Fun With Food

In 1932 Clarence Bockes of Conrad, Iowa established a world's record by husking 2,698 lb. of corn in 80 minutes. His record stood unbroken until fortnight ago, when Lee Carey of Laurel, Iowa ripped the husks off 2,779 lb. Farmer Carey's record lasted three days. Then Leo Oeckenfels zipped the husks off 2,797 lb. Farmer Oeckenfels' record lasted five days. Then at Audubon, Iowa Elmer Carlsen, a husky husker of 24, laid his hands on an ear of corn and--whisk! When the regulation 80 minutes were over, he had stripped 2,824 lb., an average of 35 lb. a minute. For the third time in nine days the world's record had been shattered.

Corn. What would become of all the corn that Iowa's young men were husking was last week settled by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Wallace announced that any farmer who cannot sell his corn for better than 45-c- a bu. on the farm can put it in a sealed corn crib and borrow 45-c- a bu. on it from the Government. If the price of corn rises, the farmer can sell it at a profit and pay off his loan. If the price of corn falls, the Government will take the corn and cancel the loan. With 45-c- sure in pocket, Iowa's corn huskers can count on a minimum return of $168,000,000 for this year's crop compared to $159,000,000 last year, $155,000,000 in 1933, $60,000,000 in 1932.

Potatoes. Having made a start on his new corn plan, Secretary Wallace started something still newer, his potato plan. Under the terms of the Potato Control Act, he announced the first national potato production quota, similar to cotton production quotas under the Bankhead Act. U. S. commercial growers may not, he decreed, raise more than 226,600,000 bu. of potatoes in 1936. Counting raisers of less than five bushels and growers for home consumption only, who are exempt by law, he guessed the total crop under this quota would be about 350,000000 bu. compared to the 1928-32 average of 363,000,000 bu. Biggest quotas allotted:

Maine 32,799,000 bu.

New York 18,321,000 bu.

Idaho 16,833,000 bu.

Michigan 14,767,000 bu.

For the present no individual quotas can be allotted to potato farmers, because the money for enforcing such allotments was not forthcoming from the last session of Congress. The next session of Congress can easily provide the funds, but it may not be necessary. Secretary Wallace, having cold feet about attempting to regiment some 3,000,000 potato raisers, decided, on his own initiative, to take a straw vote among them next January on the question of whether they want obligatory potato control. If a large majority want it, Congress will be asked to appropriate the money. If the majority is small or nonexistent, Congress may take the hint, repeal the Potato Act.

Question Mark. The U. S. Supreme Court last week set Dec. 9 as the day for hearing the Hoosac Mills case on the cotton-processing tax. This suit was brought under the original AAAct which was amended last summer. Therefore the decision when rendered may: 1) give little clue to the constitutionality of the present AAA statute, or 2) lay down principles which will clearly show that the present law is valid or invalid. The hearing date indicates a decision is likely to be rendered in January. If the decision should sweep processing taxes into the discard, Congress would then be in session to start the rebuilding process, if any.

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