COVER STORY The KMA Guide With the coming of October, Jack Frost begins working his wonders of colorin nature. One of Autumn's beautiful sights OCTOBER 1, 1961 are the huge fields of golden corn. Frank Field and Ed May are shown on our Guide cover picture inspecting Maygold HybridVol. 7 No. 10 Corn research plots. This particular plot is Maygold 68 planted in hills, several stocks to a hill. You can count six big ears in this cluster; the whole field was like this.The KMA Guide is published the first of each Some of the research varieties had mon-month by the Tom Thumb Publishing Co., 205 strous ears on gigantic stocks so high youNorth Elm St., Shenandoah, Iowa. Owen Saddler almost need a stepladder to reach them. editorial chairman; Duane Modrow, editor; Doris Those which show desirable characteristicsMurphy, feature editor; Monica Tiemeyer, copy are crossbred with other varieties to give editor.Subscriptionprice$1 peryear(12 a new corn with the best of both. Note how issues)in the United States, foreign countries, Maygold 68 has erect ears, uniform height, $1.60peryear.Allow two week'snoticefor and will withstand vigorous shaking with- change of address and be sure to send old as out falling. well as new address. kaymoni Saalyer The KMA Guide _A Chat Mtn ittcti'il May Last month this column was written bymittees of seed organizations. In 1950 he my niece, Betty Jane Rankin, who told of was president of the American Seed Trade her outstanding trip to Europe last summer. Association and two years ago was elected Betty Jane is a very busy individual thesean honorary life member. days as her engagement and approaching Raymond was active in many community marriage to Michael Sherman of Wilmette, affairs. He servedthree terms onthe Illinois was announced on October7th. Shenandoah board of education. He was Mike and Betty Jane met while they werepresident of the Shenandoah board and in both attending the University of Arizona.1940 was vice president of the Iowa As- BettyJaneRankinwillbecomeMrs. sociation of School Boards, chairman of Michael Sherman on the 29th of December. the Reorganization Committee of the Iowa Needless to say, Betty Jane and her parents Council of Better Education and served are busy people these days making finalseven years as member of the advisory preparations for the approaching marriage. committee to the Dean of Agriculture at Our company suffered a great loss withIowa State University. the passing of Raymond Sawyer, who was Raymond was very active in the Masonic executive vice president and General Man-Order, a member of the Blue Lodge, the ager of the seed company and Secretary of RoyalArchMasons,theCouncil,the the broadcasting company. He was alsoKnights Templar, the Consistory and the on the board of directors of KFAB, Inc., Shrine. 'He was a past Worshipful Master Omaha. Although he has been one of theof the lower order and had been a District great guiding influences in much of ourLecturer for 34 years. He was Past Grand broadcastingbusiness,tolistenersand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Iowa and Guide readers he might not be too familiarPast Presidentofthe Southwest Iowa a figure. Raymond was never one to seekShrine Club. credit or publicity for his many under- takings. He preferred to remain out of the He was a leading figure in many local limelight; however, he engaged in so many community organizations. Raymond was an activities, he was a well known figure toardent worker in the Baptist Church and many people by the sheer weight of the taught the men's Sunday School class many work he accomplished. In looking back,years. He was a skilled craftsman in wood- the most outstanding thing which comesworking which he enjoyed as a hobby. to mind concerning Raymond was his total So many people in so many fieldsof dependability. When anything was goingendeavor could pay tribute to Raymond for on, when decisions had to be made, or anyhis great works in any one of his varied important matter came up, Raymond wasactivities. It almost staggers the imagin- always there. He was a true example ofation as you recount the accomplishments the "pillar"inall of the manifold com-with which he can be credited. munity and business activitiesin which This will give you some insight into the he participated. nature of the man who was largely re- Raymond's parents moved to Shenandoah sponsible for many of the fine things we from Illinois during his early youth. Hehave been able to bring you. Much of that graduated from high school here, attendedwhich Raymond initiated will be with us a Northwestern University where he gradu-long time to come. Needless to say, we