one family, and all good hogs do not
have a perfect ear or head, etc., though these points are very important
and not to be overlooked.

134 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

7tli. "Make good" all statements and contracts, no matter what it
costs.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. P>oles — Mr. Chairman, in order to open the discussion I will
just name two or three points that I think it is very necessary for

breeders to notice. The first thing when buying stock on mail order is
to know the breeder. You should know the man from w^hom you buy
your stock. I would say, never buy anything from a man who is not
reliable, and upon whose judgment and honesty you cannot depend.
There are men who may be honest in their judgment and they may de-
scribe to us the best they have as being their best, but at the same time
their best may not be at all what we would like to have.

The next question is to "know what you want and to know what
you are willing to pay. You can size up your pocket book better than
the breeder can and if the breeder is reliable and you want to pay for a
hog you can tell him as nearly what you want by telling him what you
want to pay as any other way and then he will send you the best pig he
can for the money, as a rule.

In my opinion you want to describe that animal in as few words as
possible to express your idea. The more you say about it, the more
trouble you make, and the more misunderstandings will there be about it.
Just describe in a few words. Tf you want a first class animal, say so.
if you want a good one. say that, if you want a finished one. say that. If
you want something that will win in any kind of company, say that is
what you want and the breeder will know just what you want and if he
has it can fill out your order and if he has not, you need not trade with
him or can send him to buy stock for you. These three are as good rules
to go by as any that I know.

Mr. Kllis — T would like to ask the breeders present a question to
bring out their opinions on a phase of this subject — that is, if they believe
it good policy to sell aninials to their neighbors for less money than
when they sell on mail orders? T know that is the practice with a great
many breeders and a great many of them have an idea that they cannot
get as much money from a man in the neighborhood as they can on a
mail order.

Mr. Frost — If I was pricing a pig to my neighbor I would price
him at the same price that I would to you or a man who lived outside
the State of Missouri. We do not sell many pigs to our neighbors. Tf
our neighbors want a pig they generally go to some other county to
buy. I believe we probably have the confidence of our neighbors as
nmch as most people do. The ^^'ord tells us that "a prophet is not with-

LIVE STOCK BKEKDKKS ASSOCIATION. I35

out honor save in his own country," and it is a good deal better, most
people think, to buy something away from home than to buy that article
at home. I would make no discrimination in price between a neigh-
bor and a man living elsewhere. If a pig is worth $25 to a man in Ten-
nessee, we would be doing wrong to sell him for less to a man in Ran-
dolph county. If he is worth $15 to a man at home, he is worth that
much to the man away from home.

Mr. Hall — Mr. Ellis' question brings out something that we know
is true. For instance, a few years ago I had a neighbor who wanted to
buy a Young Mary calf and he came and looked him over. The calf
was a very fine yearling and my neighbor wanted to know if $50 would
buy him. I said no. In a few days I got a letter from a gentleman down
in Southeast Missouri. That letter contained a hundred dollar money
order. The instructions in the letter were: "Send me the best calf you
can for the money." I sent him this calf that my neighbor had tried
tc buy for $50, and of all the good things that have ever been said about
me, that man who bought that calf said the best. He said: "I would
rather have that calf than any I could have picked out myself." It is .1
fact that our neighbors do not think that we can find a market for our
bulls or pigs somewhere else, hence they try to beat us down on the
price and if we had the nerve to do it, we ought to let those that we
cannot sell at a reasonable figure go to the market or to the butcher.
If the stufif is worth the money we ought to demand it and not sell it
till we can get it.

Another point 1 want to notice. If we are beginners we had better
depend on the man who sells to us that on ourselves ; or better, have
some good friend who has had experience in our community, do our
buying for us. If we must buy on mail order, why, we simply must ; but
we had better not do it. We had better go and see the stufif we buy. A
few years ago I wanted a hog and wrote to a man in Ohio. I told him
to send me a good hog. When he came I was disappointed, but I kept
him three or four years and I believe he was the best hog in the neigh-
borhood; yet when he came I did not like him. So we cannot always
judge what a pig is going to be by what he looks like. But as a rule
we had not better buy on mail order.

Mr. Boles — There is another point on selling cheaper to a neighbor
than anyone else. Sometimes it is a relief to have a home buyer buy
something that we would not send away. I do not price anything under
a certain standard in the sheep line to send away and those under the
standard I sell to my neighbors — that is if they come and see them. If
you come and see my stock and you want to buy it at my price, that is

136 MISSOURI AGRICUF.TURAT, RKPORT.

all right, but if you depend on me, I will not send you any scrubs. I do
not price a ram under a certain standard when it is left to me, but when
a fellow comes and sees it, if he wants to buy it at my price, he can buy
it at home or abroad,

Mr. Kurtz — This subject of selling at home or abroad is a very
interesting subject to me, and to be frank and honest in the matter, I
feel that my neighbors have a right to expect some little concessions in
my case. I feel that when I am making concessions to my neighbors
whom I know and who desire to engage in elevating the quality of their
cattle or hogs but who are limited in means and have had no experience
in this line of elevating the standard of their animals by breeding to
pure bred males, I am not only helping them but I am helping myself.
I am not only helping- myself, I am not only helping the neighborhood
and helping the cause of elevation to a higher standard of animals, but I
feel that I am elevating and helping the standard and the commercial
influence in the way of selling pure bred animals by encouraging that
class of people to buy those animals to start with.

Mr. Mumford — The majority of this audience are young men who
perhaps have had no experience yet in the live stock business and there
are two or three of the speakers who have touched upon a subject that
is of fundamental importance in the buying- of pure bred live stock. I
suppose our live stock record associations are as well managed as it is
possible for such associations to be managed, and it is probably true that
the animals reg-istered in our live stock record books ought to be regis-
tered in the great majority of cases, but I need not say to the experienced
breeders here, but there is a g-reat opportunity for the registration of
animals that are not entitled to reg-istration and that no young man or
old man either can afford to buy from any breeder of pure bred live
stock who is not thoroughly reliable, for two or three reasons. If a
man is thoroughbred, his. stock is certainly thoroughbred.

Another thing", every reliable breeder who lives up to his contract
stands ready at all times to make good what he promises to do and it is
a very important thing- in the buying of live stock, as these gentlemen
will say,

I know of a man who imported two very valuable Shropshire rams
from England. One of them unfortunately died on the way over and
was consigned to the ocean, but in some way or other by the time he
landed on his farm he had two imported Shropshire rams that he sold
as imported rams at a very high price.

I heard of another case. T know a young- man who has a very large
trade in registered Shropshire rams — the western trade — and who, so

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LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 1 37

far as I know, had never sold anything but a registered Shropshire ram,
who has bought a lot of lambs that never were and never could be regis-
tered, and what he did with them I cannot tell.

It is of fundamental importance in buying pure bred live stock more
than any other class of animals that you buy from responsible breeders
and then you are safe. This is advice essentially for these young men
here.

Mr. Ellis — I called up this question because I thought it was im-
portant, I want to say I believe the breeders themselves are responsible
for a bad business practice. I do not believe in much sentiment in busi-
ness. When I trade with a man in any line of business and find he has
one price for me and another for somebody else, I quit dealing with him.
I believe this is the gist of the whole thing. You want to put a value
on an animal. If the animal does not come up to a certain standard,
it is not good policy to price that animal at all, on mail order, but if
a man from a distance comes to see you, put the same price on him that
you do for a neighbor. You may feel that an animal ought not to be
sold without personal inspection, but if you price him at $50 at home,
while you price him to a man in an adjoining state at $75, the latter is
an extortionate rharge and that is poor business policy and breeders are
responsible for such a condition.

Mr. Gabbert — I never sold an animal in my life on a mail order and
I would not under any consideration. The purchaser has got to see the
animal and when he writes to me in regard to my cattle, I will price
them to him and I say you must see these cattle. If you are a young
breeder you will see my methods of handling my cattle and you will
see the herd and the sire and tell what a calf will grow to be.

Mr. Emmons — This idea of Mr. Kurtz's is a new one to me. I
never heard of it before, but there is some reason in it. If we have ten
pigs to sell or ten calves to sell and our neighbor comes along and says,
"I will give you so much apiece for them," the question is with me how
much must I get for these ten pigs and you say I want $25 apiece for
ihem. The neighbor says, "I will take them." Suppose your neighbor
refuses and you have to spend $100 to advertise, make crates, etc., and
by the time you get through you have not realized as much for them by
sending them away as you would have done by selling them at a little
less price to your neighbor. That is the only thing I see in it. A man
has to advertise and spend money to get these orders from abroad. It
is the weakness of the human race, and you cannot deny it, to look afar
cflF for something good and they want something for nothing. I want
to say to these young men, if you want something good, pay the price

138 MISSOUKI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

for it. If you want a good education, come here and pay the price. As
Mr. Frost says: "If a man wants something good, he sends to a re-
liable house and pays the price."

SOME RATIONS FOR FEEDING HOGS.

(Prof. E. B. Forbes, Agricultural College.)

I have chosen to speak to you on the economical use of grain for
fattening hogs — a plain talk on a plain subject, which comes pretty close
to the business of every farmer. Our object in feeding hogs is to make
the most pork possible from a bushel of corn with the least expenditure
for supplementary feeds. I say supplementary feeds — that is, feeds to
be used with corn — on account of the fact that corn itself is not a per-
fect hog feed.

I shall not dwell upon the deficiencies of corn as a hog feed — that
is corn alone — but will merely enumerate them because that is a story in
itself. The deficiencies are as follows : There is not as much protein in
corn as a fattening hog needs. Compared with the protein there is an
excess of starch. A hog uses these nutriments in certain definite pro-
portions, in a measure irrespective of the amounts in which they were
present. If you feed him too much starch in proportion to the protein,
he wastes the starch. We know that we can improve the ration of corn
alone. The question is, can we afTord to improve it? Another deficiency
is that corn lacks mineral matter — ash — bone food. The third is that
a hog, fed on corn alone is confined to a monotonous fare, and although
it seems absurd to speak of corn as lacking palatability, still, we can
combine a mixed ration of which a hog will cat much more than of corn
alone.

I believe that the cheapest pork is usually made on pasture because
green crops are our cheapest feeds. A well compounded grain ration,
however, will make pork in a dry lot in the winter time very nearly, if
net quite as cheaply.

There are two common methods of treatment of hogs on pasture.
One is to push the pig from birth until he has reached the market weight,
to make as much pork every day as it is possible for the pig to make.
The other method is to grow the pig slowly during the summer time,
making as much pork out of the green feed as possible and to finish on
a short period of full feeding at a later date. These two methods each
have their points of superiority. The question is one that cannot be
definitely decided for all ; it must be decided for each one according to

LIVE STOCK lIKEEnEKS ASSOCIATION.

KV)

circumstances. The questions involved are these, will you make pork
quickly with a minimum of risk — for time is risk in pork production —
or will you make your pork more slowly, and more cheaply with a little
greater risk ? You can make more pork from a bushel of corn fed oti
pasture if you make it somewhat slowly than if you full-feed.

In most of our feeding work, we are obliged to base our conclusions
upon slight evidence, simply because we have not carried our experi-
mental work far enough so that we can depend on our results, but we
have to do the best we can with what we have, announce our temporary
conclusions, and wait for time to improve them by repetition.

TABLE I.

UTAH STATfON FIVE YEARS' EXPERIMENTS.

UatiODS.

Daily Gain.

Grain per cwt.
Gain.

Grain, pasture. . .
Grain, ^ pasture.
Grain, 54 pasture.
Grain, 14 pasture.

374
354
302
274

This table is the result of five years' experimentation on one subject
and I believe that it is thoroughly reliable. It is rarely that we find in
pig feeding live years' work devoted to a single subject and their re-
sults are as follows :

The pigs were fed on pasture. The first lot was given all the grain
they would eat. The second lot was fed three-fourths of that amount
of grain, the third a half and the fourth a quarter as much. The average
daily gain per head was naturally according to the amount of grain fed.
The grain requirement per hundred weight of gain, however, was in
inverse relation to the amount of grain fed. The less the grain fed, the
cheaper was the pork, figuring on grain alone. Now you can just take
your choice, make that pork fast or make it more slowly and more
cheaply. Every man has to settle that question according to his own
condition. That is all I see in that question. I do not believe it can be
settled definitely for every one, it has to be settled for each one accord-
ing to his necessities and the conditions under which he labors. To make
the cheapest pork, you should feed a partial grain ration on pasture.
To turn your money over most quickly and with the least risk, full feed
on pasture.

I40

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

TABLE II.

MISSOURI STATION.- 90 DAYS SOILING EXPERIMENT.

Rations.

o

C

a

35^

2^

**>

T«

O^n

Q

e.

•a
1

a

o

. — T

<

• c?=

*

<:♦

■ • B

Torn meal and blue trrass.

<.'orn meal, rape

Corn meal, clover-

Oorn meal, alfalfa

Corn meal, mllW

.71

520

.78

482

.87

429

.95

397

1.81

214

$3 31
3 07
2 73
2 53
1 55

Average weight, 4S lbs.

As to what kind of pasture we shall use, we have very few data on
that question. Here at the Missouri Station an experiment was carried
out year before last with g^reen feeds cut and fed with corn to pigs in
small pens. That is not equivalent to pasturing the pigs on these feeds
but it affords us an accurate comparison of the actual value of the feeds
as they grow, though probably not just as the pig selects them while he
grazes. The substance of the matter is that with corn worth thirty cents
a bushel it costs $3.31 a hundred pounds to make pork with blue grass,
S3.07 to make pork with rape, $2.73 to make pork with red clover, $2.52
to make pork with green alfalfa and $1.55 to make pork with milk; so it
takes less grain to make one hundred pounds of pork with skim milk
than with any of the green feeds tested.

TABLE in.

NEBRASKA STATION.

Uation.

Daily
Oaiii.

(irain per

fWt.

Cost IIH1 lbs,
(iaiii.

I'orn meal, alfalfa pasture

l.:22

400

$J 51

Corn meal, alfalfa leaves 4:1

1 ..•.'0

4(i7

:j 44

Corn 'meal

.!);{

747

•1 75

KANSAS STATION.

Oorn meal, alfalfa hay 4.56:1

I.IS

465

3 M

Oorn meal

1.20

529

3 36

I

We hear a good deal about feeding hogs on alfalfa pasture and hay.
The Kansas and Nebraska stations have studied this matter pretty thor-
oughly. What is there in it? At Nebraska they feed hogs on alfalfa
pasture with almost exactly the same result as in our soiling experiments.

LIVE STOCK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION.

141

It cost $2.54 per hundred pounds to make the pork. At the same time
they fed corn meal with alfalfa chaff, that is, the leaves broken off from
the hay as it was thrown from the mow. These leaves are just about
as rich as wheat bran. They fed corn meal and alfalfa in the propor-
tion of four parts meal to one of alfalfa leaves. Figuring alfalfa at
$8 a ton, it cost them $3.44 a hundred weight to make the pork. I have
assessed a valuation to the hay, because hay has a definite cash value, but
it is arbitrary iv assess any cash valuation to the green feeds in table II,
because it is impossible to do this in a way that fits all conditions. At
the same time another lot fed on corn meal alone made a gain of .93
pounds a day. It took 847 pounds of corn ineal to make a hundred
weight of pork and it cost $4.75 a hundred pounds to do it. These re-
sults would make it seem profitable to feed alfalfa hay with corn. The
pigs so fed certainly did better than those fed on corn alone, but we can
do so much better that I would not stop there. I would not feed alfalfa
leaves to anything except brood sows. Some less bulky feeds return
more profit.

At the Kansas Station they fed corn meal and alfalfa hay, allowing
the hogs to eat what they Vvanted. They did not eat as much of the
hay as of the leaves at the Nebraska Experiment Station. They made
about the same gain at about the same cost in grain, per cwt., $3.36.
The corn meal lot, fed in comparison with this corn meal and alfalfa
hay produced about the same gain, but it required much more grain, at
the same cost, however, on account of the fact that grain alone was used
in this case. Ihere was no financial gain and no gain in the rate of
making pork with alfalfa hay at $8 per ton and corn at 30 cents a bushel.
It would have been better to sell a part of that corn and buy something
less bulky than alfalfa hay to feed to the hogs.

TABLE IV

INDIANA STATION.

Rations.

Daily
Gain.

Grain per
cwt., Gain

Cost per 100
lbs.

Corn meal 10, tankage 1

Corn meal 5, tankage 1

IOWA STATION.

Corn meal 5, tankage 1

Corn meal ,

L17
1 24

2.57
2.08

370

378

381
461

$2 59
2 95

2 97
2 93

The Iowa and Indiana Stations have done some work on the sub-
ject of feeding tankage to hogs. Tankage is a good feed for hogs —
a splendid feed, but the one question is, can we afford to feed it? Let
us see what the Experiment Stations say on the subject. The Indiana

142

MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Station fed two lots on tankage, one received ten parts of corn meal
to one of tankage, the other five parts of corn meal to one of tankage,
the object being to see how much tankage they should feed for tlie
greatest profit. This tankage, by the way, is a refuse product from
the packing house. The meat scraps that cannot be used in sausage
or handled otherwise for human consumption, arc thrown into the
rendering vat. Here it is steamed under about 40 pounds of pressure
until all of the fat has come to the top as oil ; after the removal of the
oil the remainder, which consists of the lean meat and bone scraps,
is dried, ground, sacked and sold for hog feed. At the time that these
experiments were conducted it cost $30 per ton. The better grade
only should be used, as the higher grade is a cheaper feed than the
lower one. If it can be had at $30 a ton, it is a cheap feed. The daily
gains in these two lots were 1.17 and 1.24 respectively; the grain
per hundred weight of pork very nearly the same. The cost was
greater where the larger proportion of taiikage was fed. They made
pork more cheaply by feeding ten parts corn meal to one of tankage
than five parts corn meal to one of tankage.

The Iowa Station fed another lot of hogs on this five to one ration
and it was the less profitable of the two. The hogs made a tremendous
gain, 2. 57 pounds a day. The grain per hundred weight gain was very
low, 381 pounds, and considering the fact that these hogs had been
grown to a weight of 200 pounds before the experiment began, that is
a very low requirement. Tlie cost of 100 pounds of gain was $2.97.
But they made such a splendid showing for corn meal alone that they
got no added profit from the use of the tankage. If these had been
younger hogs, the corn meal would not have done nearly so well in
proportion. They could not have grown on corn meal alone nearly
as well as on corn and tankage.

TABLE V.

MISSOURI STATION.

Ration.

Dally
Gain.

Grain

per cwt.
Gain.

Oost per

100 lbs.

Gain.

Value

corn per

busli .

Value of

Supple

nient

per ton.

10.
11.
1-.'.

Corn meal 5. oil meal 1

Corn racal 20, oil meal I.. .

Corn meal 2, luirldllnsrs I

Corn meal 4. mickllinirs 1

Corn meal 2, iiround oats I.
Crjrn meal 4, ground o;its 1.

Corn 4, bran 1

Corn and cob meal

Corn meal

Soaked corn

Corn, hone mc:il

Shflli'd corn

1.48

1.16

1.24

1.08

.5S

.65

.91

.32

.755

.63
.4S
.40.)

376.B

$2 75

1 .496

430.3

2 85

.448 1

427.8

2 88

.483

460.4

3 03

.432

642.7

4 28

.258

G21.S

4 06

.396

492.1

3 14

.412

9»5.

