The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 5, 1917, Page 9

orn Climate Problem Solved Maize Grown by Mandan Indians Before White Man’s Time Resists ORN is now sprouting in front of the American Museum of Natural History in New York in a circular bed where usu- =) ally tulips grow. The change was made in order that the Museum might demonstrate to the public the result of important researches through which the corn crop of the United States has been increased by many millions of bushels. The cereal now in the garden bed in front of the Museum . is the Mandan maize, the secrets of the cultivation of which were kept for many years by the Mandan Indians. An associate of the department of an- thropology of the American Museum gained the confidence of ' Mandan chieftans and obtained from them rules for the cultivation of this variety of corn which grows in cold dry climates, such as that of the Dakotas and Mon- tana. The farmers of Montana and other mountain ‘states are now able to raise a corn which will develop in the proper season. The Mandan maize is now be- ing planted all through the Northwest. The corn which has been shown in the Museum grounds at the West Seventy Seventh street front is in many colors. The kernels are in remarkable shades of red, black and blue. The stalks of these varieties of Mandan corn are low but graceful in form. MONTANA APPRECIATES THE INDIAN GRAIN The service which the American Museum has performed for the agri- cultural interests of the country is shown in a letter from Professor Al- fred Atkinson, of the department of agronomy of the Agricultural college of Montana, at Bozeman, Montana. The letter refers to the work of Doctor silbert L. Wilson, who represented the Museum. “I desire to call your attention,” writes Professor Atkinson, “to the very great significance of the Indian corn researches of Doctor Gilbert L. ‘Wilson, of Minneapolis, to the agricul- tural development of the Northwest. I am sending you under separate cover a copy of our bulletin 107 on -corn in Montana, and you will noté that our hope for building up the production of this crop in the state of Montana is based on the discoveries which were made by Doctor Wilson. in his studies on the corn development of the In- dians of the Northwest. “From studies already made avail- able we are convinced that our corn complex has come from the Indians, and this applies very definitely to the Northwest. Those of us who have been considering the question of a perma- nent agriculture for the Northwest have been perplexed to know just what to do in finding an intertilled crop that could be grown on the extensive areas of the Northwest. There never yet has been a permanent agriculture that has not had such a crop, and the discover- ies of Mr. Wilson indicate to us great possibilities of the proper types of corn here. We are pushing corn develop- ment, using the Indian varieties and Indian methods in Montana, and we believe it is going to mean very much to us:' - : £ AMERICAN CORN KING OF CEREALS “The American Museum of .Natural History is doing a great work in build- ing up a body of information for the establishment of corn: culture in the Northwest.: I congratulate you on this great service: and hope that nothing may arise to interfere with the con- tinuance of studies of this sort.” Doctor Osborn, in replying to the cordial indorsement of Doctor Wilson’'s work, referred also to similar studies which the Museum is carrying on in the Southwest. “The importance of corn, culture in the United States can not be over- estimated,” said Doctor Henry Fair- field Osborn, President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum, “In the food and health show now to be seen in this institution we have laid special stress upon the importance of the king of cereals, American Corn. Not only in this special exhibition but in our halls devoted to the traditions of the Cold Northern Nights One of the greatest handicaps to spreading the culture of corn in the Northwest has always been the echilly nights. New cold- resistant types have been produced from time to time and states once considered impossible for corn are now growing good crops. Investigations by the American Museum of Natural History with the mottled, checkerboard variety grown by the Mandan Indians | for generations indicates that it can pioneer the way into even B colder regions. ‘as food for man. The United States producés more corn: than it does ot any other cereal. The corn of the In- dians more than once saved the early settler§ of this country from starva- tion. In this national crisis it could ~readily become our main dependence as a food. This Museum, by the resolu- tion of its trustees, pledged its re- searches and its material resources to the service of the nation. It is, there- fore, peculiarly gratifying to both trustees and faculty that our endeav- ors to promote corn culture are receiv- ing the commendation of agricultural