ated in 1920 after an interruption for mili-will miss him. Possibly Raymond's con- tary service during World War I. He re-structive life can best be summed up in turnedtoShenandoah and accepteda this quotation from Ruskin which was a positionwiththeShenandoah Nationalfavorite of his and which I have heard him Bank. use on many occasions. In 1938 his capabilities were brought to the Seed Company as an assistant to my BUILDERS father. You might wonder how a skilledWhen we build, let us think we build for- banker could step into a seemingly un-ever. Let it not be for present delight nor related business. His experience in financial for present use alone. Let it be such work matters was a great asset; however, histhat our descendants will thank us for, and exceptional ability soon carried him to thelet us think, as we lay stone upon stone, top in the seed and nursery and broadcast that a time is to come when those stones business, too. He had been active in localwill be held sacred because our hands have and state banking circles, but as he enteredtouched them, and that men will say, as the seed and broadcast fields he attainedthey look upon the labor and wrought many high offices throughout the state andsubstance of them, "See! This our fathers nation. did for us." Raymond served in 35 offices and coin - -JOHN RUSKIN OCTOBER, 1961 3 Company is also an official testing station for the All -America trials, in which new strains of both flowers and vegetables are Frank Comments enteredinthehopesofcapturing the coveted All -America Award. These All - By FRANK FIELD America testing stations are scattered all over the United States in order to make sure that the entries are thoroughly tested The picture this month shows me in theunder all kinds of climatic conditions. When trail grounds looking over the squash trials.a new variety of vegetable wins the All - The one in my left hand is an old varietyAmerica Award, that indicates that it has called Butternut. The larger one resting onproven superior to the older kinds in every my knee is a new and improved strain ofsectionofthe United States underall squash which doesn't even have a name yet.kinds of weather conditions. It is being carried under a number. You know, of course, that the Earl May Seed Whenever you see any variety of rose or Company has a 76 acre trial grounds wherepetunia or sweet corn or cucumber de- they are constantly looking for newer andscribed as being the winner of the All - better strains of vegetables and flowers,America Award, you can purchase it with and each year try out literally thousandsthe utmost confidence thatitreallyis of new varieties and new strains in bothbetter in every way. Most of you know flowers and vegetables. These are alwaysthis already, as we have been telling about planted side by side with the older varieties,it for a number of years and you have in order to get a direct comparison. Ninety-found out in your own gardens that the nine times out of a hundred the old kindAll -America Award winners are really good. proves out to be still the best, but once in All of which brings us right back to the a while something comes along that is apicture on this page. The squash on my distinct improvement, in which case theright knee is an entirely new and different trialis repeated the following year, andstrain of squash which is being entered again the year after that, in order to befor such an award, and along side it was absolutely sure that the newer kind is trulyplanted Butternut Squash to be used as a better in every way. If it still proves to becomparison. It is of the same general type better after three successive years of trials,but runs about three times as big as But- it is then listed in the catalog and the oldternut in the neck and body. You will one eventually dropped. notice that the seed cavity at the bottom In addition to our own very extensiveis exactly the same size as that of Butter - trials as indicated above, the Earl May Seed Continued on Page 13 4 The KMA Guide Great Football Season Ahead on KMA Every Friday night your KMA sports-the nation's toughest, so fans are assured casters Dean Naven and Andy Andersenof a great game every Saturday on KMA. may be seen in a similar setting such as this press box atthe Glenwood Rams' Hawkeye broadcasts normally start at 1:00 gridiron bringing you a direct broadcast ofwith Kickoff at 1:30, however times will the outstanding high school game in thevary with west coast, or eastern games, so S.W. Iowa Hawkeye 8 conference. Dean and stay tuned for Iowa broadcast times each Andy are the two figures farthest to your right in the press box. Just preceding theweek.