4 81

•21-

555.6

3 53

J .358
(.374

577.7

3 10

.36

«f.5.6

3 55

.317

693.2

3 71

.30

149 01

90 42

24 10

25 85
7 54
.5 9(i

20 92

LIVE STOCK r.REEDKRS^ ASSOCTATION. I43

In this group of a number of supplemented rations and rations of
corn alone prepared in various ways, we have a comparison of quite a
number of feeds on the same basis, and it gives us a good chance to
measure one with another. The conditions here were just the same.
We sorted these hogs very carefully so that the gains would represent
the comparative value of the feed. They were common hogs, not well-
bred ones. They weighed Ii8 pounds each when they went on feed.
They were fed for ninety days in small pens with no green feed and
no earth to root in. This was strictly dry-lot feeding. Corn meal, five
parts to one of oil meal made the best gains. Twenty parts of corn
meal to one of oil meal made a somewhat smaller gain at a somewhat
greater expense in grain and a slightly greater expense in dollars when
we fed corn at 30 cents a bushel and oil meal at $24 a ton. One ton
of oil meal in ration No. i, which is the five to one ration, saved $49
worth of corn. 1 get at that figure by comparison with lot 9 where
corn meal alone was fed. In that lot we made slightly more than ten
pounds of pork per bushel, about what the average farmer makes, so
there is nothingf wrens: about usins: that. You will all admit that ten
pounds to the bushel from corn alone is about what you can figure on.
The $24 worth of oil meal saved us $49.01 worth of corn. In the
second lot, it saved $90.42 worth of corn. The oil meal in the smaller
proportion saved more corn per pound of its own weight than in the
larger proportion. It has a slight medicinal value and when used in
small amount its value as a condiment exceeds its value as a food.
The cheaper pork was made where the larger amount of oil meal was
fed. In the first lot, the corn, figured at 30 cents a bushel, was worth
49.6 cents. In lot 2, it was worth 44.8 cents.

Lots 3 and 4 were fed on corn meal and middlings. The smaller
proportion of middlings had a greater value per pound than the larger
proportion. The smaller amount adds more palatability per pound of
its weight than the larger one, and palatabTIity counts. In a general
way, it means digestibility.

To lots 5 and 6 we fed oats with the corn. Comparatively speak-
ing, there was.no profit in it. I figured oats at 20 cents a bushel cor-
responding to 30 cents per bushel for corn. It took an enormous
amount of grain per hundred weight gain, and the cost of pork, while
it was only $2.75 with the corn and oil meal, was $4.28 and $4.06
with the two rations of corn and ground oats. It looks as though the
fewer such oats as this one has in the ration, the better the ration is
for fattening hogs. Oats are too bulky; hogs do not like them. A
better grade of oats with a smaller amount of hull, would be more
valuable for fattening hogs. If the liulls are removed oats are valuable

144 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT,

for hogs. A cheap grade of oatmeal that costs $28 per ton is worth
while for show hogs, but not for fattening hogs.

In lot 7 we fed wheat bran in the small proportion of one part to
four parts of corn. It was nut so good as the middlings ration of four
parts of corn meal to one of middlings, but it was better than the corn
alone fed to lot 9. It took 555.6 pounds of gram to make a hundred
pounds of pork with the corn meal alone, compared with 492.1 with
the corn and bran ration. So this small amount of bran has a value;
it took 460.4 pounds with the corn and middlings (lot 4). Middlings
are of somewhat greater value than bran.

The corn and cob meal we had to grind three times to get it fine
enough to feed to a hog and then it was not so fine as I would like to
have it. I assumed that if I had had the right kind of mill I could have
ground it at the same expense as corn, and that was giving an un-
promising feed a very tine show. You see how it came out. The corn
was worth 21 cents a bushel ground in this way when it had cost us
30 cents a bushel whole. I would not use that feed for any purpose.

These were all ground feeds. We assume that corn costs us 30
cents a bushel, and that it costs us ten cents a hundred weight to
grind it.

The smallest gain was made on the shelled corn. If shelled corn
is 30 cents a bushel, the corn meal (lot 9) was worth 37.4 cents. It
costs 5.6 cents at the mill to get it ground. With our gasoline engine
at the farm, it cost us three cents a bushel for grinding. Grinding
then, for dry lot feeding, according to these results is profitable.

Soaking costs next to nothing. In this experiment it was worth
six cents a bushel ; where grinding is worth 7.4 cents, soaking is worth
6 cents.

In lot 1 1 we fed bone meal with the corn and in ninety days each
hog ate 6.2 pounds of the ground bone. That made the corn worth
31.7 cents per bushel. It is of some interest as it shows that the lack
of bone food in corn is a real deficiency. Add the bone meal, which
contains nothing but mineral matter and you increase the value of
the corn. We do not need bone meal with anything but corn alone.
A ration of mixed grains or roughage or milk or anything of that sort
needs nothing of that kind. It is only needed when the hog is con-
fined to a diet of corn alone.

SUMMARY.

We probably make the cheapest pork with corn and skim milk :
next, I should say, comes corn and alfalfa pasture, then corn and
clover pasture.

O

n

Mi ft M
fD -D -

•-•^ to
W 1 -

Ceo -,

C fD

a CO ^

IK3 103

3 '^
(11

o

3
rt)

- a Dv
o ,

; tj M

^. Q "

a T ^

rD p M

o —

ST 95.'^
m^

">§

S-3^'

"If

^^'

Pi^ 01

I— '
3 *-

en ?

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 145

In dry-lot feeding we make the most pork at the least expense
at usual prices of feeds in Missouri, from corn fed with oil meal or
tankage or wheat middlings.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. Laughlin. — Is the cost per lOO pounds in Table II the cost of
the grain and pasture, or simply the cost of the grain?

Mr. Forbes. — Only the cost of the grain, the others are feeds to
which we can not assign cash values. It is not a complete statement
of the question, but if you try to assess a valuation to the green feeds,
it is so arbitrary that it does not mean anything at all.

Col. Waters. — What was the price of the milk?

Mr. Forbes. — I have figured only on the price of the grain fed,
and not on the milk. If you assume mill< to be worth i8 cents a
hundred weight, corn and milk would make t'ce cheapes": pork. This
milk was fed in the proportion of three pounds of milk to one of grain.
So far as the grain requirement is concerned, corn and milk will make
much cheaper pork than corn and any kind of pasture. While we kept
them on grass the daily gain was .71 pounds, on alfalfa it was .95,
but on com meal and milk it was 1.81.

These pigs averaged 48 pounds in weight when put on this feed.
They were fed 90 days.

What I get out of that table is, if you can get skim milk, it is
probabh'- your cheapest feed to use with corn, and if you can get that,
you don't need anything else.

Mr. King. — How can you reach that conclusion unless you know
what blue-grass and clover and alfalfa cost?

Mr. Gabbert. — Alfalfa has as much market value as corn. I have
been buying some.

Mr. Mumford. — How much a ton green alfalfa is worth depends
upon how much water there is in it.

Mr. Forbes. — These figures have been computed on the basis of
$3 a ton for all of these green feeds. That was so arbitrary that I left
it out, but it leaves these figures in the same order.

Mr. Laughlin. — What was the price of the milk?

Mr. Forbes. — Eighteen cents a hundred pounds.

Mr. Frost. — What are your conclusions about tankage?

Mr. Forbes. — With 30-cent corn and tankage, we ought to make
pork for $3 a hundred weight. Some do not do so well as that, and
some better. Suppose we figure $3 a hundred weight, with 30-cent
corn as our standard. That is beyond what the average feeder does.

A-10

146 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

I consider tankage valuable, and if you can get a high grade for $30
a ton it will be a profitable feed to use.

But tankage does not always mean the same thing. There are
seme packers, however, who make a uniform feed. 1 am not adver-
tising any company, but the Swift tankage is a comparatively uniform
product, and appears to be a superior preparation for hog feeding.
If you can get it for $30 a ton, it is worth the price.

Mr. . When corn is worth 50 cents a bushel, what is

your conclusion in regard to tankage?

Mr. Forbes. — The figures in Table IV were on corn at 30 cents a
bushel and tankage at $30 a ton. If you can buy tankage at $30 a ton,
when corn sells for 50 cents per bushel, the tankage will be much
better worth the price than in this experiment. While we are figuring
on pork at $3 a hundred weight, with corn at 30 cents, do not assume
on that account that our standard would be $4 a hundred weight with
corn at 40 cents a bushel. We ought to do better than that. If you
make pork at v$3 a hundred weight from 30-cent corn, it is easier to
make it at $4 from 40-cent corn, and still easier to make it at $5 a
hundred weight from 50-cent corn, because the feeds you use with
corn do not increase in cost as the corn does in selling price. For
instance, in Table V the wheat middlings will not double in value
when corn does; they usually rise from $15 per ton to $20 per ton as
the corn doubles in value as between 30 and 60 cents per bushel.
The same is true with oil meal and all the feeds that you use with
corn. They do not rise in price as rapidly as does corn.

Mr. King. — Table I has made a very great impression on me as to
the importance of feeding young stock and getting rid of it quickly.
You tell us that there are two ways of making pork there, and that
the slow way is the cheapest. Is that true of young stock?

Mr. Forbes. — The increase in the expense of making pork as the
hogs increase in age is not great until you get the hog fat. The great
increase in the expense comes between 200 and 250 pounds. There is
not a vast amount of difiference in the cost of making increase at
lower weights.

Mr. King. — You have to have him a fat 200-pound hog in order
to make any difference?

Mr. Forbes. — A thin 200-pound hog will put on flesh with less
expense than a fat one.

Mr. King. — If when buying hogs I can buy 200-pound thin ones
I can afford to pay more for them than the 200-pound fat ones, how
about the fellow who sold them? Was it more expensive to raise the

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 147

thin 200-pound hog or the fat one? I am raising hogs, and I want to
know which way I can make the most.

Mr, P'^orbes. — The fat 200-pound hog costs more in the raising,
but you do it more quickly and with less risk.

Mr. Boies. — You cannot buy 200-pound thin hogs, unless by rare
chance, now-a-days.

Mr. King. — No, but I can raise them.

Mr. Forbes. — If you want to turn your money quickly, feed fast.
If time is no object to you, feed more slowly, so as to get as much
good as possible out of the pasture.

Mr. King. — I have more blue-grass pasture than hogs to turn on
it. What had I better do?

Mr. Forbes. — Feed your hogs on the pasture.

Mr. King. — How about clover pasture?

Mr. Forbes. — It is a better feed.

Mr. Raine. — Are you now feeding hogs from pigs, or from 200
pounds to shipping time, in what you have Been giving us?

Mr. Forbes. — Practically all of these were young pigs, being
grown and fattened at the same time.

Mr. Raine. — We have passed the age when we grow hogs to 200
pounds before we begin to fatten them.

Mr. Frost. — Is not oil meal a dangerous feed for hogs?

Mr. Forbes. — No; it is the one feed besides corn that I call a won-
derful feed for hogs.

Mr. Gabbert. — Oil meal is too high ; it is worth $27 per ton.

Mr. Forbes.— Yes, but look at corn ! and at middlings ! Middlings
cost $20 a ton now, and oil meal at $)2'j a ton is much the cheaper
feed. It was slightly cheaper when we made the figures in Table V,
but it is much cheaper now.

Mr. Gabbert. — There are so many of these stock feeds on the
market, is not oil meal the basis of all of them? Does not the value
that is being attached to them belong to the oil meal?

Mr. Forbes. — Yes, the oil meal at $24 a ton is ever so much
cheaper than some of these at $150 a ton. It is a fact, and an interest-
ing one, too, that it may possibly be worth the price that it costs in
stock foods, if fed in small quantities. If you feed oil meal in very
small quantities you will get enormous returns from each ton fed.
There are people who believe in feeding patent stock foods, and if
their belief is based on any evidence it is probably based on some such
evidence as this.

Mr. Gabbert. — They use in most of these feeds 50 per cent salt,
and I think that is a good ration.

IjS MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Mr. Emmons. — How would it do to use cotton-seed meal instead
of oil meal.''

Mr. Forbes. — I am experimenting with cotton-seed meal now.

Mr. Emmons. — Don't you think hogs will do well on a small per
cent of cotton-seed meal?

Mr. Forbes. — I am trying to find out. So far as we know it is a
poison to hogs. It is not good for calves. As a rule, I think it is
the cheapest grain supplement to corn for older cattle.

I am carrying out an experiment in feeding it to hogs, fermented.
T expect these hogs to die as other people's do, but they may not.
Remember that ration No. i (Table V) is a balanced ration, and I fed
that to growing pigs for dry-lot feeding.

Mr. Boles. — What is the best feed when they have the run of
clover pasture?

Mr. Forbes. — Then I would feed them corn, but in dry-lot feeding
I would give them ration No. i. They do not like oil meal at first, but
in a day or two they come to like it. Probably it will be more pala-
table by mixing some middlings with it.

Mr. Boles. — Do you make the slop thin?

Mr. Forbes. — This was fed in a thick slop.

Mr. . Would not charcoal do as well as the bone meal

used with lot ii. Table V?

Mr. Forbes. — Probably not. It has a diffevent composition and
usefulness. Lime has a very slight value.

Mr. Gabbert. — Hogs like lime, for some cause.

Mr. Forbes. — There is more phosphoric acid in bone meal than in
lime, and that is quite useful to hogs.

Mr. Emmons. — What do you think of germ oil meal?

Mr. Forbes. — I am testing germ oil meal, gluten meal, gluten
feed and cotton-seed meal, oil meal and middlings on the farm now
and will tell you the results next year.

Mr. . Is feeding cob corn charcoal a detriment?

j\Tr. Forbes. — I do not think it is. The cob contains some ash, a
slight amount of potash and a very slight amount of phosphoric acid.

Mr. Boles. — How do you think it would do to put concentrated
lye in the slop?

Mr. Forbes. — It would probably clean _\our barrel.

?.fr. Boles. — And the hogs?

Mr. Forbes. — Maybe it would.

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 149

THE BEST TYPE OF COW FOR THE MIDDLE WEST.

(W. p. Harned, Vermont, MoO

Ever since the days of Jacob and Rachael and the striped sticks
in the watering trough, the cow question in some phase or other has
been under consideration.

From that early day down to the present the calf trade, the cow
trade and the beef trade have flourished and grown. Our subject
does not deal with the right or the wrongs of manipulating the trade
in the finished product, but rather with the particular type of animal
or class of machine that converts ti:*^ feed from the farm into this
finished product. It is entirely proper to consider the domestic cow
in the light of an economical machine moulded by man to manufacture
milk, butter and beef from corn, grass and hay — the raw material —
not forgetting that the cow is an animate machine susceptible to kind
treatment, good care, and we believe, even affection. After all, how-
ever, the whole problem is summed up in the text, "The Highest
Class of Article With the Least Cost of Production." Hence economy
is the purpose and improvement is the method.

With the changed conditions that have come about of higher land
and higher labor and a denser population, I assume that the best type
of cow for the middle states is the dual purpose cow ; the real dual purpose
in her improved form ; a high class carcass of beef with a good supply
of milk. She is the poor man's cow and she is the cow for the average
farmer. As land grows higher she becomes more and more a necessity
and all the more valuable. It is still argued by some that such a type
is not practical, and that the production of one is antagonistic to the
development of the other. Be that as it may, this type has been pro-
duced very successfully and is still among us, though not in as large
numbers as the special purpose type.

I cannot concede that the development of the real dual purpose
cow is impractical and inconsistent, as we have living examples of
animals that are high class at either purpose. One that has been illus-
trated extensively of late in the live stock journals is Mr. Duthie's
White Heather, a cow that has won many first prizes, at the leading
beef shows in England, while also beating all competitors at the great
dairy tests. It will not do to estimate her a sport or freak, as she was
bred for that purpose from ancestors of that stamp.

Neither do I believe, as claimed, that the development of the

150 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

high class beef making quahty is antagonistic to the cultivation of the
real dairy quality. I do not consider the combination inconsistent with
scientific breeding. In fact, it seems true at least in the Shorthorn
breed of cattle that the two qualities go hand in hand and the one is
interlinked with the other, for the best beef producing dams are the
best milkers. There was a splendid illustraton of this point at the
great International this year. Indeed, I once heard a noted Hereford
breeder say that even his very best breeding cow gave a large supply
of milk. The two greatest Shorthorn breeders in Scotland are strong
advocates of the dual purpose in their cows, and it is known the non-
milkers are weeded out.

While I believe the combination cow is the best cow for the
greatest number of farmers, it must not be claimed that any one type
is best for all conditions under all circumstances in all localities.
Wide as may be her sphere of usefulness localities and conditions
may exist and do exist wliere the special purpose type is best adapted.
For such a condition the roaming herds of the western plains might
be cited, where calves are raised by the thousand and where the best
attention that the cow receives is her own natural instinct. Beef
is the prime object and the dairy quality is not considered and may
even be objectionable as the cow cannot receive that attention neces-
sary to a very heavy milker at calving, when the young born con-
sumes but little. Under tHese conditions the special beef type is found
and this is why the special beef breeds have grown popular on the
range.

As these immense herds grow less, and as the great pastures are
cut up in smaller farms, where cultivation and cattle raising are com-
bined, then the dual purpose cow finds a home. The real cow for the
average farm or small farm should produce a high class beef animal
v/hich when weaned off can supply a good quality of milk and butter
for use. Such is the ideal cow for the middle states and further east.
Let her be good size, say 1400 to 1600 pounds, a gentle, quiet disposi-
tion, a strong constitution, a good grazer, apt to fatten when dry and
you have the ideal animal, a friend to the farmer.

DISCUSSION — RAG WEED 11 A V.

Mr. Gabbcrt — I know if I was going to a doctor for some disease
I would go to a specialist for that disease. I would not go to some
practitioner who professed to cure every -ill. I believe if I was going
to raise cattle I would want a distinct breed. I think it would take
a good deal to make a good beef animal and a good milch cow at the

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. I5I

same time. You may find the desirable animal, but I think she would
be limited in both points.

I want Mr. Harned to make us another little speech. I want him
to tell us about the "Missouri alfalfa." For 24 years I have made a
persistent effort to get the "Missouri alfalfa" (rag weed) off my farm
iind I have about succeeded, but all that time I did not know I was
trying to destroy one of the best plants I had. I call on Mr. Harned
to tell us about "Missouri alfalfa," or rag weed.

Mr. Harned — Now I may be able to offer my excuses by telling
of other accidents that have happened. Many of you old, grey-headed
men like our chairman, remember wEen the bran that was taken from
the mills used to be dumped out into the river, and they even hired
men to haul it away from the mills as manure, but now it is con-
sidered one of the best feeds. It is the same with cotton seed meal.
We know the cotton seed used to be thrown away in the South and
men were hired to take it away from the gins.

Now, I do not know whether my rag weed problem will turn out
like that or not.

I will tell you my experience about rag weed. I had cut forty
acres of timothy hay one year. I generally stack the hay over the
field where it is handiest. But that year I hauled the hay into a hay
yard and stacked the stacks together. I was fixing to show a herd of
cattle and I wanted some bedding. I had 25 acres of the fairest rag
weed and happened to have the time and I had the boys cut the rag
weed down and stack it for bedding. I happened to hit the right
time before the stalks had gotten woody and we stacked the rag
weed by the side of the timothy hay, and in the winter when I went
to feed my hay, I turned my cows to the stacks instead of hauling
the hay to them, and to my surprise there was not a bit of that hay
ever touched until all the rag weed was gone.

Col. Waters — Had it bloomed out before you cut it? Rag weed
is very dusty when it gets in bloom.

Mr. Harned— If the dust is a bloom, it should be cut before the
<lust comes. As good as I think it is, I think if you cut it at the wrong
time, you have nothing.

Mr. Mumford — Have you ever repeated that experiment?

Mr. Harned — It turns out right every time if you cut it at the
right time. I do not believe it will disappoint anybody, not even a
cow. That happened in my younger days and I had not had much
experience with five hundred dollar cows when I cut that rag weed
hay. I had not had much then and have not had as much since as I

152 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

would like to. I think it was in the spring, February or March after
I had wintered my herd on rag weed hay that I had my first $500 cow.
The first season I stacked my rag weed with the hay, but I cut it
another time, stacked it and hauled it out and put it in a rick and a
man from Peoria, Illinois, who visited my farm was very much amazed
and rather doubtful when I told him what it was. He walked up to
the stack and said: "Is this alfalfa?" — it was when alfalfa had begun
to be talked of — I told him it was rag weed hay. It is the prettiest
hay you ever saw when you put it up right. The man came away
stunned from seeing my cattle eating it. He says: "What kind of
Shorthorns have you got that eat old weeds?"