experts.” The Mandan maize in its novel set- ting is to be carefully cultivated, and it is not unlikely that it will develop . new qualities under the climate condi- tions of the East. The upper picture shows a typical drainage machine in operation in the Red River valley, the tile in the field, and the man laying tile as the machine creeps forward scooping out the narrow trench. After many years /of high water and crop failures numerous farmers are this year laying tile drain- ‘age. The lower picture shows a side view of the same machine. These pic- tures were taken on the J. A. Yunker farm in Cass county, N. D. Big Black and - White Sale The greatest dispersion sale of purz- bred dairy cattle in the history of the world took place at Liverpool, N. Y., on May 15, 16 and 17, when the great Brookside herd, founded in 1875 by he late Henry Stevens of Lacona, N. Y., and later owned and brought to a high state of pertectign by his two sons, Ward W. and Ralph J. Stevens, was placed under the hammer and sold for $242,665. There were 309 head and the average price worked out at $785, the two highest priced animals being. the famous sire, King of the Pontiacs, who sold for- $10,500, and the finely bred King Model, who was knocked down at $10,400. N. W. Salmon of Glen- field, N. Y., purchased the former and H. Perkins & Son and M. Phillip, of Red Creek, N. Y., the latter. The event drew Holstein breeders and dairy cattle fanciers from all parts of the country, nearly every state in the union being represented. The wide publicity’ and persistent advertising of the sale, as well as the high reputa- tion of the herd, drew a crowd of buy- ers, who today are reckoned among the elite of the Holstein industry. The sale was a triumph for the owners of the herd and formed-a fitting climax American Indians may be seen the . fo the foresight of the late Henry great - debt which the United States - owes to the aboriginal inhabitants. At a time when ‘there is a shortage of wheat the valué¢ of our corn crop should be ‘still more appreciated. Old avorld nations long ago realized the importance of corn in the human dietary. In this country it is used more as a provender for animals than Stevens, whose faithful adherence to the breed, back in the days when there was a tremendous prejudice against the Black-and-Whites, has borne fruit and given proof to the world that no other breed of dairy cattle can compare with it as milk and butter producers. Founded in 1875 by the purchase of - the bull Baron Steuber, and the two PAGE females, Juno and May, which were se- cured the following year, the first real success came after Mr. Stevens pur- chased the imported cow. Inka, then a yearling heifer. Baron Steuben was replaced by Mooie Hartog 4th and then followed Milla’s Pietertje Netherland. One has only to think of a great Hol- stein sire or cow and on. tracing back he will invariably find the ancestry of the animal in the Brookside herd. Such splendid specimens of the breed as De Kol 2d, Belle Korndyke, Netherland Hengerveld, Helena Burke, Korndyke Queen, and Korndyke Queen De Kol, are but a few of the animals whose work as foundation stock is familiar to every student of Holstein history. A FEW SHEEP USEFUL Sheep are excellent weed destroyers, as they keep the weeds nibbled so / closely that no seeds are formed and the roots are exhausted. A small flock of sheep-is an excellent scavenger on almost any farm, and they make prof- itable use of waste land, provided that , dogs and internal parasites can be controlled, SAVE THE EWE LAMBS Save every ewe lamb possible for breeding i1s the urgent message the department of agriculture is sending to sheep own et for ter only thoseeg%lng%fi% orthiess f")r breeding stock. There is a strong demand among' farmers for breeding stock and owners 'of ewe lambs 'should haye ‘no ' trouble finding a breeding market for them. ‘'Sheep specialists of the department: believe that ‘although prices for breeding stock’ are high those who start production of wool and mutton -on ‘a moderate scale will have no cause to regret purchasing breeding stock at present figures. OILS FOR SHOES AND HARNESS ‘When leather becomes dry oiling im- proves it, according to the U. S. leath- er laboratory. Neat's foot oil is one of the best for harness and is good ‘or shoes, but interferes with the polish. Castor oil can be used on shoes that are to be polished. The oil will penetrate the leather better if it is moistened with water first. The laboratory rec- ommends putting a coat of linseed oil on the soles occasionally, letting them stand over night before using them. To keep cows in the fence a Sterling, North Dakota, farmer has adopfed the emergency idea of fastening two »>f them together with ropes around thair necks. Now the only way for them to jump is for them to both make up their minds at once to do the same thing, a superlative example of team- work which they have not. shown to date, .}< e » , 3 i > ? b 1 5