The Iowa Agriculturist
Planting: Corn
One of the many things learned from American Indians was the way to make
corn. Probably none of the early settlements such as Plymouth
and Jamestown
could have lived without corn.
Corn became a very popular crop because it could be planted and cultivated
in rows, was good for humans and livestock, and grew well in the Midwest's
climate. Moreover, farmers could produce new varieties of corn by a process
called breeding.
Corn farming was very different from wheat farming. Corn was planted
later in the spring, and therefore harvested after the small grain crops
were taken care of. Also, corn crops needed little care in comparison
to wheat.
During the early years of Iowa's settlement, corn was planted by hand.
Hand planters were a very familiar sight on many farms.
After 1870 improvements were made over the early tools.
Horse-drawn planters, operated by at least two people, were soon commonplace.
Straight rows were a matter of pride with the farmer, but very difficult
to obtain.
From: Explorations in Iowa History Project, Price Laboratory
School, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
Photos used by permission from the State Historical Society
of Iowa.
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