Mr. Henderson — I cut a very weedy piece of new meadow last
summer. It was more than half rag weed. I cured it and cast it
abroad to horses and I noticed to my surprise that my horses and colts
would deliberately take out the rag weed and eat it up clean before
they ate the hay. It was allowed to cure thoroughly before it was
scattered, and I do believe that it is a good feed.

Mr. 1 have been raising corn and feeding stock all my life

and my first business was to try to get rid of rag weed. I made it a
rule to send my hands over the field and chop out all the rag weed. I
bought sheep to clean my pasture and kept my sheep mixed with the
cattle. Now my sheep did not do as well after the rag weed was gone.
I put my sheep on meadows which had rag weed in them and I value
a meadow with rag weed on it more than red top. I would give $2
more a ton for rag weed hay than for red top. It is no trouble to
keep rag weed in the pasture, but T advise you to keep it out 61 the
corn field.

LEGISLATION NEEDED FOR THE PROTECTION OF MIS-
SOURI LIVE STOCK.

(Dr. I). 1'. Lucky. State Veteriuarian.)

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :

In choosing the above subject I do not mean for you to infer that
the present State laws pertaining to live sock are in any manner
greatly deficient. In fact, I believe that we already have the mo.^t
adequate set of laws for controlling contagious diseases of live stock
to be found in the United States. Section 10547 authorizes the State
Veterinarian or a deputy to place in quarantine any live stock which
are capalDle of spreading a contagious disease, and requiring them

Hereford Bull, "Defender," 140.037. First prize winner, two-year-oM Here-
ford, St. Louis World's Fair. Sweepstakes at Minnesota State Fair, 1903. Owned
by C. G. Comstock & Son, Albany, Missouri.

Shorthorn
Louis World's
and Cattle Co.,

Bull, "Choice Goods," 1S6.S0:', grand champion prize winner St.
Fair— greatest Shorthorn Bull in the world. Owned by Tebo Land
Clinton, Missouri.

bj«

j

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 153

kept in 'such a way as to prevent the disease from spreading from
them. Section 10550 authorizes the quarantining of any infected
premises, such as stockyards that have been occupied by scaby sheep
or cattle, pens or stalls by horses affected with glanders, or pastures
infested with fever ticks. Ihis section also authorizes the veterin-
arian to prescribe the mode of disinfection of such infected premises,
and the disinfection must be thoroughly done before such premises
mav be used in connection with healthy stock. Section 1055 1 au-
thorizes the Governor to issue a proclamation quarantining against
any other state or territory in which any dangerous contagious disease
of live stock is known to exist. Section 10552 authorizes the Gov-
ernor to proclaim any municipality m this State under quarantine, and
to prescribe rules under which stock may be removed from sucl^
locality. Section 2327 requires all hogs that die of a spreading disease
to be burned or buried by the owner within 24 hours. Section 2322
forbids the importation, driving upon public highways, hitching or
watering at a public place, selling or offering for sale any horses
affected with glanders or nasal gleet. The latter term means any
snotty discharge from the nose from whatever cause. Section 2330
forbids the importation into the State of any scaby sheep, and also
prescribes against driving them on the public highway, selling or
offering them for sale. Section 1166 requires railroad companies to
furnish shippers of live stock cars that have been properly cleaned.
Section 1167 requires the railroad companies to pay shippers for loss
of live stock which die of contagious disease by reason of the non-
compliance with section 1166.

In addition to the above laws and some oT minor importance that
we already have we need to have passed as soon as possible a bill to
authorize the controlling of dogs capable of spreading rabies, and
another to require a standard of qualification on the part of those
practicing veterinary surgery.

Section 10547 of the present statutes uses tTie word "live stock/'
and I am advised that dogs are not considered by the courts to be
live stock, therefore, it would not be legal to quarantine a dog, even
after he had developed rabies, much less quarantine the dogs through
a neighborhood which have fought with and been bitten by a rabid
dog. A law ought to be passed, and the sooner the better, authoriz-
ing the State Veterinarian or his deputies or some local officer to
place in quarantine, for at least two years, all dogs that have had any
chance whatever to be bitten by a rabid dog. Rabies is gradually be-
coming more common in the State of Missouri, and it is high time the

154 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

disease be properly controlled. During the past few years I have been
called to examine cattle and other stock which were affected with
rabies, and have found in almost every case the rabid dog wliich caused
the disease had fought with numerous dogs through the neighbor-
hood. Such dogs as were exposed to the rabid dog were usually con-
fined for about nine days and then turned loose without any further
precaution. They should have been absolutely confined fox" at least
two years, until the danger of their developing rabies had passed. It
is no uncommon thing to hear of one of the exposed dogs
going mad six months or a year after having been bitten,
and in many cases after the visit of the rabid dog had been for-
gotten. In two different towns I found in each as many as 65 dogs
that, as far as we could tell, had been exposed to the rabid dog, many
of them having actually fought with it. Under the present law it is
not considered that the State Veterinarian has any authority to quar-
antine or cause to be confined in any way such dangerous dogs.
Some legislator who will take this matter up and provide a proper bill
has a chance to do a good piece of work for the protection of the live
stock of this State, and incidentally the human family.

Almost as bad as the damage done by rabid dogs is that done by
ignorant persons who profess to be veterinarians, and who are going
about over the State offering their services to farmers who know far
more about the diseases of live stock than they themselves, and charg-
ing exorbitant fees for giving stock medicine which actually, in many
cases, does more harm than good. The states of Iowa and Illinois
have already passed laws requiring veterinarians before beginning to
practice to pass an examination. It seems that nearly all of those
who by reason of incompetence were not allowed to practice in Iowa
and Illinois have come to Missouri. The result is that the farmers of
Missouri are afforded no protection whatever from such invaders.
There are quite a number of competent, intelligent and honest veter-
inarians practicing in the State of Missouri, but nothing like the
number needed for the proper care of the live stock of this State.
The number of ignorant quacks far exceeds the number of competent
men, and the profession in the State today is judged largely by the
ignorant members of the profession. The competent veterinarian, as
I am glad to say, is gradually becoming understood and appreciated
"by the live stock producers of this State. He must have an education
practically the same as is required to make a man a good medical
<loctor. I believe, in addition to this, that the veterinary practice re-
quires more originality and native ability, inasmuch as the dumb
brutes have a very feeble way of expressing their ills.

LIVE STOCK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION. 1 55

It is also essential that the veterinarian should be sober and hon-
orable in his actions. I am so impressed with the needs of the live
stock producers for better veterinary service that I have prepared a
bill which I propose to ask some member of the legislature to intro-
duce during the present session. Out of due respect for the constitu-
tional rights for those who have engaged as much as three years in
the veterinary practice for a livelihood the bill which I have prepared
provides for them to register as veterinarians. It is provided for the
graduates of veterinary colleges now practicing in the State to reg-
ister. After January i, 1906, the bill provides that all who begin to
practice shall first pass an examination before the veterinary examin-
ing board, which examination shall be strict enough to fully test the
competence of the applicant. The expense of the registration and
liolding of examinations shall be provided for by charging each appli-
cant for registration a small fee, so that no money will be asked from
the State treasury. I think this is one of the most important pieces of
legislation from the live stock producers' standpoint. It will result
in better veterinary service, and will have a tendency to bring the
profession up to its deserved position. It will especially be a great
benefit to the State Veterinary department in controlling outbreaks
of contagious diseases which occur over the State. I sincerely hope
that the stock raisers will insist upon the passage of this law. Each
farming community of the State ought to have one of its young men
educated in veterinary surgery, and use him instead of the ignorant
impostors who are so common today.

[The bill regulating the practice of Veterinary Surgery referred to above passed
both houses of the Legislature, and has been approved by the Governor, and is therefore
cow a law.— Secretary.]

While the appropriation of money for the veterinary work does
not constitute new legislation, it is a matter with which the Legisla-
ture deals every two years, and it is as important to have an ample
appropriation made for the veterinary service as it is to have laws
upon the statute books to provide for the controlling of contagious dis-
eases. I believe that the live stock producers of the State ought to
be in closer familiarity with the work in controlling contagious dis-
eases, and not only insist upon the passage of laws, but upon the ap-
propriation of a sufl^icient amount of money to properly care for the
live stock of the State. Heretofore the funds provided for in the veter-
inary service have not been sufficient. With the money provided the
ordinary outbreaks of disease have been fairly well controlled. There
is one important incident, however, which shows that the breeders
of the State are not alive to the situation, and are not in all cases
g-etting what is due them from the Legislature. For some two vears

156 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

now hog cholera has been quite prevalent in many parts of the State
of Missouri. I have received notices from the various public stock-
yards of the receipt of 441 shipments of hogs from the State of Mis-
souri which were affected with hog cholera. The disease began by
the importation of stock-hogs into the State from the southern and
western states to which to feed our enormous corn crop of 1902.
Anticipating the outbreak of hog cholera I made a lecture on the
subject at Palmyra at the first farmers' institute that was held during
the fall of 1902. The lecture was made on August 27, and gave the
warning that the promiscuous importation of stock-hogs into the
State would result in severe outbreaks of cholera among the hogs of
the State, and advised that feeders be careful in the selection of stock-
hogs, that they disinfect the car in which the shipment was made, and
that such imported hogs be kept isolated and in quarantine for 30
days before being exposed to any other hogs. I furnished copies of
this advice to all of the agricultural papers of the State, and to the
market reports, in all of which it was published in full. The regular
biennial appropriations were not sufficient to allow the veterinary
service of this State to take hold of the situation as should have been
done, and during the session of the Legislature of 1903 I asked for
$6,000 extra appropriation with which to control hog cholera. I
know of single counties that I could have saved ten times that
amount if that appropriation had been made, yet when the attention
of the members of the Legislature was called to this bill they simply
passed it up without apparently giving it any thought.

The breeders of this State ought to be in such close touch and
sympathy with all veterinary and agricultural departments that when
such a request is made of the Legislature that it would be promptly
granted. I estimated that with an appropriation of $6,000 the hog
cholera could have been controlled at that time. Since then the dis-
ease has become so prevalent that its control is out of the question.
A judicious expenditure of $100,000 during the next six months would
not stamp hog cholera out of the State of Missouri.

OUR CALLING.

(S. p. Emmons, Me.\lco, Mo.)

Good farming and good live stock ; good reading and right living;
these couplets will not only insure a competency in temporal things,
a full storehouse here, but tend to give us an inheritance that is eternal

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 157

in the land beyond. Man's success is not measured alone by the
amount of his bank account ; Columbus, Fulton, Morse and a host of
others are not known for their pecuniary success. It matters not to
us whether they died rich or poor, our legacy is the same. The great
universities that dot the political centers of the states of great America
are dependent largely on the material stream that flows from the
large aggregation of wealth that surrounds them ; but the end for
which they are maintained would be lost were it not for the boy grown
on the American farm. A\'ith the love of freedom born in his heart,
with strong arm and active mind, and a brave heart he goes forth to
fill the halls of our colleges, universities, the marts of trade, or the
offices of the great transportation companies, ambitious to do the best
services in any department he may fill. Go into the great metropolis
of our nation, enter the banking, commercial and professional institu-
tions. Who mans them? Seventy-five per cent of the founders and
heads of these institutions are from the rural districts. The great
stream of rural brawn and brain continues to flow, and must for
years to come, into that boundless, busy field of responsibility, that
must needs be filled by the very best material obtainable. The pur-
pose of man is to do something, and that something to aid his fellow-
man. The great west that so blesses mankind to-day would be a
wilderness, were it not for the pioneer farmer, who for the cause of
freedom and home, braved the storms and perils of the great un-
known, and became the precursor of better things to come ; then
comes the live stock improver (the cause for which we stand to-day)
disseminating the improved blood little by little until the great valley
of the Father of Waters is known the world over for its wonderful
progress. Plocks, herds, studs, shops and mills dot the greatest of
all lands. 'Tis said the strength of the nation is in its homes and the
best home is the rural home ; there the owner is king and lord of all.
Father, mother, children, there is no home without the combination.
I know some of our great breeders have lived and died old bachelors,
and some farm homes have existed without children, but they can-
not have been ideal.

Surely the man who builds up a great herd should have a life
partner, one who shares his sorrows, sympathizes in his losses and
exults in his victories, whether great or small. A farmer should have
a farmer's wife. Some city people are very much infatuated with rural
life, but it's only a fancy. They visit their country cousins and
friends, and see nothing but the glitter and silver lining, and have no
conception of what labor, thought and energy was necessary to have
gained and maintained these ideal rural homes.

158 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Our field for thought and obtaining knowledge is not limited. Do
we wish a diversion, it is at our door. Combine with the study of
producing the best live stock, the elements that enter into the soil, the
crop best adapted, the fertilizations necessary both to maintain and
supply the needed elements, the selection of the best seed, the quality
of the seed needed in the selection of the foundation stock for the flock,,
the orchard and the field, and use of sires to maintain and increase the
value of the flocks and the herds ; the selection of the soil for the field
and the garden, then combine with all this the most approved methods
for the cultivation and with this all a love for the beasts that graze the
field, and you have before you a life's work worthy of the best efforts
of man. Boys, do you want to leave the farm and enter mercantile
pursuits? Remember ninety-five per cent fail; for every merchant
prince, thousands have been made bankrupts. Would you prefer one
of the professions and seek eminence through its channel? Remember
there is "room at the top," and few there be that get there. Is it your
ambition to build your monument in the political field? Let me warn
you the path is strewn with broken hopes, and yet the Presidency is
not beyond the reach of those who till the soil. If our ambition leads
us to reject the farm, the flock and the herd, to seek political fame,,
remember it's the roughest and most uncertain road. We are re-
minded of some of the greatest Americans, Henry Clay, Daniel Web-
ster, John Jay, Thomas B. Reed, James G. Blaine, and many others,
whose hopes were blasted when they were seemingly in reach of the
topmost round. Would you abide on the earth and live to bless man-
kind and the lower animals, whom God created for your benefit?
Stay with the field, the flock and the herd. The improver of live
stock is truly a benefactor ; he who causes two blades of grass to grow
where only one did live, and the cereals of the earth to double their
former yield, is a double blessing to mankind, and history does not
withhold her tribute to such. The grand old Scotchman, Williara S.
Marr, had three sons, one a minister and the other a doctor, and the
late W. S., Junior. I doubt if there is an American today who would
have ever heard of them but for the venerable sage of Upper Mill.
The monuments we build at the graves of our dead, are for naught
but to keep our memory green, but the marble will have crumbled
and the granite broken long before the names of Colling, Bakewell,
Booth, Bates, Mainard, Ducie, Campbell, Cruikshank, Marr, Duthie
and a host of these and others who developed different breeds of
cattle, as well as all those who have bred and fed well, will have been
forgotten. No, gentlemen, it is not only our privilege to write our
names indelibly on the tablets of time, but to enjoy beyond measure

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 159

the fruits of our labor while here. The seed we sow, and the grass
that we grow, is not only the main dependence of our life and comfort,
at home, but the hope of the State, the nation and the world.

We can do without some things, but the world would perish but
for grass, and while the Isles of Great Britain produce the most
luxuriant sward, it was left to the Great Valley of the Mississippi to
produce the man whose genius laid that imperishable tribute at her
shrine, with almost an immortal pen, and the name of Senator Ingalls
shall survive as long as time shall last. Then do not make haste to
leave so honorable a calling with so fruitful prospect of returns for
honest toil and effort; let us inscribe on our banner the motto taken
from one of our best farm papers, "Good farming, clear thinking and
right living." And may we fill this world so full of good, intelligent,
useful farmers and breeders, that the very heaven shall be forced to
prepare a field for our future usefulness.

THE PUBLIC SALE AND THE PURE BRED STOCK

BUSINESS.

(Geo. P. Bellows, Maryville, Mo.)

The close inter-relation of the public sale to the pure bred stock
business is coming to be very generally understood, as evidenced by
the steadily increasing number of auction sales of this class of stock
annually being held. The public sale system of disposing of pure
bred stock has grown amazingly in popular favor during the last
decade. The increase in the number of auction sales during this
period has not been the result of a mushroom growth, but has been
the natural unfolding of legitimate causes, the results of which have
been of untold benefit to the farmer. Since the farmer is engaged in
the most important business or occupation known to man, and since
the public sale and the pure bred stock business is one of the chief
mediums through which the farmer and his calling is to be elevated
and dignified as never before, it is plain to be seen that much thought
should be given a subject of such immediate importance. The primary
thought with reference to this subject is, "The Pure Bred Stock
Business," the "Public Sale" being only a means to the end, and,
therefore, of secondary consideration in this connection.

The farmer who has at heart the future financial, educational and
moral welfare of himself, his family and his children's children, can

l6o MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

illy afford to ignore the question — whether or not he will interest
himself in the matter of breeding pure bred stock?

Throughout the corn and tame grass belt of this country of ours
the best farm lands have become so valuable — worth so much money
per acre — competition so close and margins on staple products so
narrow, that the farmer who breeds, feeds and markets the low grade
or scrub animal, be it horse, cow, hog, sheep, or any one of our better
known domestic animals, cannot hope to do so and realize above the
bare cost of production, indeed he can count himself lucky if his time
has not been given to the running of machinery of the farm at a loss.

No American citizen should be content in this country, fraught
with such wonderful possibilities, to run his business upon the plane of
bare maintenance, for, in the great, broad sense of the term, we can-
not long stand still, but must either advance or go backward.

Should the above propositions be admitted, and we think they
must be, then the question of a remedy arises. We will not under-
take to say that the pure bred stock business, of itself, i5 a "cure all"
for the multitude of ills which beset the farmer in the management and
execution of his business ; but we do unhesitatingly assert that the
farmer of average intelligence who will earnestly put himself to the
interesting and pleasant task of studying the pure bred stock busi-
ness, and you will then gradually and cautiously put into actual prac-
tice the sound principles which he may learn from reading, observation
and experience, will have taken a long stride toward correcting many
of the symptoms suggesting stagnation, unthrift and everything an-
tagonistic to the principles of progress as applied to farming and farm
life as a pleasant, dignified and noble occupation. Those who for one
or several reasons have failed to give the matter of breeding pure bred
stock any serious consideration and. therefore, have never taken the
first step : or those who have concluded because some erratic fellow
who had more enthusiasm than sense, capital or experience, failed ;
it would, therefore, be foolish, if not dangerous, to invest in pure
bred stock, will doubtless, and of right should expect us to point out
the way in which they can safely start in this business with the rea-
sonable assurance of success to the extent that will bring about finan-
cial, educational and moral uplift. To do this to the entire satisfac-
tion of myself will be a task for which I confess my inability, but.
nevertheless, I shall always be found willing to contribute my mite
toward bringing about the desired results. The class of men with
which we have to deal in this connection may be divided into three
groups; first are those who are hard-headed, ignorant and will not
listen to argument or be convinced even after actual demonstrations

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LI\'E STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. l6l

have been made ; the second group embraces a very large class known
as the thoughtless, indifferent, happy-go-lucky sort of fellows, who
rarely give any subject serious or deliberate consideration; then there
is the third class which includes the uninformed, but ambitious and
willing to learn and profit from the knowledge and experience of suc-
cessful men who have gone before them. It has been said that "There
are none so blind as those who will not see." It is, therefore, almost
useless to spend time in the vain effort to convert the proverbial un-
believer — the man who without good reason sets his head against
progression. In order to exert an}'- beneficial influence upon the class
enumerated in our second group it is necessary to make forcible, direct
appeals, and this is scarcely ever accomplished except at public sales
and by the personal force and logic of the auctioneer who, for the
time, may, perchance, have one or several of this indifferent class of
people withm his influence and thereby induce him or them to become
purchasers. Even when this is accomplished the chances are that in
quite a per cent of instances the new convert will revert to his orig-
inal shiftless, indilTerent habits and, as a consequence, little ground
will have been gained, because, as in all other businesses, the breed-
ing of pure bred stock to be successful requires studious habits and
a willingness to give attention to, at least, the details of ordinary care
and management. It, therefore, remains for us to conclude that a very
large majority of the new recruits in the future great army of im-
proved stock breeders must come from the third or last class of in-
dividuals herein referred to. To the majority of men "money talks,"
therefore, one of the first things to be done is to convince the im-
converted farmer that by discarding the scrub, grade or nondescript
sire and by replacing him with a good and carefully selected pure
bred he will thereby be money in pocket instead of out. That such is
the case is no longer a theory, but is a fact being demonstrated in
every enlightened community, also at the live stock markets of the
country on every business day of the year.

Every business that permanently succeeds must rest upon a broad
and well grounded foundation. No business is more permanent than
that of farming, because the entire population looks to the farmer to
be both fed and clothed. The farmer operates the machinery supply-
ing the raw material which furnishes the world with all of the neces-
sities, also a multitude of the luxuries of life. With this responsi-
bility, never ending demand and unsurpassed outlet for our products,
we have not to consider so much the finding of a market as we have
to give thought to economical and profitable production.

A- u

l62 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Taken collectively the farms of America, in point of value and
productive importance, outrank all other manufacturing institutions
combined. Among the manufacturers of commercial commodities
vast sums of money are wisely spent in the investigation of ques-
tions and principles, the application of which will reduce the cost of
production, raise the efficiency of the article manufactured, and also to-
perfect the question of the distribution of the finished product with
the greatest economy. This work has been carried to a wonderful
state of perfection and when the time comes, if it ever should, that
even one-tenth of the intellect and capital spent in the application of
real, not imaginary, economical principles of production with refer-
ence to the farm as a manufacturing institution, then our country
will bloom as a rose and the scrub farmer and the. scrub animal will
be a vanishing species.

Live stock farming — by which is meant keeping live stock on
the farm — is, and in the future will be the only safe means of main-
taining the productive qualities of the farm manufacturing plant.
Without live stock the capacity of the farm plant is annually do-
creased because of the inability to return to the soil the fertilizing
elements required to sustain the maximum limit of production. Some
will doubtless say : "What has all this to do with the pure bred stock
business, as the scrub animal will return as great an amount of fertil-
izing element to the soil as the pure bred ?" This is true, but where
the pure bred, or high grade, excels the scrub is in his ability to consume
the grain and forage crops of the farm, and, as a machine, most
economically convert them into a product for which there is always a
demand for the best at top market values. Experiment station work,
market reports and the practical experience of our most intelligent
and successful farmers, breeders and feeders, as well as expert buyers,
packing house owners and conveyors, are all on the side of the pure
bred or the high grade animal as being consistent money makers on
the farm. The above argument applies to the production of the com-
mercial products in its live state and forms the basis for our conten-
tions with reference to the advisability of making the breeding of pure
bred, recorded stock a part of our farm business.

The fact that it requires the pure bred or high grade animal U>
acquire the results above mentioned argues the absolute necessity of
the perpetuity of the pure bred animal for breeding purposes, else, in
a very few short years we will find ourselves scarce of this vitalizing
material. The natural tendencies of all improved animals and plants
are to deteriorate unless cultivated and given congenial environments
and opportunities for improvement and development. IMan himself is

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 163

no exception to this rule. The truth of these statements points the
moral that there will always be a demand for pure bred breeding am
mals such as will insure the producer of the good kind a proiitablc
market. But, I fancy, some one inquires, "Where does the economy
in breeding pure bred stock come in?" Speaking from my own ex-
perience and a very wide field of observation I can say that the farmer
who breeds and grows pure bred animals, taking as a basis the average
of the sales the country over,- realizes from two to ten times as much
per head for th.e surplus product of the herd, the relative increased
amount depending upon the quality, breeding, condition, etc., of his
animals, than does his neighbor farmer who breeds common stock.

Then I would ask: 'Ts it not more economical to shelter and
feed one animal that will do the work of from two to ten, than it is
to house and feed the larger number?" We say yes and can point to
innumerable instances to prove the assertion. Now as to the educa-
tional advantages to be derived from keeping pure bred stock. No
sooner is the first pure bred animal placed upon the farm than the
educational influences are set to work. The neighborhood gossip is
at once turned to som.ething better and which stands for improve-
ment. The local paper, if it does its duty, announces the advent into
the community of an animal of improved breed and type. As a result
of all this the owner and his family begin to realize a degree of pride
in the fact that it has been imposed upon them to be leaders instead
of followers in their community. In order to maintain this enviable
and commendable position they begin to read up and keep themselves
informed with reference to the history of the breed, its ancestry and
other matters pertaining to care, feed, management, etc., to the end
that their life and vision becomes broadened by being brought into
touch with progressive movements of the times.

Soon the agricultural college and the courses in live stock hus-
bandry are learned of, finally the son or father or both takes advantage
of the short course in live stock judging and thus a new world is
opened up. After that fairs are attended and the awarding of prizes
is watched with awakened interest. By this time our candidate is
associating himself with the best class of men, whom he finds con-
genial company because they are sensible and willing to give informa-
tion, gained from the field of experience, which, to the young man or
beginner seeking knowledge, is invaluable. A public sale is attended
and here, too, a new field is found for observation and instruction.
By this time the breeding of pure bred stock is a subject that has
taken hold of the family and has not only been the means of broaden-
ing their views of life, but has also brought them into prominence as

164 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

progressive people, and soun Lhe sons and daughters are in demand
from those seeking to employ young men and women of good families
to fill responsible positions of trust at reniuneiative compensations.
The sons and daughters from su-^h families also invariably enjoy
superior advantages when it comes to the matter of selecting a life
companion and thus the educational influences arising from that first
start in the pure bred stock business goes on and on from generation,
wielding an immense influence for good in their own immediate com-
munity and to society in general. The improvement of one's moral
status, as well as the educational advantages obtained from breeding
pure bred stock, is also a matter worthy of consideration. The more
nearly one's time is occupied in studying questions relative to any
form of improvement, the less time they have to devote to the trivial
non-essentials of life. One of the first things to be learned by the
beginner In the breeding of pure bred stock is that all future substan-
tial success in the business depends upon his standing and reputa-
tion as an honest man. Absolute and unqualified honor is an essential
requisite to success in this business, because a man's word and repre-
sentations are the only guides we have as to the identity of his stock
and the reliability of their breeding, age, etc. If it is once learned that
a breeder has misrepresented the age, breeding, or anything pertain-
ing to record of his stock, he soon loses caste and is viewed with
suspicion thereafter. Thus it is that a man's moral status is given
additional impetus and support after he has engaged in the breed-
ing of pure bred stock.

Fearing that this article will be too long we will but briefly refer
to the "Public Sale" feature of the subject. The "Public Sale" along
with the agricultural press, the agricultural college and public exhi-
bitions of fine stock is exerting a mighty influence both m an educa-
tional way and in the distribution of such stock. Many a farmer
attends a public sale and secures his first impression of the vital
importance of breeding improved stock. Here he learns by way of
actual demonstration that it is profitable to breed and sell pure bred
animals for breeding purposes. In this way the well informed, intelli-
gent auctioneer is in position to do much good and be of advantage to
both the buyer and the seller. I have heard prominent breeders declare
that they had received some of their most valuable lessons from attend-
ing public sales. There was a time when the public sale was looked
upon with suspicion, but that time, T am thankful to say, is passed
and today no business is run upon a higher plane of business ethics
than the selling of pure bred live stock by auction. As a convenient

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 165

and satisfactory means of disposing of one's surplus stock, or for
closing out one's business, the public sale has come to be recognized
as being indispensable.

How to conduct a successful public sale, when and where to hold
it, how to advertise, when to begin to condition the stock for sale,
just the kind of catalogue to issue and when it should be out, the
auctioneer to employ, how to entertain your customers sale day and
various other questions are each subjects which might be considered
at some length, but they are outside the legitimate limitation of our
subject. In conclusion I will say that, in my opinion, the inter-rela-
tion of the public sale and the pure bred stock business will, in the
future, grow stronger and become more potent for good alike to the
breeder, buyer and the public in q-eneral.

IMMUNIZATION AS A MEANS OF CONTROLLING CON-
TAGIOUS DISEASES.

(Dr. J. B. TifiFany, Agricultural College.)

Mr. President and Members of the Live Stock Association :

It is getting late and I did not expect to have to speak to you, but
as I am called upon I will condense my remarks as much as possible.
My subject is that of "Immunization as a Means of Controlling
Contagious Diseases." The Veterinary Department of this University
is in the habit of sending out a great many doses of blackleg vaccine
to the farmers, and the thing that has appealed to me most is that a
large number of these doses go out in small quantities, showing that
the farmers who are raising from five to fifty calves are sending for
this blackleg vaccine for the purpose of inoculation. That, seems to
me, points to the fact that the small farmer is beginning to use this-
biochemical product in his work, and in their letters they frequently
ask a great many questions as to the use of blackleg vaccine and oc-
casionally some of the reasons for its use and the methods of making
it. It occurred, therefore, to me that it would be interesting to you to
know something of the theory on which the subject is based and the
explanation of the dangers and limitations of the use of various vac-
cines. This talk will apply to other vaccines besides the one that I
have mentioned, all of which come under these principles.

You know that when an animal passes through a dangerous in-
fectious disease it becomes immune, does not readily take that par-
ticular disease again, and is more or less resistant to the disease.

t66 ^nssouRi agricultural report.

This has been observed for a long- time, and is known as natural im-
munity. Some scientific people came to the conclusion that they
could produce a disease in an animal, establish immunity thereby, but
not produce the disease in such a form as would kill the animal, and
in that way save a great many head of stock. That theory is worked
out until now we use vaccine commercially for blackleg, anthrax, etc.
There is a theory or hypothesis on which all this is based, and I want
to explain it briefly so that I can point out something of the danger
in its use.

The theory is that when some pathologic organisms once enter
the system they commence to multiply and elaborate a poison known
as toxin, which is carried to the various parts of the animal body
through the circulatory system and produces what we know as dis-
ease. The poison from the various different pathogenic organisms
]-roduces a different series of S5'mptoms which we recognize as specific
disease. If this production of toxin-poisoning went on indefinitely
the result would be the death of the individual, but nature has pro-
vided a means to hold this in check. There is thought to be produced
a material which we choose to call anti-toxin whenever there is a
disease caused by the presence in the animal body of certain organ-
isms. The disease is counteracted by this substance known as anti-
toxin, and we make use of this anti-toxin in various ways. The one
disease in which we have come to use it commercially is that of
tetanus or lock-jaw.

In some cases anti-toxin for tetanus is proving very efficient,
while in others it is not, and the reason we attribute to this difference
in results is that after the disease has gone so far that the poison has
entered the different organs and has made certain anatomical changes,
we know there is no agent that we can introduce into the system that
will check the disease; whereas, if the anti-toxin is injected into the
system previous to the poison's once reaching the center, it is going
to work and it will neutralize the poison and the animal may recover.

In vaccination, as you know, we introduce into the animal or-
ganism a deadly germ and this germ has been so treated, i. e.. has
]:'assed through certain environments, certain uncongenial conditions,
such that it will not produce the disease in its original vigor. But at
tlie same time it will produce some toxin, and this encourages the
animal system to produce the anti-toxin or neutralizing agent, and
from this the animal becomes immune and resists any subsequent
.attack of the disease.

You sec. if we can b\- l<ccping these germs under unfavorable con-

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 1 6/

<iitions get them in such shape that they will not produce a disease like
blackleg- in its most virulent form, we also may have a condition in
which we can grow these germs in such a way that they will produce
the disease in a more virulent form. That is shown in the disease of
rabies or hydrophobia. In passing the germs of that disease through
rabbits we get a disease which is much more virulent, the period of
incubation is considerably reduced and the disease appears in a more
■dreadful form. It so happens that these organisms that we introduce
into an animal system are capable of either becoming deadened or
reduced in strength or becoming stronger and more virulent. Fur-
thermore, these attenuated organisms once introduced into a system
also may be brought back to their original strength and their original
ability to produce the disease, and that is what has happened in a great
many cases — has happened in some cases — not to put it too strongly,
especially with the virus or vaccine of anthrax. You do not have
snthrax in this State so very much, but in some states it is quite
serious, and when it once enters a community it carries ofif stock
very rapidly. In order to protect themselves in various districts, the
stock raisers have brought this vaccine of anthrax into the community
and as a result they have started the disease. Some have attributed it
to the fact that the vaccine was not properly made, that the company
■making the vaccine did not take the proper care and got into it some
organisms which were not sufficiently attenuated, but it might have
been, and we have proved it possible many times in the laboratory,
that the germs have been attenuated, but by passing them through
individuals that were particularly susceptible to the disease, they
will bring the organisms back to their original strength and make
them as dangerous as when the laboratory experts began their work
npon them. The danger is not so great in blackleg vaccine because the
germs seem to be more under our control, but in anthrax there is this
•element of danger, and there is a possibility of such danger in black-
leg where we introduce the vaccine into a new community. Of course,
where the disease is already prevalent and present, where a man is
•directly surrounded by these diseases, then the only thing for him to
•do is to inoculate his stock with the vaccine that he can secure, to
prevent the disease. He has to do it then as a protection, but in a
locality where these diseases are not present, to go ahead ^inoculating
stock with the various chemical products of vaccine companies is an
exceedingly dangerous thing. Thev do it in the West sometimes as
an insurance measure. Some people spray their fruit trees and vines
as a protective measure, not knowing that any disease is going to

l68 MISSOL'KI A(JKICLLTUKAL KEl'OK'l .

attack tliem. but sinvj.ly as a protective measure to guard against
the possibility of insect ravages. The same men that become loo
progressive might be induced to do the same thing with their cattle,
i. e., inoculate them against various infectious diseases. As a result
there would be this possibilitj of introducing virulent organisms into
a community and this is the point I wish to emphasize.

1 will say a word about the vaccine for hog cholera. We have a
disease in hog cholera which is not suitable to the use of any anti-
toxin, nor is it suitable to the method of exterminating such as v.-e
use in tuberculosis and glanders. We cannot use these methods with
hog cholera, and the only thing we have to rely upon is a vaccine.
The demand for hog cholera vaccine has been so great that all ovtr
this country companies have been putting out a vaccine against hog
cholera, and every year there is some new concern organized for this
purpose, but so far all have proven failures. Some of them will sell
for a short time — a year or two — and people who use them feel that
they have done some good. The probability is, the reason that in some
cases hog cholera vaccine works, is that some time before the man
sends for his vaccine the hogs are suffering from the disease, and those
which are attacked early in the season are the ones most susceptible ;
that is, the ones that produce the least amount of anti-toxin in their
bodies, which tends to check the disease. Those hogs that will pro-
duce the most anti-toxin in their bodies are the ones least susceptible
and the ones that take the disease last in the herd. Now, the owner
of the stock waits some time before he sends for this vaccine, then,
after he sends for it, it takes some time for it to get there, and, accord-
ing to the directions, it will take a week or two before the vaccine
begins to act, and by that time all the more susceptible hogs have been
killed ofif, leaving only those that are resistant to the disease and
would recover, anyway. In that w^ay the various hog cholera vac-
cines have been supposed to be useful, ])ut in truth we have not found
a hog cholera vaccine. Still, from the nature of the disease — from
the fact that there is immunity in hog cholera — it seems that there
ought to be a hog cholera vaccine. Many times in making an examina-
tion of a pig that has recovered from hog cholera, we find the hog
cholera organism present there, which would indicate that there is a
large amount of anti-toxin in the animal's body which stops the dis-
ease and prevents its further occurrence. So we have evidence that
in the future we will produce a hog cholera vaccine, and it is the plea
of the farmers of this countr}' that there be a vaccine produced for this
purpose. We are receiving in this department a great many letters

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LIVE STOCK BREEDERS'" ASSOCIATION. 169

inquiring about this vaccine, asking if there is not one that we can
recommend, all showing that there is a tremendous pressure for such
a product.

There have been in the past some very able men working on this
project, but they have largely given the matter up in disgust, after
trying all the methods that they knew. But since that time there liave
been a great many new things found out about the subject of immuni-
zation, and now we believe that these new methods should be applied
to hog cholera. At present you know that Dr. Connaway is in Europe
and is making a close study of this matter. He is studying a disease
somewhat similar to hog cholera — an acute disease known as Rouget.
They have a vaccine for this disease which is efficient, and Dr. Con-
naway is making a careful stud}'' of this disease, and we hope on his
return he will be the best prepared man in this country to investigaie
the matter of hog cholera and provide some means of immunization,
which is so sorelv needed.

THE RELATION OF AGE AND CONDITION TO PROFJ !'

ABLE CATTLE FEEDING.

(Prof. F. B. Mumford, Acting Dean, Agricultural Oollege.)

I have been impressed with one thing in these meetings here, and
that is that most of the farmers and stock breeders want to know all
there is to be known about all of these subjects. The farmer wants to
know immediately whether it is best to feed corn and linseed meal to
hogs or some other ration. They want to know everything as soon
as possible. That is all right. That is what the Experiment Station is
for, to find out these things, and to find out the facts that the men
who are carrying on the business of Agriculture want to know.

At the same time it is not so easy and simple a process as perhaps
some of us have been led to believe. We knew a whole lot more
things a few years ago than we know now — at least we said we did,
and were more positive and more dogmatic about it then than now.

I have been impressed with another thing, namely, when some one
man has been successful in feeding animals and paid particular atten-
tion to some one thing, he may attribute his success to that one thing,
but at the same time he fulfilled all the other conditions necessary
for successful feeding. The longer we experiment with feeding cattle
for the production of beef, the more difficult the question becomes
and the more complicated the problems involved. It is a much simpler

170 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

matter to investigate the influence of different methods of feeding and
different kinds of feed with dairy cows than any other animal that
we have to deal with, because the product which we seek in the case
of the coAv is a definite product, one that we can measure daily. We
know its composition, and we know every day how much water, how
much fat, how much casein, and other solids of the milk the cow yields
every day, and by feeding a definite amount we have an accurate meas-
ure of the influence of a kind of feed upon a cow. But in the case of
beef animals we have no such accurate measure. The only real stand-
ard of measure that the experimenter has to determine the efficiency
of different kinds of rations for feeding beef cattle is the gain in live
weight, and some of you know that the gain in live weight may mean
a good deal. Sometimes it may mean a lot of water, sometimes it
may mean bowel content.

We trv to get around the variations in the bowel content in vari-
ous ways so that the gain in live weight may be as much as possible
an accurate measure. We always weigh the animals at a certain
time in the day. We weigh them before they drink any water. We
shut up the water troughs before we weigh the cattle, so that the
variation is regulated as much as possible. But, even when all that is
done, we are not positive that feeding ten bushels of corn for a certain
period will result in an actual gain of live weight to the animal ;
although the scales may say that the animal has gained so much, he
may not have gained so much, but may have only filled up so much.

Now, I will not attempt to take up the subject of cattle feeding in
all of its phases, nor discuss all of the factors which determine profit
in cattle feeding, but I will very briefly mention one or two factors
that have been under discussion and upon which we have had some
definite statements and about which the practical feeder wants to
know the facts in the case as far as he is able; and one of these ques-
tions that I propose to discuss is the "Influence of Age on Profitable
Cattle Feeding," or upon the profits from cattle feeding, and another
is the "Influence of Condition."

It is rather an interesting analogy that we draw between the ani-
mal and the machine. It has been stated here several times that the
animal is a machine, and the analogy is not one that is far-fetched,
and it may be a very useful one. The animal is a machine. The
farmer is a manufacturer and in the production of beef the farmer
uses the animal as a machine to work over the feeds of the farm —
the raw vegetable products like hay and corn — for the production of
beef, mutton or pork, and in this production of animal material we

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. I/I

have certain conditions to fulfill. For one thing the feeder is engaged
in improving the animal in such a way that it will bring the highest
price on the market, that is, will be finished in the best way to supply
-a real demand. The farmer Is also interested in finishing the animal
for the least expenditure of money. Two conflicting principles are
therefore involved in cattle feeding. We must feed the animals to
a point where they will fill the demands of the market. It does not
make any difference how much it costs. We must do that. If we are
in the feeding business, that presupposes that we are finishing beef
for the purpose of selling it, and in order to sell it we must bring it
to a certain finish and we want to do that at the lowest expense of
feed. There are these two things that we must always remember,
and I insist upon these two points. Why? Because a good many
feeders are confused in discussing this matter of the cost of pro-
ducing a pound of gain. The profits are frequently measured in the
minds of the practical feeder by the amount of grain it requires to pro-
duce a hundred pounds of gain, and that is not a true measure. While
we make an animal gain, we must at the same time be pushing him
toward a condition of finish. If it was only a matter of producing
gain in the quickest and cheapest way, we would buy the poorest and
thinest animals we could find that had been poorly nourished for
some time and fill them up. As a matter of fact, the first stages of the
feeding period are the cheapest, so far as the cost of producing a
pound of gain is concerned.

What are some of the factors, now, which lie at the foundation
of the practice of finishing cattle and finishing them cheaply? There
jire two things that bear upon both of these questions, they are the age
of the animal and his condition at the time the feeding begins.

One fact which has perhaps been more definitely demonstrated in
this matter of feeding than any other, is the fact that the younger the
animal, the less feed will be required to produce a given amount of
gain. It is not a mere matter of opinion now. We know a young
animal will produce a pound of gain with less grain than an older
animal of the same kind under the same conditions, and there are in
some cases remarkable differences. The attention of feeders was first
called to this fact by the men who fed the cattle for the old fat stock
show in Chicago. Those feeders commenced with a calf at the time
cf birth, began to feed it, and fed it continually for one year. They
exhibited it as a calf, a yearling, a two-year old and a three-year old.
They found that the first year the animal fed in that way required
about half as much to produce a pound of increase as in the second

172 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

year of that animal's life. And they found that it required consider-
ably less grain to make a pound of gain on the steer 12 to 24 months
old than was required to produce a pound of gain on a steer 24 months
old and over.

Then the experiment stations investigated the matter. The ]Michi-
gan Experiment Station, the Iowa Experiment Station and one or two
other stations undertook what were called in those ancient days
"breed experiments." They undertook to test which was the better
animal to feed, the Shorthorn, the Hereford, the Aberdeen-Angus, the
Galloway, the Holstein or Jersey, and they began with these animals
as young as possible, in most of these experiments, beginning with the
animal, say a few months old, and they discovered the same thing,
that if an animal was fed from birth to death on full feed that the first
days — the young days of that animal — were the most profitable days
from the standpoint of the amount of feed consumed. They found
the same things true with lambs and pigs. The experiments indi-
cated that young pigs from fifty to a hundred pounds in weight would
make a pound of gain with three or four pounds of grain and that
300 pound pigs required five or six pounds of grain to produce the
same amount of gain. This has been demonstrated, and some experi-
ment station workers and feeders have come to the conclusion from
this data that it is more profitable to feed younger animals than older
animals, and so we have heard about "baby beef" animals, fed from
the time they are born till they are 14 to 18 months old being made
to weigh twelve hundred or fourteen hundred pounds and we are
told this is the most profitable way to handle cattle, and their conclu-
sions are based largely upon these experiments that I have just
described.

One of the most interesting experiments on this subject I have
examined in all the work of Experiment Stations is an experiment con-
ducted by the Central Experiment Station Farms at Ottawa, Canada.
They performed this experiment differently than those mentioned
above. They employed calves, yearlings, two-year and three-year old
cattle under identical conditions, so far as possible, and fed them on
the same rations. The results are certainly very interesting to the
man who is engaged in making beef. The average daily gain from
these animals tested was as follows: Calves 2.14 pounds, yearlings
1.85. two-year olds 1.67 and three-year olds 1.65. The calves gained
much more than the others, the yearlings next, the two-year olds next
and the three-year olds least of all.

The cost of the 100 pounds of gain was also very much in favor

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 173

of the calves, in this instance. The relative costs per hundred pounds
of gain for these different ages were for calves $3.60 a hundred for the
grain fed; yearlings $4.65; two-year olds $5.70; three-year olds $6.20.
It cost almost twice as much, not quite, to produce 100 pounds of gain
on three-year old steers as upon calves in this experiment. The profit
per steer is as follows: On the calf $14; on the yearling $26; on the
two-year old $26, and on the three-year old $16. The calf returned the
lowest profit per head and you might immediately jump to the con-
clusion that therefore the calf is not so profitable as the two or three-
year old ; but this does not tell the story at all, because you have in-
vested in the three-year old nearly three times as much as you have
in the calf. For the same money that it would cost to buy a three-
year old, you could probably buy three calves.

In this experiment the actual facts are that the calves cost $3 . 50
a hundred ; the yearlings $4 a hundred ; the two-year olds $4 a hun-
dred; and the three-year olds $4.50 a hundred, and they sold the
calves for $5.50 per hundred and the others for $3.17 a hundred.
These were the market prices. But assuming that all of the cattle
were bought for 4 cents and sold for 5 cents a pound, and estimating
the profit on a thousand pounds of calves bought at 4 cents and sold at
5 cents and a thousand pounds of one, two and of three-year olds
bought at 4 cents and sold at 5 cents, we have the following figures:
on the calves the profit is $22.30 a thousand pounds ; on the yearlings
$11.36; on the two-year olds $7.95, and on the three-year olds $7.10.

Suppose a man had' a thousand dollars to invest — and that is the
proposition that confronts most of us — which is the best, to invest a
thousand dollars in calves, yearlings, or two-year olds for profitable
feeding? Assuming that we have a thousand dollars to invest and
taking these figures I have given you, of buying the animals at 4 cents
and selling them at 5, here are the profits resulting from the feeding
experiments on the thousand dollars invested : On the thousand
dollars invested in calves at the time of birth, the profit was $557 ; on
two-year olds $198; on three-year olds $177. Do not hold me respon-
sible for the profits that these men made on these cattle, that is not
my fault, and it is not my fault if you cannot make the same profit.
What I want you to pay attention to is not the absolute, but the
relative profit. Now the profit made on three-year olds on the thou-
sand dollars invested in this Canada Station was $177.50, and on
the two-year olds it was $198. On the yearlings it was $284, and on
the calves it was $557. Now, what does this mean? It means what
I have tried to make clear above, that the results of our experiments

174 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

have brought out repeatedly that if you can buy young animals at
the same price per pound and sell them for the same price per pounds
there is more profit in feeding young animals.

Now, I have put a good many ifs in the above sentence and every
feeder must do the same when he begins to feed. If we could control
the market by ascertaining beforehand what you could buy and sell
your animals for, you could speak with some definiteness and figure
with some definiteness. But the principle has been demonstrated that
younger animals put on a gain for less grain.

Now, if market conditions are such that you can buy and sell
them for the same price, the profit is in the younger animal, but our
experience in Missouri is that we pay from 15 to 20 per cent more per
pound for calves than we do for older cattle for feeders, and when we
go to sell them, the older cattle, as a rule, sell for a little more per
pound, I am willing to be corrected if that is wrong. Now, I must
confess that I am a little skeptical on this proposition — that these
results are so unusually large that there must be some special reason
for it. Of course I cannot tell what that reason is. The only thing-
I can do- is to give our actual trial here on this farm under Missouri
conditions and the figures that we have. We have now in progress
here perhaps the largest cattle feeding experiment undertaken ta
solve one question, and that will be continued for a longer time on
one particular line of work than any other single cattle feeding experi-
ment so far undertaken in the United States. And one of the things
that we are testing and making foremost In this experiment is this
question of the relation of age to profitable feeding. Should the Mis-
souri farmer feed young cattle or older cattle ?

In the fall of 1902 we purchased 75 head of cattle and divided
them in the course of time into three divisions. One division was
wintered and put on full feed about the first of May and sold the 15th
of January, 1904. Another one of these divisions was put on pasture
alone during the season that the others were being finished, and they
were finished this year and sold in December last year and fed from
May ist to December 15th, 1904. They were of the same breeding
so far as we were able to secure them. They were of equal quality
and ability to gain and they were finished as two-year olds. The first
division were finished as yearlings, the second as two-year olds and^
we will put on feed next May a lot of three-year olds from that original
draft of cattle. But we have also fed during that time another lot of
yearlings this year in comparison with the two-year olds. We have
had 5.S head of cattle on feed from May ist, 1904, until the 15th of
December.

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 175

We have some figures for comparing on even terms this factor
of age on profitable cattle feeding. I do not want you to confuse the
rations, although that is another question of growing interest about
Vv^hich we have something definite to- say. But I want to call your
attention now particularly to the amount of grain required to produce
a pound of gain on these cattle at different ages. I will first present
the figures for this present season, from May ist to December 4th,.
1904, the feeding period just ended. From May ist to December ist,
1904, we fed one lot of 30 yearling Shorthorns in comparison with one
lot of two-year olds and the amount of grain required to produce a
pound of gain, which tells the story in this case, and the whole g?in
I will give you.

Lot I was fed on corn and linseed meal and the daily gain was for
the yearlings 2.45 pounds, and the grain required to produce a pounct
of gain was '] .'jy pounds. The lot fed on corn and cotton seed meal
made a gain of 2.24 pounds at an expenditure of 8.3 pounds of grain.
Lot III was fed on corn and gluten feed and they made a gain of 2.23
pounds per day, and it required 7.76 pounds of grain to produce that
gain. Lot IV was fed shelled corn alone, and they gained 2.23 pounds
per day at an expenditure of 7.27 pounds. These latter were year-
lings.

I will now give the results with the two-year olds on blue grass
pasture and the same grain rations. The daily gains of the two-year olds
were as follows: On corn and linseed meal 2.97 pounds; on corn ard
cotton seed meal 2.65. pounds; on corn and gluten feed 2.06 pounds;
on shelled corn alone 2.51 pounds; the grain required to produce a
pound of gain was S.i pounds; 8.7 pounds; and 817 pounds re-
spectively.

Now, here we have a much more accurate experiment than the
one previously described, because these animals were fed the same
season ; they were fed exactly the same way the winter previous, and
they started into the experiment in the same condition so far as we
were able to judge. The daily gain of the yearlings on corn and lin-
seed meal was 2.45 pounds; the two-year olds 2.97 pounds; the
amount of grain required to produce a pound of gain was "f .jy pounds
and 8.1 pounds respectively. It required less grain for the yearlings
than for the two-year olds, notwithstanding the large gain made by
the two-year olds, and by the way, this is a very remarkable gain for
a lot of cattle for the entire season. It is seldom indeed that cattle
make an average of three pounds of gain in a six months' feeding
period. With the cotton seed meal the gain was 2.26 pounds for the
yearlings and 2.65 for the two-year olds. The daily gain with the

1/6 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

corn and gluten meal was less, 2.23 pounds with the yearlings and
2.06 pounds with the two-year olds. The amount of corn required
was always less with the yearlings.

This was an experiment on summer feeding. Three pounds of
supplement was fed daily in each case, that is, three pounds of linseed
meal, cotton seed meal and gluten feed. The amount of corn varied
as the appetite of the animals increased. They were fed as much as
20 pounds of com during the close of the period.

The relative cost is a question that is almost idle to talk about,
as is also the profit that is to be secured because prices of feed and
cattle continually vary; but the daily gain on these different feeds
under these conditions would remain about the same, and the amount
of feed required will remain the same so long as the conditions are
similar. These were good cattle — selected cattle, but they were
selected in both cases, in the yearling lots and the two-year olds.
The two-year olds sold for $7.60. "We have not sold the yearlings
yet. This two-year old lot brought the highest price in the Chicago
market, with one exception, during the entire year of 1904. They were
March and April calves. They were sold in December when they were
two years old.

Here is my point, and it has a good deal of bearing upon this and
the other question that I insisted upon in the beginning; it is not only
a question of producing gain cheaply, it is a question of getting a good
finish at the right time to sell. The yearlings we have ready to sell
after the two-year olds, but if we had sold them at the same time, we
would have had to be satisfied with a less price per pound.

There is another question involved, if you consider the profits
from cattle feeding, besides this question I have discussed, and I am
inclined to suggest this point because it is of vital importance to the
man who is making money from cattle feeding. The experiment sta-
tion men like to find these things out, though they are not primarily
interested in maTcing money from every experiment, they are in-
terested in finding out which experiment is most profitable. If you
buy a thousand pound two-year-old at 4 cents a pound, you pay $40.
If you feed'him six months and put on two pounds a day, he will gain
360 pounds. He will then weigh 1,360 pounds, and if you sell him
for six cents a pound — you sell him for $81.60. You increased the
value of this original thousand pounds two cents per pound in the
finishing process and thus make $20. You receive not only the value
of this 360 pounds that you put on, which amounts at six cents a
pound to $21.60, l)ut you also get your increased value on the thou-

THE i:Ml*()liTEl. FKKNCH CUACIl STALLlOiN "TOKUENT," 2813.

Torrent was bred by the most noted of French Coach Breeders, M. Eallouet. who
has produced some of the greatest winners of France.

Torrent has a record of 3 kilometers (two miles) in five minutes, made over a sod
tracli with a 140 pound man on his bacli.

Torrent won the Spohr Trophy at the Chicago Horse (Show as tlie best coach
stallion, any age, has been shown at twenty State Fairs and has never been defeated.
Won 1st and Grand Championship I'rizes at the International Live Stock Exposition at
Chicago. 1903. Won 1st and Grand Championship Prizes at the St. Louis World's Fair,
1904. And again at the International in Chicago, 1904, won 1st and Grand '.'hamjuonship
iTizes.

Torrent is owned by McLaughlin Bros., importers of Percheron and French Coach
Horses, Coiumhus. Ohio, and Kansas City, Mo.

LIVE STOCK BREF.DRRS" ASSOCIATION. 177

sand pounds original weight. Suppose this animal weighed only 500
pounds, you paid $20 for him and you put on the same gain, namely
360 pounds. You then have 860 pounds. You sell him for $51.60. At
six cents a pound you have the same $21.60 profit that you had before,
but you have only $10 for finishing the 500 pounds original weight
instead of $20, and that is why it is sometimes better to feed two-year-
olds than calves or yearlings, because you get an increased value on
their original weight.

The condition of the animal has a bearing upon this question of
age. If we buy calves, most of which have not yet been weaned, they
are usually in prime condition. Such calves will at first lose rather
than gain when placed on feeds.

Go to the market and buy range cattle after they have come 400
miles to the market and have been eating stock yards hay a while and
they willl be in good condition to put on gain rapidly and that is an-
other reason why it may not always be more profitable to feed young
cattle.

Now I do not want to be understood as saying that it does not
pay to feed young cattle. I have been discussing this question from
only one view point — the standpoint of the big feeder who buys his
cattle, and not from the standpoint of the man who raises his cattle.
The man who raises his cattle is a very short sighted man if he fails
to feed those cattle from the time they are born until they are ready
to go to the market. This is where we get baby beef and that is why it
is always profitable. It is unwise and unprofitable for a man who raises
a good grade of cattle to keep them until they are two years old. This
is a losing business. He should always feed them well and sell them at
a young age.

THE PERCHERON AND FRENCH COACH HORSE FOR THE
AMERICAN FARMER AND BREEDER.

(Mr. W. M'Laughlin, Kansas City, Mo.)

It is a well-known truth that the horses of a country partake to
a very large extent of the characteristics of the people of that country.
The people who inhabit Normandy, in the northern part of France,
the country in which are raised both the Percheron and French Coach-
ers, are not the sort of people whom Americans ordinarily think of
as Frenchmen. These people partake fully as much of their ancestors

A— 12

178 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

from the north as they do of the southern blood in them. They are
strong, large, vigorous and broad-minded ; in other words, they are
more like the people of America than perhaps those of any single
nation in luirope.

The horses bred in that country are of the t}pc that one would
expect. There is no breed of draft horses in the world that possesses
the same strength, the same force, the same elegance of conforma-
tion, the same activity, the same ability for moving heavy loads at a
rapid pace as does the Percheron. It has been proven without any
question, and without danger of its being refuted, that the Percheron
horse crosses better and does better than any other draft horse in this
country; therefore, the horses brought from France to America are
not compelled to undergo any great climatic changes. I am c'ertain
that it is duL' to a great extent to this fact that horses from France
have been so successful in America.

The French people have been for centuries aided in the improvement
of their breeds of horses by the government. At the present time no
stallion is permitted to stand for public service in France until he
has been passed upon by the government officials. This has aided
very materially in the perfection of both the Percheron and the French
Coach breeds of horses.

The Percheron horse is bred in his purity in the district south-
west of Paris, beginning about fifty miles from Paris, at Chartes, and
extending about seventy-five miles west. It is oval in shape and is
about fifty miles wide. In it are some of the most fertile valleys in
the world. The country is broken, and on this account gives the
necessary encouragement to producing not only a heavy horse, but
one with great activity as well.

The Coach horse is bred in the country north of the Percheron,
between Alencon and the English channel. They are in no way in-
termingled, as the line between the district where Perchcrons are
bred and where Coachers are bred is very well defined.

The Percheron is known throughout the whole of this country.
In color he is usually gray or black. At the present time the black
probably predominates. In height he is ordinarily about sixteen
hands. In weight from sixteen to twenty-two hundred pounds, de-
pending to a very great extent on the amount of flesh he carries. These
horses have been bred in the same district, the son breeding and fol-
lowing in the footsteps of the father, from time immemorial. They
have been imported in large numbers to America, in fact such a drain
has been made upon the country that a great many of the inferior

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 179

specimens have been brought here, yet, nothwithstanding this fact,
they have crossed with the native mares in America and produced
animals vastly superior in conformation, in endurance, in elegance
and in activity to those that the very best stallions of any other draft breed
have ever been able to produce. At all the greatest shows of draft
work horses in this country they have never been defeated by the
produce of any other draft breed crossed with the mares of this coun-
try. At the recent Inter-National in Chicago, these grade Percherons
defeated the very best pure bred animals of the other draft breeds that
unlimited expenditures of money could find in Europe.

The economical farmers of this country who wish to produce on
their farms the greatest quantity of products with the least cost, and
those are the men who are always successful, will find that grade Per-
cherons will do more work on their farms for a less expenditure in
feed than will any other breed of horses that can be found. I wish to
urge this fact especially upon your attention. I do not think that
there is any possible way of being of more benefit to a community
than to be instrumental in procuring animals of this breed tO' work on
your farms, and thereby not only increase the production, but diminish
the cost as well. At this time, when so many of the young men are
leaving the farms for the cities, it is essential in order to induce the
young man to stay on the farm that he have some interest that will
keep him there; good horses will produce more good effect in this
line than will other breeds of live stock.

There is also another side, which, while it should not, yet it will
probably interest you more, that is the side which touches the pocket-
book. There is no place in which the products of the farm can be
placed more profitably than in good horses. There is always a de-
mand for the best, and the best always brings high prices. Only re-
cently in New York a large firm paid $45,000 for one-hundred-grade
Percherons. These horses were all bred in the middle west, and the
men who bred them certainly never made more money out of the corn and
oats they fed to any animals than they did from the oats and corn
these horses ate, and while they were eating it they were enabled,
after the age of two years, to always earn enough to much more than
pay for the feed they consumed.

There is another type of horse which is very profitable for the
farmer to raise. It not only gives him great pleasure, but great profit
as well. This is the highest class carriage horse. His height is about
sixteen hands. His weight about twelve hundred pounds, and with
this he must possess a beautiful conformation as well as good action.

I So • MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

The better the action the higher price he will bring. The production of
this class of horses can be arrived at in no better and quicker way
than by crossing the ordinary light mares of this country — the trot-
ting mares or saddle mares — with a French Coach stallion. The
country about Marion, Iowa, which has produced more high-class
carriage horses than any other section of the United States, has used
more French Coach stallions in their production than has any other
section.

The French Coach horse has been developed to its present state
of perfection by the French government in order to produce a horse
of more courage, more endurance and better conformation than any
other breed of horses in the world. That they have succeeded in this
eflfort is proven by the fact that all other countries in Europe come to
France to purchase French Coach stallions for the improvement of
their herds of carriage horses.

There never was a better time to begin breeding and raising bet-
ter horses than the present moment. We now have an export trade
firmly established for our grade Percherons and CoacherS, so that the
time will come when the American farmer can not sell good ones for
Europe at a profit better than he can receive for any other breeds of
live stock.

THE PACKERS AND THE RAILROADS— THE TWIN SER-
PENTS, HOW TO BRUISE THEIR HEADS.

(M. H. Pemberton, Oentralia, Mo.)

Sometimes I talk for fun — sometimes for money — but to-night I
am talking for the farmer. I am one of the horny hands of the sons
of toil — without the horny hands. But I know the farmer's troubles,
and I am here to tell some of them.

Until I began farming I never knew that there were so many
hogs in the world. I find the woods is full of them, and they all need
ringing. A hog that don't need ringing is down in the back, or dead.
Another thing about a hog. I have never gone out to feed my hogs
yet and had one of them come up and wait until any of the rest got
there. Not only does he not wait, but he grabs the corn and runs off
with it. And the hog that has been lying around the corn-crib or
drinking slop from the kitchen for a year or two is generally the
biggest hog.

The majority of mankind are not related to hogs, but some are,

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. l8l

and these you must ring. They are in the farmer's corn-crib and
eating up his substance. But my subject is not hogs, but serpents,
the twin serpents, the Packers and the Railroads, and how to bruise
their heads. Every monopoly and trust affects the farmer, as well as
every other man not on the inside, and profiting by it, but the Beef
Trust and the Railroad monopoly are the two serpents whose slimy
coils are around the farmer. To shake them off, to cut them loose,
to bruise their heads, is the thought of the farmer. The farmer's heel
is just itching to get on them. And if I mistake not the signs of the
times, we are going to see the heel of Uncle Sam come down, and woe
be unto all that are beneath it.

In the Vatican in Rome, of which you have heard the college
orator speak, is a celebrated work of art, a marble sculpture repre-
senting Laocoon and his two boys being strangled by snakes. The
faces of the father and sons express the most intense agony and pain
as they struggle in the coils of the venomous serpents. Laocoon was
a very strong man, but the serpents were smothering him. As I stood
before this group of father and children struggling in the coils of
those moccasin-headed snakes I thought, here is the American farmer,
and that big snake there drinking blood from his side is the Beef
Trust, and that other big snake wrapped about his arms to keep him
from striking is his twin brother, the Railroad. And those little
snakes — what did they represent? I couldn't tell, unless they were
the crooked betrayers of the people, who had crawled into the halls
of the Legislature, and were simply there to catch the overflow.

I have chosen this subject because the Packers and the Railroads
are the two thorns now in the farmer's flesh, and because I believe
that the farmer will have to pick his own splinters out if he ever gets
them out. The farmer in the past has been too easy — too good — too
slow. He toiled all day and slept all night. He watched his own
stuff, and forgot to watch the other fellow. He looked down and not
up. The result is that the corporations have a patent on all his rights.
But now the farmer is awake and wants his six-bits back. They
were given or sold away by law, and by law they will have to return.

For instance — I don't like to deal in generalities — let us get down
to particulars. The first time I went to market with my stock I
didn't like the way things were done there. The charges looked too
high, and there seemed to be too many middle men standing around.
The train got in a day late and we had to lay over. Yardage, feed
and commission seemed out of proportion to the price of stuff, and I
said, is this the way Missouri runs her stockyards? I was thinking

l82 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

of "poor old Missouri" leavijig her lambs to be shorn and led up to
the slaughter without a murmur, when I was informed that the State
of Missouri had nothing to do with it. Well, I said, is this the best
the city of St. Louis can do? 1 was informed that the city of St.
Louis had nothing to do with it. Well, said I, what is this thing
here, anyway — who owns this building and these yards? A Stock Yards
Company of gentlemen, who have little privileges in their pockets from
the great State of Missouri to run them for their own benefit. The
farmer holds his hands, and the Stock Yards Company goes down one
pocket and the commission firms down the other, and if he gets back
home with his breeches he is doing well. He had sense enough to raise
or buy his stufiF, and feed it, and ship it to market, but he hasn't enough
to sell it or buy more, and he has to have help to get his pass back home.

I say to you that the great State of Missouri ought to own her
own stockyards in the city of St. Louis, Kansas City and St. Joseph,
and all the other centers of population in the State, and they ought
to be run at a minimum cost for the benefit of the farmers, who pro-
duce and ship the stock to market. Not only the State own the yards,
but the farmer should be allowed to sell his own stuff and buy it in
the open market. As it is, a killer in the city cannot or will not buy
from a farmer in the country without allowing a fee to some pet com-
mission firm. If one packing house buyer gets into the pen and bids
on stuff, and wants his bid to be final, he will not be molested by his
competitiors — his rival — his pal. They remind me of the way tramps
do business. When meat is to be had they chalk the gate, and the
next day his brother tramp stops for feed at the same place.

I am not sure but that the State should maintain a slaughter-
house, where the farmer can have stock killed at so much per hun-
dred, which would open the market to retail butchers, who could buy
it on the hook. Tt is done in other countries, and we certainly have
as much sense as sleepy Europe. But the Beef Trust has us — they
fix the price,- and they make the market. Why have hogs been worth
about four cents at home all fall, with corn at 40 to 50 cents? Be-
cause the packers are now packing their pork. And why will they sell
higher in a very few weeks? Because the packers will have pork to
sell. Like begets like. Thcv handle the hogs so much they become
like them. And why do the farmers and stockmen permit these con-
ditions to exist? Because they have not howled out loud enough
against them. These men we send to make our laws — they will listen
to us. when they are sure the howl means business. At last a President
of the United States has heard the fanner's veil, and he has answered,

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 183

Rah ! Rah ! Rah ! oh, yes sir — we'll look into the Beef Trust — we'll
crack it to the railroads, and we'll do any other old thing that the
people demand. Publicity is the doctrine. It will pull bad things
down, and it will help good things up. My advke to farmers is, when
you see a great evil, something that's robbing you, just begin to yell,
and get your neighbors to yell, and get everybody to yell, and don't
stop yelling until Uncle Sam asks, "what's the matter?" Then tell him
the trouble, and tell him to move double quick.

According to my doctrine, the states ought to take over the stock-
yards, and manage and control them in the interest of the people as a
w^hole. Let laws b'e enacted and enforced which will give absolute
protection to the buyers and sellers in that market. And let the peo-
ple in tlie towns and the country kill their own stock as far as possible.
I was glad when I learned that right here in Columbia some enter-
prising men were putting in an independent packing plant. Now you
watch the packers run meat into this town at less than cost and try to
crush out this enterprise. If I were running a butcher-shop in this
town and the packers oflfered me meat on the hook at the price of
beef on the hoof, I would tell them to go to — wherever my religion
would allow me to say.

The packers violate the law every day. They agree daily on the
price they will pay and the price at which they will sell. Supply and
demand operate, of course, but the packers can push the price up or
down just as they wish. Now this is no theory, and there is no guess-
ing about it. I have seen them do it, and any other man who has
bought and sold around where they do business has seen it. But
what are w^e going to do about it? I'm too young to announce any
radical remedies, but I will venture this much. If the farmer in par-
ticular and the public in general will inform themselves of the live
stock situation, and the dead stock situation, there will be something
doing. But the public — oh! The public — they step over evils six
feet high and never see anything until it bumps them in the head.
Every man is trying to feather his own nest, with mighty little
thought of the public good. Men become satisfied in their spheres of
activity, forgetting that there are buzzards above them just waiting
for a chance at their carcass. When we see the black shadows about
us it is a good time to stop and take a shot at the beasts above. The
man who keeps his nose constantly to the grindstone may sharpen
his nose, but he will end up with a disfigured face. They used to
make a heap of fun of the horse-back farmer, but I find that I can see
more upon the top of a horse than I can on the ground. It's a good

184 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

idea to get upon the fence occasionally and think a thought or two.
The farmer's job is not done when he has produced something, the
pie has to be distributed — passed around, and he has to see to it that
too many fingers don't get in on it.

A great day is ahead for the farmer. It used to be that the lead-
ing citizen was a man most ignorant of agriculture. Today a man
who knows not agriculture is an ignoramus, fit only to send to make
our laws. And they used to think the farmer had hayseed in his
hair, and didn't know how to cut his whiskers, and wore one suspender
by preference. That old farmer is dead, and they are growing selected
seed corn over his grave. The high-class farm papers, the news-
papers, the telephones, and rural delivery killed him. The modern
farmer is on to his job, and what he does not know he is learning, and
the main thing he is learning is to take care of himself, and look after
his interests. You need not be surprised when he gets after the Beef
Trust, and makes it hot for the railroads. It's a part of his business.
The people are coming into their own, and are learning that legisla-
tors are their hired men, and that the machinery of the law was
meant to use.

The packers are a great people. They have helped to make the
country what it is. They built the plants that slaughter thousands
of animals that it takes daily to feed the multitudes, but we have a
right that they confine their slaughtering to the animals, and let the
farmer live. We must look after the goose that lays the golden egg.
When the packers go beyond the purpose of their existence and com-
bine to fix prices and violate the law, the people have a right, and
ought to break up their illegal combinations.

I hope I have not stated the case unfairly against the packers —
but if the Beef Trust is not a serpent whose head needs bruising, then
I am no judge of snakes. I will confess that I am a little bit sore on
packers. I have been feeding four-cent hogs on fifty-cent corn, when
I know and you know that the packers have arbitrarily held the price
there until they could load up their coolers to unload on the public
later at an exorbitant price and a tremendous profit to themselves.
And if that won't put a farmer on the war path, what will? I wish
I was a great big lawyer — big enough to be Attorney-General, I
would take a few rough-riding lessons, and tell you farmers to get
up behind, and we would charge the I'eef 'j'rust l)cfore breakfast. I
was a lawyer once — the kind yon read about — who got a diploma, but
never got a case. But I'm very well satisfied with my position — there
is a better opening in Missouri for a live, kicking farmer than for a
Democratic candidate for ofTice.

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So much for the packer. Now this Beef Trust has a brother, a
twin brother, the Raih-oad Monopoly. Regulation of the railroads is
the question of the hour. In the early days the railroads were built
by everybody. The capital came from many sources, and competi-
tion was sharp. The people suffered no evil. But times have changed.
We have had organization and combination until half a dozen families
own the railroads of America. Competition is destroyed. Rates are
fixed. Discriminations abound. Rebates are behind the scenes. The
people's rights are ignored, and the farmer's only protection is to look
out for the cars.

At the outset I want to say that on this railroad question I'm a
"gover'menter," I want to see the people in control of every public
highway from a dog path up to the Atlantic. Because I believe that
when everything belongs to the people the people ought to have
possession of it. My politics is public ownership of all public utilities.
T want to see every city own and operate street railways, her water
works and lights. I want to see the great American continent with a
net work of railroads owned and operated by the national govern-
ment. I want to see ships and steamers, floated by Uncle Sam, and
waving the stars and stripes upon every stream that touches America.
Public highways and transportation belong to all the people and to
unborn generations, and should never be given or sold away to private
individuals. You say that we have the right to regulate and control
transportation lines. Yes, but history has proven that we cannot do it.
They have debauched our public servants with dirty money, and ob-
tained privileges and franchises for nothing that were worth millions,
and they have maintained a standing army of secret service men to
watch the halls of Legislature and keep the people out ; and I am sorry
to say that in many cases some of the secret service men have gotten
on the inside. The people furnish them a free seat, cut their whiskers,
shine their boots and furnish them a free bath. Now I am not kick-
ing on the bath — no doubt they need it — but the people need the seat
to put a man in. How many Senators in the United States do you
suppose there are who are more watchful of the interests of certain
corporations than they are of the people's welfare? More than one,
I assure you. It is a hard thing to say, but wrongs are never righted
by silence. Watch the railroad legislation now in process at Wash-
ington, and if no Senator raises his hand against the people's inter-
est, I will retract. As long as United States Senators are chosen by
State Legislatures we may expect railroads and corporations to con-
trol legislation. The people in every county and in every State in

l86 MlSSUUKl A(JKJCUL.TUKAL KEl'ORT.

the Union ought to exact a pledge from every candidate for the Legis-
lature, that before he casts his vote for a United States Senator, that
Senator should pledge himself to work for and vote for the election of
United States Senators by direct vote of the people. Until we obtain
possession of our law-making bodies, wc cannot expect to control and
regulate the railroads, the corporations and the trusts, which arc now
preying upon the public. But, with i)ublic ownership of our law-
making bodies, we could obtain control of public utilities that are now
private monopolies. With public ownership of the railroads there
would follow a parcels post system which would relieve the people from
the merciless extortion of the greatest highway robbers of modern
times, the express companies. The telegraph service would be at-
tached to ever}^ postoffice, where it belongs ; and the grip of many
other monopolies would be broken. Now someone will accuse me of
talking politics — ^I am not talking politics — I am talking self-preserva-
tion. If President Roosevelt were nominated four years hence on a
Republican platform declaring for the public ownership of railroads,
the telegraph, a parcel post system, and the election of United States
Senators by direct vote of the people, T would vote for him. And if
Wm. J. Bryan were nominated on such a platform by the Democrats
I would vote for him. .A.nd if I were nominated for the Legislature
on such a platform two years hence, I would vote for myself. T lost
my last election by not voting for myself, and T will never do it again.
People think of public ownership of public utilities as a strange
doctrine. They forget that the government manages the postofFice,
the most gigantic business, the most intricate, and with more details
than any other business ever inaugurated by man. They also forget
that more miles of railroad arc owned and operated by the govern-
ment than by corporations. I go on the principle that if my neighbor
does a thing a certain way and it is a big success, that it will pay me
to investigate his business and do likewise. When other nations can
give their people cheap passenger rates and freight rates, and make
their railroads revenue produc^^rs, it is certainly worth our while to
consider who has the better way. It is sometimes said that public
ownership of railroads would give too much chance for corruption.
Wouldn't it be better to have corrupt officials occasionally in the pub-
lic service, w1hm\- we would get at them and kirk- Iheni nut, than to
have them continually in the private concerns where we can't touch
them with a forty-foot pole? I firmly believe that the final victory
of the people over monopolies is to be had only in public ownership
of public utilities. It is coming, but it is not here yet, and until it

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 1 87

comes the farmer and stockman must get the best relief possible un-
der the present system. The question is forever settled that a rail-
road is a public highway, and as such is subject to control and regu-
lation. We may not be able to reach their secret coffers and prevent
rebates and discriminations, but many evils and extortions can be
corrected if we will use the machinery and powers that we have. And
the farmer's mam power is kicking. Again we must get up steam
by the farmer's yell, and while the President is advocating federal
regulation, and an increase of power of the Inter-State Commerce
Commission, we ought to begin to yell, and yell so loud that our rep-
resentatives at Washington will hear the echo, and will be afraid to
come home until they do something to relieve the people from the
greed and grasp of the railroads.

SHOULD WE FEED THE CROPS ON OUR FARMS OR SELL

THEM ?

(D. T. Mitchell, Woodlandville.)

Or in other words, is it best for a farmer to feed his crop to his
stock on the farm — cattle, hogs or sheep — or sell the grain product?
There are only two phases that I will attempt to bring out of this ques-
tion in the discussion of this subject. The farmer will necessarily be
influenced in answering this question by his view-point. If he regards
as the foremost of all important questions, the piling up of dollars — if
he thinks more of a plethoric bank account than he does of a bright
son or a sweet daughter — or if he thinks it is no rebellion against nature
to commence life with a vigorous, productive soil and leave it worn
out, an ugly waste place, fit only to mar the beauty of nature and re-
quire of the next occupant an accession of more wealth than he has
put to his own account to restore its fertility, then he will pursue that
course that will bring to his possession the greatest number of dollars.
In doing this I think he commits a sin, in an agricultural sense, un-
pardonable. I do not believe that any man has a moral right to take
the resources that the Divine Creator has put into our hands and waste
or abuse them, and the selling of crops from the land must necessarily
entail this condition. It is a sin against the resources that have been
committed to his care for a wise purpose.

We have all heard the remark — I have at least in my own com-
munity: "Well, this land will last and continue to produce, I suppose,
as long as I live or I shall want it," carrying out the idea that the Al-

l88 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

mighty had no other object in view in the creation of that land than
his occupancy or its use during his life time. Certainly we ought to
have enough patriotism and love for our fellow men to not export
that fertility which has been so abundantly given to our possession. If
we continue to drain our soils by the carting off of our products without
reimbursing them, we must necessarily deplete our soils.

Another reason: We are better prepared to meet the question
of transportation in a concentrated form by feeding our products on
the farm than by carting it and selling it in a crop form. I use to
live in the Rocky Mountains. The concentration of the ores was se-
cured by a succession of innumerable mines, they were concentrating
mines by which they reduced the weight to such an extent that the ores
could be sent to the smelting plants, and otherwise they could not
have transported them at all. This same process will apply when
farmers understand that a bushel of corn weighing 70 pounds can be
put into five pounds of beef, and so on through the entire list, including
the greatest concentration, the dairy product, and they will see the eco-
nomical aspect of this question in the matter of shipment of our stock
as compared with our grain products.

Therefore, for two reasons, I think we should feed the products of
the farm on the farm rather than to sell them in their crop condition,
from the fact that we maintain the fertility of our soil thereby and can
concentrate our produQt so that we are not so heavily taxed in getting
it to the market. These are the two ideas I advance, and thank you
for your attention.

NEW METHODS.

(Hon. M. V. Carroll, Sodalla. Mo.)

When I begun to consider the subject assigned me as a preliminary
to the preparation of this paper, I was undecided whether I should feel
complimented over the fact that its boundaries are as limitless as the
ocean, or regret that the starting and stopping points were not more
clearly defined. I have heard that in political meetings, where the man-
agers have to deal with a verbose, long-winded individual, they aim
to make him chairman and thus curb his talking propensity. Were this
theory applied I should feel complimented that the program committee
had sufficient confidence in my bent for concentration to assign me a
subject practically devoid of limitations.

The sphere of operations covered by the two organizations repre-

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 189

sented in this meeting — the hve stock breeders and corn growers — in-
ckides the major portion of the whole field of Agriculture. It has been
said that there is nothing new, that the discoveries of today are the
forgotten knowledge of former times. Were this literally true the task
assigned me — that of indicating new methods for the application of
farmers and stockmen — would be an impossible one. In the presence
of an audience such as I am facing, composed as it is of learned college
professors, bright and quick-witted students and successful farmers and
stockmen who possess the cumulative knowledge that comes from long
years of experience and research, it would be presumptuous for me to
attempt to specify any new or unheard of methods. But we are all more
or less prone to forgetfulness, hence what I may say will be to you as re-
minders rather than innovations.

REAPING WITHOUT SOWING.

Knowledge is of no practical value unless applied. There was a
time in this country when the custom of sneering at what was designated
as "book farmin' " was widespread and popular and its votaries delighted
to belittle the agricultural press and every farmer who sought to gain
information thereby about his calling. Now the intelligent, progressive
farmer could not get along without these harbingers of progress. Through
their aid he may be said to reap without sowing — he garners the net re-
sults of the experience of thousands of other farmers and skillful in-
vestigators without himself having to undergo costly and vexing ex-
periments. The disposition to realize on this species of "reaping" may
be called a "new method" for the reason that not more than one farmer
in ten takes and reads agricultural papers. May be this statement ap-
pears overdrawn ? Mentally survey your own community : What per
cent of those of your acquaintance can prove by their system of farming
that they read agricultural papers? In our editorial rooms we receive
a large number of agricultural exchanges, coming from all parts of
America — without a single exception each and every one of them strenu-
ously and persistently advocate the sheltering and proper care of farm
implements. Recently, while making a ten-mile drive in a certain South-
west Missouri county — one of the best, too, in the State — I noted the
binders, mowers, plows, cultivators and other implements left in fence
corners and other unsheltered places, and calculated their aggregate
worth at conservative values — there were over $2,000 worth left out
doors, to rust and rot away. Possibly some of you pure bred stock
breeders would say that the owners of those implements are "scrub"
farmers. Maybe they are — but the biggest display of unsheltered im-

190 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

plemer.ts I saw during that drive was on the farm of a pure bred stock
breeder. However, I may say, parenthetically, that I don't think he is
in attendance at this meeting.

SOILS AND SEEDS.

In my boyhood days, back in the Buckeye state, I heard old farmers
boast that a certain field had been cropped continuously in corn for
forty years, but they would mournfully admit that their yield was "sorter
nubbiny, kinder run out." The "new methods" of modern agriculture
teach that such a practice robs and impoverishes the soil ; that unless
we give back to it in some form an equivalent for the plant food taken
from it we lessen its productive capacity — also, that if proj^erly managed,
the degree of soil fertility may not only be fully maintained while pro-
ducing a maximum yield but may actually be increased. The aforesaid
"double decade" corn grower, uninformed of the facts that like pro-
duces like and that cereals allowed to follow their natural inclinations in-
evitably tend to deterioration rather than improvement, selected his
seed corn from his crib of nubbins — the variegated result was designated
"kaliker corn" and was just a little bit meaner than the parent stock
You expert corn growers now talk about breeding corn, meaning there-
by improving it by the careful selection of foundation stock (the seed),
mating it with the requisite conditions of soil fertility and tilth and the
application of known facts relative to pollination by means of which
you maintain its pure bred standard and reasonably expect the off-
spring will be just a little better than the parent stock in both quality
and yield, and that the net results will more than compensate for the
cost of their achievement. This is a "new method" of corn growing and
it will apply with equal force to every other crop grown on the farm.

NEW LIVE STOCK METHODS.

When we contemplate the apparently well authenticated statement
that less than two per cent of the live stock of the United States is pure
bred, the remainder being grades and scrubs, the conclusion must obtrude
itself that most of the hosts were absent from home when Mr. and Mrs.
New Methods made their round of calls. The old method was to breed
and continue to breed scrubs ; the new method would banish the scrubs
and supply their places with pure bred live stock, all kinds. Many,
many years of patient, persistent elTort, representing the natural life-
time of two generations, supplemented by the expenditure of millions
of dollars, have been devoted to the improvement of live stock in this
country, and yet we face the humiliating fact that but one-fiftieth of the

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. IQI

task of scrub annihilation is accomplished. What's the matter? Why-
have we not made greater progress?

A famous American general is credited with the declaration rel-
ative to one of his campaigns that he would "fight it out on that line
if it took all smnmer." We have already devoted almost a century of
summers to our plan of attack on scrubs and have only made a two
per cent start. Evidently our plan of campaign is defective. Maybe our
supposed new method is really an old, antiquated one, else why such
slow progress? This paper is already becoming lengthy and older and
wiser heads than mine have wrestled with this problem. I frankly con-
fess my inability to suggest a new method that would promise to speedily
and effectually surmount all of the old obstacles to universal live stock
purification. I will, however, present a few suggestions born of close
observation.

"scrub" pure bred breeders.

That quaint old Englishman, Ben Johnson, said that "clothes make
the man." We know that appearances always count for more than their
par value, either for or against a man. I said a while ago that the
largest display of unsheltered implements I saw in a ten-mile drive,
was on the farm of a pure bred breeder. That man was related to the
"Bill Tumbledown" family and is a positive detriment to the crusade
against scrubs. Why ? Because the average farmer who has been breed-
ing scrubs has come unconsciously to the belief that the owner of pure
bred stock — "thoroughbreds" he calls them — is a pure bred farmer, that
all of his methods ^md operations should harmonize with his pretensions
about his stock ; when he finds that the animals with high-sounding pedi-
grees are so unpreposessing in appearance by reason of indifferent,
"'scrub" care as to look no better than his own mongrels, and that the
surroundings of rickety, ragged fences, neglected buildings, foul and
muddy lots ; thickets of cockleburrs and the whole premises resembling
the typical "widder woman's place," his ardor to replace his scrubs with
pure breds is very apt to cool off —his respect for pure bred stock and
pure bred breeders undergoes a shrinkage and if he does buy some of
those unfortunate animals he is apt to handle them by scrub methods, be-
cause he is unable to see wherein Bill Tumbledown's methods are any
better than his own, and disappointment is bound to result. In the
language of the street. Bill is a misfit. He is a scrub breeder of pure
bred stock, a mixture of old and new methods in which the old predomi-
nates and his influence is a wet blanket on the great industry with
which he has aligned himself. The multiplicity of members of the Tum-
bledown familv is the oreatest of all hindrances to the banishment of

1.92 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

scrubs. The new methods here applicable would be to furnish pure bred
care and environment to pure bred stock — then the moral force of the
combination would most certainly impress their great superiority over
scrubs.

INFLUENCE OF THE SHOW RING.

Public sales of pure bred stock have become a popular means of
selling the surplus and could be made to exercise a highly beneficent in-
fluence. Unfortunately, however, they are often detrimental to the
pure bred cause — again too many Tumbledowns. Scalawag and tail-
ender stock, fop-heavy with pedigree but devoid of even ordinary in-
dividual merit, that should have gone to the feed lot is presented as breed-
ing stock. Here again the votary of scrubs who has come as a spectator
draws invidious comparisons and gives audible utterances to his thoughts :
"Them peddygreed critters ain't a bit better than my scrubs." The new
method would be to not only rigidly exclude from the public sale ring
all but really meritorious stock but to deny it registration as well. The
record association should exercise a more rigid censorship over the
quality of breeding stock for which they assume to stand sponsor.

My subject leads on and on, but this paper is already too long. Let
us reform our plan of campaign, retrace our steps and start again by
regenerating the scrub breeders — the men who assume to breed pure
bred stock, while practicing scrub methods, then scrub live stock will
lessen rapidly.

WHAT HAS THE WORLD'S FAIR ACCOMPLISHED FOR

MISSOURI?

(lion. Mat. W. Hall. Marshall.)

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen :

I believe the subject assigned to me is "What has the World's Fair
Accomplished for Missouri?" I want to say that I am glad to be in
Columbia tonight and I am glad to undertake to make some sort of ad-
dress in the University of the State of Missouri on this particular sub-
ject. I am glad for the reasons that two of your citizens were very
prominently connected with the World's Fair.

As to what this World's Fair has accomplished for Missouri, no
man at this time is able to know. Since I have been assigned this ques-
tion, I have asked a great many people "What particular thing, above
all others, in your judgment, has the World's Fair done for Missouri?"

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They have given me aU sorts of answers. Some of them have said :
"Why, it has advertised Missouri to the East, which never appreciated
it before." Others have said that "it has advertised Missouri, not only
to the east, but to the civiHzed world, as she has never been advertised
before." These things are good, I will admit, but there are other great
things that this Fair has done for Missouri.

This Fair has done somethings, some things it has not done. One thing
it has done : this Fair enabled Missouri to discover your distinguished
citizen, Walter Williams, and in spite of his extreme modesty, has forced
him to acknowledge the fact that he is the author of the best history
of Missouri that has ever been written up to date, and that history, to-
night, is not only scattered over every state in this glorious Union, but
it is being read by the people of every civilized country on earth. But
one thing this Fair has not accomplished, fellow citizens, and I rejoice
in the fact that it has not, it has not made any change in the countenance
of the man who conducts the train that runs from here out to the Wabash
main line. From the cap that sits on his head to the shoes that are on
his feet, there is a look and an appearance of satisfaction and content-
ment. I think he is the best satisfied — the best contented man with the
position he holds that I have ever seen in my life. He is cordial to every-
body. He assists the ladies on and off the train and he is as well satis-
fied as it is necessary for any man in this world to be. And what a
great thing, fellow citizens, what a great thing, it is to be satisfied. And
the greatest thing, in my judgment that this World's Fair has done for
Missouri is that it has satisfied Missourians with this, our own country.
It has done more to make Missourians contented with Missouri than all
other agencies put together in the last forty years.

I think I have a right to speak on this question, for the reason that
I journeyed over the western half of Missouri and Col. Waters down there
journeyed over the eastern half of Missouri, organizing the several coun-
ties in this State, looking to the getting out of the displays from these
counties, and I say to you that I never understood, and I found the people
in these counties did not understand any better than I did, the wonderful,
zi'onderful possibilities of this great State of ours. I want to say to
you that I found counties where men had been living for years and
years, surrounded with peace and plenty and living in comfort — had
simply stayed at home. They had looked on the same ridges, they had
looked on the same trees and the same houses and the same people until
things had become common to them. I have known numbers of these
cases where these men in an unguarded moment priced their farms to
some passerby and sold out at what they considered fabulous prices,

A— 13

194 • AIISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT,

thinking they would go to another state and better their condition. I
have known Missourians to leave our State in the last four years, and
after they, had looked around for a few weeks, go back to their original
vine and shade tree and beg the man that had bought their farms to let
them buy them back at an increased price, and when they were refused,
sat down and wept. I thank God, as a Missourian, for the World's
Fair, if it has done nothing else than to satisfy our own people with
our own country and induced them to hold on to it. It has enabled
Missouri to make the greatest display of her mineral resources that the
world has ever seen. The people of our own State now know more about
the possibilities of the mineral output in Missouri than they have here-
tofore known, even of the Agricultural output in this State. In the
Educational Department, in the Forest, Fisheries and Game, as in all
the rest of the departments, no man ever saw from any State or
country such a display as was made by Missouri. It enabled the farmers
of Missouri to make the greatest Agricultural display that was ever seen
or known at any of the great fairs of the world. And I want to say to
you that when the Committee on Awards had completed their labors in
the Agricultural building they came to me and said: "We have done
for Missouri all that it is possible for us to do under the rules of this
Exposition, but we realize that we have not done half enough." Half
enough. "Because," they said, "Missouri stands here absolutely in a class
by herself ; so much so that we, the members of the Group Jury are
going to the Superior Jury and ask them to create a special place that
Missouri may have some special recognition." I want to say that while
the . farmers are responsible for this magnificent display — because we
never could have made it in the world if the farmers of Missouri had
not responded to our call — I want to say that they were as much sur-
prised when they came down there and saw what they had done as any-
body else that visited that Exposition. We had on display about three
thousand bushels of corn, the equal of which was never collected before
under one roof.

Another thing that the World's Fair has enabled Missouri to do —
some of that corn today is in every part of the civilized world. Missouri
has corn today growing in South Africa. Early last spring there was a
South African Boer farmer who came over to St. Louis to look after
improved farm machinery. He came to our space and he greatly ad-
mired our corn display. Down llurc they call it "the mealy cob." He
said, "It cost England millions of dollars. Our men would have it in
their haversacks and when they stopped at night they would grind it
up with [\\v\y htlle mills antl vvc would make our gruel with it and would

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 195

cook our meat in it. There is nothing in it but what would make us
strong and able to fight, and," he said, "While I don't blame you, still it
is a fact that if the United States had not furnished England so much
beef and so many mules, we would have whipped her in spite of fate."
That South African farmer said further: "The war has destroyed our
horses. The English put explosives under our farm implements and
blew them to pieces, but the great God that rules over the destinies of
our people has given us plenty of coal in the bowels of the earth and we
are getting it out. I have purchased two steam gang plows and I am
going to ship them to South Africa and with these I am going to plow
my land by steam." He owned six thousand acres of this African prairie.
I said : "My friend— because I am your friend, as are all Missourians—
when you get ready to ship your implements back to South Africa,
come to the Missouri space. I want to take out some of the best seed
corn in this space and I want you to carry it back to South Africa and
plant it in the name of Missouri." He came back and I picked out two
barrels of the best corn I could find in the space and he took it back with
him. Their season is the reverse of ours, and it was planted the first of
September and is growing today. That is another thing that the World's
Fair has enabled Missouri to do. It has not only enabled her to show
the wonderful products of this wonderful State of ours, but it has also
enabled her to show that she is a friend of oppressed and down-trodden
humanity wherever that humanity exists.

This subject, ladies and gentlemen, is a pleasant one to me. You
will remember that when the proposition of the World's Fair was first
suggested, I favored that proposition. The people of Missouri responded
to the call of the Missouri Legislature and generously appropriated a
million dollars for Missouri to participate in that great enterprise. The
Missouri Commission have up-to-date — (they have not finished) — spent
about eight hundred thousand dollars of that million dollar appfopria-
tion, and I want to say as a native born Missourian, that, to my mind,
it is the best money that the State has ever expended. Do you believe
me when I tell you that people have come to the Missouri space — (and
you will pardon me, ladies and gentlemen, for speaking of the Agri-
cultural space, for the reason that that is the only space that I had any
thing to do with, and the people that came to that space are the only
ones that I met. I do not want anybody to think that T want to boost
the Agricultural display over the other Missouri displays, because it
was the universal verdict of every lady and gentleman that I conversed
with at the Exposition that — go where you would from the State Build-
ing to any of her exhibits — that Missouri stood head and shoulders, in

ig6 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

every instance, over every other state, territory or nation that exhibited
there) — during spring, summer and fall, people would come to our space
in the Agricultural building from the eastern part of this country and
some of them were so much astonished as to be almost angry, and they
would exclaim, "Why, how does this come? What does this mean?
We have never regarded Missouri as a great Agricultural country." One
man said to me: "This will do a great thing for Missouri. Why no-
body thinks of Missouri like this back in our country. We have always
regarded Missouri as a border state. We really back in our country
when I lirst talked about coming out to the World's Fair" — now this
sounds fishy, but it happened — "when I first talked about coming to the
World's Fair, my people told rne : 'You had better not go down there to
Missouri. Some of those Missourians will kill you before you ever get
back,' and I confess to you that I was silly enough to have fears on that
subject. But I have come and seen your' display and I see as fine men
and women here as I see in any part of the world; and this World's l-'air
will be a great advertisement for Missouri, will cause a great flood of
immigration to come into Missouri." 1 said: "Well, Missouri is here,
they can come if they want to. But," I said, "let me tell you something
about the characteristics of a Missourian. You will never find one of
them that will beg you to come and settle among them, ^'ou are wel-
come if you come and you are welcome to stay if you want to, and if you
don't want to stay, you are just as welcome to go away as you were to
come." He said: "Why are they that kind of people?" I replied, "I
can explain it to you." "Missourians spring from a race of pioneers that
came over into this country in an early day, married, as my father and
mother did, as mere girls and boys, and very frequently journeyed over
into the wilderness here on horseback bringing their worldly possessions
along with them. They located on a good strip of timber, by a good
spring, built them a cabin and began life and lived happy and contented
and raised a large family. They have always known that they had a
good thing, they have always been satisfied with their surroundings and
you never see one of them on a housetop, blowing a horn to attract some-
body's attention to get liim to come and settle here by the side of them ;
but still, if he comes, he is welcome." T further said: "These people that
you find in Missouri come from such stock as that, and while we have
the best people that the sun shines on, wliile we have the most hospitable
people in the world, thev won't beg you to abide with them, but you are
welcome if you want to come. And T say to you now, as a Missourian,
if vou want to chancre vour home, T tell von to come to Missouri and

LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 197

in any part of this great State you will find such a civilization as I have
described to you."

Let me tell you, fellow citizens, a little story of pioneer life I got
hold of in my travels. I was down in Rolla and I was talking about
Missouri, as was my business at that time, and when I finished a tall,
o-rev-whiskered man laid his hand in mine and said "I like to hear a man
talk about Missouri as you have talked about it." I thanked him, of
course, and we drifted to one side and sat down and he told me a story,
and I am going to trespass on your patience to tell it to you. He said :
"Way back in the early days of Missouri two brothers journeyed
over into this State and settled near the Missouri river above St. Louis.
The older brother was to take care of the farm while the younger brother
was to look after the housekeeping, cooking, etc. They lived that way
for several years and did fairly well, but one day the younger brother
who had had a piece of meat to burn while cooking — I suppose a stick
of wood had burned in two, turned the kettle over and poured the con-
tents on the ground — got up a demurrer. He said to his brother: 'We
have been living along this way for several years, but this is not the way
to live. One of us must get married.' The other brother said : 'All
right. You are the youngest. Go and hunt you a wife. I realize that
we can live better and be better men with a housekeeper than we are
now.' The younger one said : 'No, you are the oldest. It is your duty
to get married first.' So they discussed it until Saturday morning. They
knew where there was a pioneer family living across the country con-
taining a number of girls. So on Saturday morning the older brother
started, traveling by the points of the compass, because there was no
road in those days. And when he got over to the house, first his horse
was put up, then he must come in and have some supper. After supper he
and the father of the family walked into an adjoining room and sat down
while the wife and daughters were doing the dishes, etc., and he said
to the father: 'I have come over here to see if you had any objection
to my marrying your daughter.' The old gentleman said — 'Well, I don't
know. What does the girl think about it?' 'Oh,' the young fellow
answered, 'I am not acquainted with your girls at all. I felt that my
first duty was to talk to you on that subject.' The father answered : 'Well,
if my daughter is willing, I certainly have no objections,' and he turned
and spoke to his wife through the open door, and said : 'Send Mary in
here.' Mary came in and he gave her a formal introduction to the man.
He said : 'Mary, here is a man come up here and wants to marry you.
What do you think about it?' 'I have not thought about it at all.' 'Well,
you think about it till tomorrow morning and after breakfast you can

198 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

give your answer.' The dishes were done up. The family sat and con-
versed until retiring time and the next morning Mary was called on for
her reply. She said she was willing to marry the man. The father was
a justice of the peace, and he said : 'If you want to get married, I will
marry you this morning.' The young man said : T don't want to marry
so soon as that. I want to go home and tell my brother and we want
to add what conveniences we can to the premises, in our crude way, and
if agreeable to everybody, I will go home and come back in two weeks
and be married then.' It was agreed, he went home ; he and his brother
did as he said and at the end of the two weeks he came back and the
next morning they were married. He got on his horse and rode to the
stile blocks, his girl wife leaped on behind him and their bridal tour was
forty miles through the wilderness back to his home. The sequel to that
story is they lived a long, happy and prosperous life, raising a large
family and today as a result of that union, their grandson is a professor
in the School of Mines at Rolla, Missouri, Professor Wilkerson." This
marriage of real pioneer life seems a very crude marriage to us, but,
ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens and Missourians, I am going to
take the stand on this platform in the year 1905, and say that there was
more sanctity, more manhood and womanhood and more real marriage in
that marriage than there is in half the marriages of today.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have talked to you long enough. I
do not know just what the future of Missouri will be, but my ideal is a
very high one now. I do not know what my own future may be, nor do I
know that I am specially concerned on that point, but I know that I was
born in Missouri, the mother and father who gave me birth are buried
in Missouri and when life's journey is over with me, there is one wish
above all others that I now make, and that is, that I sleep in her bosom
and mingle my ashes with her dust.

I thank vou.

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION.

HELD IN ST. LOUIS, 1904.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD's GREATEST EXPOSITION — MISSOURI IN

COMPARISON.

AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture at the Exposition. — If there was one particular in which
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition excelled all other expositions it
was in the beauty and magnitude of its agricultural display. Agri-
culture is the foundation of all arts, sciences and industries. The only
human occupation, which from its very nature bears an inseparable
relation to the State. Hence there was nothing more fitting than that
the greatest display of the greatest exposition in all the history of
expositions, should have been devoted to agriculture.

The Agricultural Buildiug. — The building itself, with its twin
palace of Horticulture, was badly located. It is the general verdict
toda}' that the Agricultural and Horticultural buildings should have
been placed directly west of the Transportation building. The incon-
venient position of the Agricultural building acted only as a tem-
porary hindrance, for when its glories received their proper adver-
tisement, the crowd thronging its aisles was always large. Although
severely plain in architectural style, the building was graceful enough
when viewed from a distance. It was 1,600 feet by 500 feet, and so
immense that its interior did not reveal the fact that its south door
was nearly twenty feet higher than the north entrance. The building
contained a systematic arrangement of every exhibit pertaining to
agriculture from the earliest day down to the present time. Fully
one-fourth of the space was devoted to farm implements and ma-
chinery, and appliances whereby farm products are manufactured into
the thousand and one things necessary to our daily life. This section
of the building included fertilization and irrigation displays.

Special Displays. — The appliances and methods used in agriculture
were also exhibited in many of the special displays, notably those of
cotton, tobacco, dairying and the manufacture of food stuffs. All
through these exhibits corn was specialized. The grains from each

200 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

State in the Union were given prominent places. The special corn
exhibit not only included the best specimens from every state, but
demonstrated the manufacture of corn into all of its products and by-
products. If this exhibit had showed only what could be made from
corn, it would have been worth months of study. The products and
by-products of corn form a varied group consisting of starch, glucose,
gum, dextrine, anhydrous and grape sugar, syrup, corn oil, corn rub-
ber, corn oil cake, corn oil meal, gluten meal, canned corn, grits,
samp, hominy, malt, whiskey, beer, dry wines of high alcoholic
strength, alcohol, fusel oil, stover, ensilage, shucks, fodder and cobs.
The same method of exhibit and treatment was given the canes, the
beets and the sorghums. The best processes for dairying and cheese
making were exemplified in a model dairy. Sections were also de-
voted to meats, fishes and vegetables — in fact to every known thing
to eat or drink. And a section not of the least interest to the farmer,
showed every insect with an essay upon its habits, and a herbarium
of the diseases most common to plant life in America.

The E.vliibits and Exhibitors. — The Agricultural building contained
12,056 exhibits of all sorts. These exhibits, private and otherwise,
came from every country in the world, and exploited completely the
products of each country and the industries which depended upon
those products. The following countries had spaces : Argentine,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Ceylon, China, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, France, the French colonies, Germany,
German East Africa, Great Britain, Greece, Gautemala. Hayti, Hon-
duras, Ihmgary, Italy. Jamaica (unofficial), Japan, Tlu- Netherlands,
New South Wales, New Zealand. Nicaragua, Peru, Porto Rico, Portu-
gal. Roumania, San Salvador, Siam, South Africa, Spain. Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey (unofficial), Uruguay and Venezuela.

Russia's exhibit was in the Varied Industries building, and the
East In<li;i exhibit, consisting mainly of teas, was in the East India
building. The participation of those countries contributed largely to
the beauty of the building. Among the foreign exhibits from the
western world, there were worthy of special praise, the Argentine
Republic, which, for corn, wheat and cattle, is destined in the future
to be our chief competitor; Mexico with her gorgeous display of
corn, coffee, rubber and semi-tropical products, and Canada, with a
most perfect exploitation of her wonderland ; the great Northwest with
its wheat, grasses and cattle.

The central of the three corn towers in the Missouri Exhibit. This is a
replica of the Louisiana Monument and Is made of varied colored ctu.
The corn In this monument was furnished by every one of the 114 counties
in the State.

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION. 20I

THE UNITED STATES.

The Participation of the States. — Thirty-five states and territories
participated in the agricultural display, the chief exhibits of which
were as follows :

Arizona — Vegetables, wool and grasses.

Arkansas — Corn, cotton, vegetables and grasses.

California — Vegetables, canned fruits, wines, fruits and brandies.

Colorado — Vegetables, peas, beans, grasses and fruit.

Connecticut — Tobacco and corn.

Georgia — Vegetables, syrups, whiskey and corn.

Idaho — ^^Grains and grasses.

Illinois — Cereals, corn and corn breeding.

Indiana^ — Collective exhibit of edible products.

Iowa — Cereals and grasses.

Kansas — Seeds, vegetables, f^our, syrup, flax.

Kentucky — Tobacco, grains, grasses and whiskey.

Louisiana — Fertilizers, tobacco, cotton, sugar cane and vegetables.

Maryland — Cereals, canned goods, tobacco.

Massachusetts — Market gardening methods and tobacco.

Michigan — Cereals, grasses, wool, beet sugar and preserved fruits.

Minnesota — Cereals and butter.

Missouri — Corn, grains, grasses, wool, cotton, tobacco, vegetables.

Montana — Grasses, grains, vegetables and wool.

Nebraska — Grains and corn.

Nevada — Flour, cotton, wool, honey.

New Mexico — Angora goat fleeces, corn, honey.

New York — Cereals, butter, and seeds.

North Carolina — Tobacco, leaf and manufactured.

Oklahoma — Flour, broom corn, flax and wines.

Oregon — Corn, grain, grasses, dair3dng.

Pennsylvania — Cereals, grains, grasses, tobacco and wool.

Rhode Island — Potatoes, theoretical gardening.

South Dakota — Corn, grain, grasses and butter.

Tennessee — Peanuts, tobacco and cereals.

Texas — Seeds, corn, cotton, flour and wine.

Utah — Grains, vegetables, grasses, honey.

Virginia — Grains, grasses, tobacco.

Washington — Cereals, butter, hops.

Wisconsin — Seeds, grains, grasses, butter.

Artistic Exhibits of the States. — The states had two kinds of ex-
hibits — the collective and the special. Not every state m.a,de a special

202 - MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

exhibit ; but each exhibit, whether special or collective, was of the
highest order of artistic excellence. The following special exhibits in
the main aisle were masterpieces of the art, the result of thirty years
experience in exposition making:

Virginia — A pedestal of many colored corn.

Indiana — A corn obelisk.

Missouri — The celebrated corn palace, by far the most beautiful
of special exhibits, which will be described under "In Missouri."

Nebraska — Ruby red corn house.

Maryland — Corn peristyle.

Mississippi — King cotton, an heroic cotton figure, fifty feet high.

California — Golden Temple of Bacchus, flanked by four golden
wine casks.

Georgia — A log cabin.

Colorado — Sugar beet pavilion.

Louisiana — ^Sugar cane with sugar mill.

Tennessee — Tobacco house.

Maryland — Indian tobacco statue.

Connecticut — Leaf-tobacco display.

North Carolina — Tobacco seed house.

Kentucky — Tobacco leaf display house.

The headquarters of the various states on the spaces alloted to
them were equally beautiful. As a rule, staff work prevailed, orna-
mented with grasses, seeds and corn.

Prices on Collective Exhibits.— The following were the grand
prize awards on collective exhibits :

Missouri — Grasses and corn.

.Iowa — Spring wheat, timothy, red clover and buckwheat.

Texas — Sugar.

Kentucky — Whiskey and tobacco.

Wisconsin — Rye. barley, dairy school exhibit and garden seed.

Georgia — Grain, field peas, tobacco.

Minnesota — Wheat breeding experimttits in Blue Stem wheat.

Kansas — Wheat, barley, red clover, grains and Kaffir corn.

Utah — Irrigation exhibit, seeds and cereals.

Indian Territory — Corn.

Nebraska — Corn, sheaf and threshed grains, wild and lame
grasses and twenty-six products of corn.

Pennsylvania — Tobacco, grasses. Delaine wool.

New York — Grains, seeds, canned goods, manufactured tobacco,
wines, butter and preserves,

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION. 203

Illinois— State University Exhibit, Corn Breeders/ Corn Grow-
ers' Associations, Illinois Farm Boys' Corn Exhibit, glucose, grains,
grasses, seeds.

California — Collective exhibit of eighteen counties, fruit, grasses,
grains, peas, beans and wheat.

The Butter and Cheese Display. — One exhibit in the Agricultural
building which speedily became famous was the butter statuary.
Artistically this display begged no favor because its figures were
moulded in butter. The participating states with their displays, were
as follows:

Minnesota — The discovery of the falls of St. Anthony by Father
Hennepin, by J. K. Daniels. Three figures in an Indian canoe, made
of 1,000 pounds of highest average score butter — Awarded a Grand
Prize.

Indiana — A group symbolic of cost and profit. ■

Nebraska — The horn of plenty — a cornucopia pouring out golden
butter nuggets.

South Dakota — Butter flowers from native meadows.

North Dakota — An equestrian statue of President Roosevelt.

California — The symbolical wolves.

Oregon — A creamery scene.

Washington; — Milking time — the maid milking the cow and feed-
insf the cat.

Missouri — The old and the new way in dairy methods, an elabor-
ate artistic production containing three thousand pounds of creamery
butter, made for the State by the Blue Valley Creamery Company.
The cow from which one of the figures was modeled, was subse-
quently sold for $2,350. Awarded a Grand Prize.

New York — Liberty Bell and a medallion of President Roose-
velt. Awarded a Gold Medal.

Kansas — Dairy girl at work in creamery.

Illinois — Statues of Grant, Lincoln, D. R. F'rancis, J. V. C. Skiff
and Frederick W. Taylor, Chief World's Fair Department of Agri-
culture.

Iowa — Dairy house and statue of John Stewart.

Connecticut — Regular dairy display in small packages.

Wisconsin — Milkmaid and cow — Awarded a Gold Medal.

The prizes awarded these displays were not given for dairy ex-
cellence, for in most cases the butter used was of low grade. The
prizes were awarded solely upon artistic beauty.

Missouri in Comparison with Other States. — In addition to her corn

204 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

palace which was a special display put up at the request of the De-
partment of Agriculture, Missouri occupied by far the most promi-
nent place allotted to any purely agricultural state. Of the corn
growing states of the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri's exhibit was de-
cidedly the best. The display by states in the Agricultural building
cost a small fortune. The following table is intended to be only ap-
proximate, as the authorities in charge would not announce definite
figures. South Dakota, Sio,ooo; North Dakota, $12,000; Colorado,
$13,000; Kansas, $30,000; Nebraska, $30,000; Iowa, $35,000; ]\Iin-
nesota, $35,000; California, $ ; Missouri, $80,459.74. Mis-
souri appropriated $100,000 for the agricultural display, $70,000 of
which had been expended at the close of the Exposition, $60,000 for
actual exhibits and their installation, and $10,000 for salaries and
incidental expenses.

The Display Artistically and Othermsc. — The facts about the
Missouri display are almost as interesting as the exhibit itself. It
required 6,000 bushels of especially selected corn, 200 bushels of
grains and grasses, and two tons of grass, wheat, oats, rye and straw
to put up the towers, friezes, facades, pagodas and pictures which
made the five blocks east of the main aisle the most beautiful spot in
the Agricultural building. The Missouri exhibit had one advantage
over every other in the building, in that its beauties were not ob-
scured by staff work. The five blocks of exhibits were made up of
the real material produced on the farms and in the orchards and
gardens of the State and the arrangement was both logical and
practical.

One feature of the display which attracted immediate attention
was the two immense pictures on the west wall, in the State's sec-
tion, the 6,000 acre corn field of David Kankin's Atchison count}- farm
and the Model Missouri Farm. These pictures were each 35 b\- 15
feet and were made entirely of grains and grasses. They were built
by the great French-Canadian decorator and artist, Air. J. D. P'^ortier
of Toronto, and were the most gorgeous pieces of work of this char-
acter ever attempted. They cost the INIissouri Commission $3,000.
Mr. Fortier also assisted in the other decorative work.

Within the staff work which surrounded, the entire space of Mis-
souri's exhibit were smaller pictures forming a progressive history of
the art of agriculture, each picture made from grain, grasses, mosses,
corn and parts of corn. The pictures in this richly tinted mural group
represented every phase of agricultural life, from the most primitive
days down to the present time; the old way, the new way, fields, farm
work, and cattle in green pastures.

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION. 205

Two Other artistic features of the exhibit were the two corn
towers, one of white and one of yellow ears, each 38 feet high with
the Louisiana Purchase Monument 45 feet high between them, and
two flags, the stars and stripes, and the Louisiana Purchase Emblem,
made of undyed, many-colored shucks and blades of corn.

The Central Corn Palace, to which reference has already been
made, would have been in itself a creditable State display. Sitxy-five
feet higii and 40 feet in base diameter, it was, next to the Matchless
Festival Hall, the most graceful dome on the exposition grounds. It
was not'only an admirable lounging room for tired Missourians, and a
convenient meeting place for everybody in the great building, but it
was worthy of note as containing the very finest specimens of all
varieties of Missouri corn and a sample of nearly every agricultural
product which the State produces.

The Missouri Commission and the Exhibit. — The average visitor
in the Agricultural building, farmer though he may have been, had
only a general idea of the plan pursued in organizing the working
force, gathering the materials for the State's display and erecting the
artistic part of it in the building. Every expenditure for every pur-
pose made by the State at the exposition was under the direction of
the Missouri Commission appointed by Governor A. M. Dockery, con-
sisting of the following members : M. T. Davis, President ; F. J.
Moss, Vice-President ; B. H. Bonfoey, Secretary ; J. H. Hawthorne,
treasurer; L. F. Parker, J. O. Allison, D. P. Stroup, N. H. Gentry and
W. H. Marshall. J. O. Allison was Commissioner of Agriculture for
Missouri,

The Missouri Agricultural exhibit was under the direct super-
vision of Dr. H. J. Waters, who is Dean of Missouri Agricultural Col-
lege and one of the most active members of the State Board of Agri-
culture. The inception of the general plan of the exhibit is due to Dr.
Waters' knowledge of scientific and practical agriculture, together
with his earnest desire to place the agriculture of the State in the
position that its importance demands. Hon. ■Mat. W. Hall and Col.
G. W. Waters, both experienced and successful farmers, were the
able assistants in this department and too much credit cannot be given
each for the able assistance rendered. To the Allen Decorating Com-
pany of St. Louis, chief decorators for the Missouri Commission, is
due the fine artistic efifect of this superb exhibit.

After months of arduous labor in collectintg and installing the
exhibit, Dr. Waters resigned his position and went to Europe for a
year's study. The Commission exercised the best judgment in select-
ing Hon, Mat. W. Hall of Saline county to succeed Dr. Waters. Mr.

206 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Hall has made an admirable officer, able, courteous and an indefati-
gable worker where the State's interests were concerned. He and his
chief clerk, Mr. Dudley, have worked ten hours a day at clerical tasks
for months. The Missouri Commission, individually, deserves like
praise. On December ist, President M. T. Davis had not been in a
half dozen of the fair's main buildings, so exacting had been the duties
of his office.

The Display — Its Collection. — The materials for Missouri's display
came from various sources. There were, for instance, 345 private ex-
hibits. These exhibits comprehended everything produced in the
.State. The greater part of the exhibit, especially corn, was collected
at county corn shows held for the purpose in co-operation with the
Farmers' institutes conducted by the State Board of Agriculture. At
these corn shows a premium of $50 was offered for the best corn, the
corn to belong to the Missouri Commission.

Missouri's Great Variety: — In the variety of the products of the
soil Missouri easily surpassed any state or nation in the world. The
State not only produces variety, but produces abundantly and of the
highest quality. In the year 1902 Alissouri produced more bushels
of corn per acre than any State in the Union ; for three years, 1902-3-4,
Missouri produced, according to Uncle Sam's reports, an average yield
per acre of 5 bushels more than Kansas, 22 bushels more than Ne-
braska and 1.7 more than Iowa. In both quality of fiber and amount
of yield per acre Missouri's cotton fields of the southern counties
excel that of any other State.

The great variety of products adapted to the State is clearly
shown by the following list of exhibits, all of which are profitably
raised: Corn, oats, wheat, alfalfa, rye, millet, flax, blucgrass, Kaffir
corn, popcorn, sugar corn, buckwheat, potatoes, white clover, red
clover, alsike clover, crimson clover, sweet clover, meadow fescue,
hemp, cowpeas, Canada field peas, soy beans, blue stem, broom corn,
sorghum seed and syrup, sunflower seed, Qii;g plant, castor bean, cab-
bage, asparagus, pumpkins, beets, onions, rhubarb, wines, apples, and
other fruits, including 430 different kinds, melons, cantaloupes, tim-
othy, clover seed, sweet potatoes. t<>l)acco, navy beans, turnips, cider,
squash, cucumbers, peppers, emmir, radishes, ginseng, brandy, honey
and many others of less importance.

The Prices and Aivards. — There is a mistaken idea prevalent
throughout the State concerning tlie exposition awards, what they "are,
what they represent, and the methods by which they were given. We
wish, that it were otherwise, for we dislike very much to say it — the

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION. 207

awards are not to be taken too seriously. The awards were divided
into four classes : a grand prize, the highest award made, which was
simply a diploma; 2nd, a gold medal worth $65; 3rd, a silver medal,
worth $20, and 4th, a bronze medal worth $3. These awards were not
prizes in the ordinary interpretation of that term in that they were not
exclusively conferred. They represented orders of excellence, which
to the uninformed, will explain the seemingly paradoxical circum-
stance of any article having several medals of the same rank. The
awards were made by two juries, the jury of recommendation and
the superior, or jury of appeal. The work of these juries did not al-
ways meet with the popular approval. One thing is certain ; the
millions who marched through the seven miles of aisles in the Agri-
cultural building, by common consent, gave Missouri many times the
awards she received at the hands of the powers that were — up stairs
in the Agricultural building. For list of awards see report of Missouri
Commission on another page.

HORTICULTURE.

The Building. — The Horticultural building was located immediate-
ly south of the Agricultural building. Although one of the most in-
accessible structures on the exposition grounds, it was admirably
adapted to the purposes for which it was erected. ' It was the best
lighted of all the exposition palaces.

Sonic State Displays. — The Horticultural building was beautiful as
a whole chieiiy because the various State displays were more nearly
uniform than in any other building. Missouri, Mississippi and Cali-
fornia possessed the notable displays. The pecan horse of Mississippi
attracted its share of attention. California's display was elaborate,
costly and imposing with its many facades of Mission architecture.
The fine, actual picture of the Riverside Orange growing country was,
next to the. two farm scenes in Missouri's agricultural exhibit, the
linest thing in the exposition of its sort.

The Missouri Display occupied 7,700 square feet of the building,
and was located advantageously, immediately in front of the main
entrance. The exhibit spaces w^ere surrounded by arches and facades
of white staff work, with fruit and flower designs everywhere. On
space 29 was the crov/ning feature in the building — Missouri's ex-
hibit. A pagoda with small fountains at the ends and center capable
of holding twelve stands of fruit. The name "Missouri" in gold let-
ters was engraved on the facades. Around the exhibit space was a
miniature elevated railroad track and train from the State's fruit

2o8 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL RKPORT.

country. All around were the tables, jars and plates, ladencd with the
best the State can produce.

/ 'arictics. — "Oil tables, in glass jars, cases and on specially de-
signed plaies, Missouri's display of fruit occupied this large space.
Every inch of space was filled with the finest fruit. Nearly two
hundred varieties of apples were shown and for nearly five months
fresh apples were daily upon the tables, while apples from cold
storage were shown for the entire seven months of the exposition
period. Five hundred bushels of apples were given away on Apple
Day, October 4. Seventy-two varieties of apples were shown, with
fresh peaches on the tables daily from June 15 to December i. Over
sixty bushels of different varieties were exhibited at one time an un-
exampled picture. On August 15, Peach Day, five hundred bushels,
a full car load, were distributed to visitors. Two thousand plates of
pears, of forty-eight varieties were shown from August to December
I. Among the other fruits shown were one thousand plates of grapes
with 124 varieties, one thousand plates of strawberries with sixty-
four varieties, five hundred plates of cherries with twenty-four varie-
ties, four hundred plates of plums with thirty-two varieties, sixty
plates of apricots with six varieties, twenty plates of nectarines with
two varieties, one hundred and sixty plates of quinces with six varie-
ties, three hundred plates of gooseberries with eight varieties, one
hundred plates of currants with six varieties, two hundred plates of
raspberries with twenty-four varieties, three hundred plates of black-
berries with eight varieties, one hundred plates of dewberries witji
two varieties, twenty-four plates of mulberries with four varieties, one
hundred and twenty plates of huckleberries with two varieties, one
hundred plates of persimmons, pawpaws, crab apples and thorn apples
with eighteen varieties. Ten show cases of Missouri nuts, illustrating-
forty-eight varieties. There were two thousand four hundred jars
of fruit in solution, illustrating four hundred and thirty varieties.
Altogether six hundred and ninety-four varieties of fresh fruits were
shown, a display unequaled b}- any state or country. Out of the one
hundred and fourteen counties of Missouri, ninety-six were actually
represented by fruit. The Missouri Horticultural Society, the inJi-
vidual fruit grower and horticultural department of the Missouri
Agricultural College contributed materially to the sources of the
exhi])it. The exhibit was beautifully displayed and was especially
popular. On lis educational side it taught the adaptability of varie-
ties to particul