INFLUENCE ON THE MAGAZINE
Henry A. Wallace was the third generation of Wallaces to lead the
editorial direction of Wallaces Farmer. His official tenure was 1921-1933
but his name was carried on the masthead "editor on leave of
absence" until 1946 while he served in Washington.
Wallace began writing for Wallaces Farmer while a student at Iowa
State College. He wrote many articles about corn, based on his own
experiments and observations, such as "productiveness vs. prettiness
in corn" in 1907 and a series in 1909 called "On the Trail
of the Corn Belt Farmer."
In 1910, upon graduation from Iowa State College, he went to work
for the magazine full time. By 1915 he worked out the first short-cut
method of computing corn-hog ratios. Reader surveys indicated his
articles on corn and hog markets were very popular.
He was a leading proponent of using genetics to produce optimum yield
hybrids and campaigned against the popular corn "beauty contests"
of the era. He began dismantling corn varieties into their constituent
bloodlines in his basement in 1913 and continued to conduct field
trials.
He became editor in 1921 when his father Henry C. became secretary
of agriculture.
WALLACE AS AN INNOVATOR IN AGRICULTURE - HIS MAIN CONCERNS ABOUT
AGRICULTURE
Just like his father and grandfather, Wallace believed in the importance
of rural life in maintaining a civilized society. He wrote editorials
encouraging rural social organizations.
He created the state corn husking championships in 1921 and the
Master Farmer competition in 1926.
During 1924 Wallaces Farmer ran a series of articles providing basic
information on taxes and services to readers such as "What
Iowa Schools cost the State. This was a typical Wallace approach.
Rather than advocating an editorial position without providing basic
information or twisting the facts, the Wallaces would provide the
information needed to evaluate the situation and then might advocate
a position.
The Wallaces believed in the importance of promoting an educated
public motivated to participate in democratic society. Participation
is the key word here.
CHANGES IN FARMING RESULTING FROM WALLACE'S INNOVATIONS. INCLUDING
CHANGES IN FARM FAMILIES' QUALITY OF LIFE
The front page of the November 25, 1921 issue of Wallaces Farmer
carried an article written by Henry A. Wallace. The title was, "Reducing
the 1922 corn acreage - more clover, less corn, more money, the
Corn Belt's slogan for the year."
Average corn price in Iowa in 1921 was 41 cents per bushel, far
below the cost of production. In the article Wallace spelled out
the causes for the low prices. Then he went into great detail his
plan for reducing corn acreage in 1922. He cited the success of
cotton reduction campaigns in the south as proof of how the plan
could work.
Wallace ended the story with "these objectives are worthwhile
in the long run from the standpoint of the corn farmer, the livestock
farmer, the city man, and last but not least, from the standpoint
of our soil fertility. We have but three months now to organize
a campaign. There is no time to lose. Let's go!"
In 1921 Iowa farmers had harvested 9.2 million acres of corn. In
1922 the acreage of corn harvested by Iowa farmers was down to 8.8
million acres and average price was 64 cents per bushel. Now, I'm
sure there were a lot of factors involved. Plus, corn acreage was
reduced nationally. Nevertheless, Wallace was on the right track.
Here's another example of Henry Wallace's influence on farm families.
I'm quoting from a book on the three generations of Wallaces. The
headline reads: "The leadership of Wallaces Farmer and Iowa
Homestead has saved Iowa farmers over $10,000,000 in Taxes since
1925."
Wallaces Farmer started to call attention to the injustice of the
Iowa property tax system in 1922. "The editor of Wallaces Farmer
brought to light certain existing inequalities in the state tax
structure. He discovered that farmers were paying 67% of all state
taxes, although farm population comprised only 42% of the state
population. He discovered the average person living in the country
paid $7.90 per year to run state government whereas the average
person in town paid only $2.40.
These facts, together with others, were turned over to farm organizations
for use at a hearing before the State Executive Council. As a result
of this hearing, the Executive Council adjusted the taxable valuation
of both farm and city property resulting in an annual savings to
Iowa farmers of over $2,400,000.
At one time the National Corn Husking Contests , which ran from
1922 to 1942, was one of America's great festivals. In fact, the
modern day Farm Progress Show is patterned after those contests.
Henry Wallace originated the state-wide contest in Iowa in 1922.
Wallaces Farmer promoted the first contest offering a $50 prize.
Henry A. Wallace wrote in his magazine, "We hope to see the
day when farm people will get as much enjoyment out of watching
corn huskers competing for a record as the people of the cities
now get out of watching track athletes in their efforts to do unusually
well in running and jumping."
It wasn't long before the contests became national in scope.
Henry Wallace also started the Wallaces Farmer Master Farmer Awards
program in 1926. It's purpose is to call attention to the high level
of management these farmers demonstrate and to award them for unselfishly
devoting part of their time to community leadership roles.
Wallace himself wrote this about the Master Farmers in 1929. "The
interests and efforts of these Master Farmers and their wives extend
beyond doing well for themselves, their farms and their own families.
They have visions of better communities, better and more prosperous
neighbors, well trained, hopeful sons and daughters with high aims
and ideals.
"These Master Farmers have contributed time, thought and money
to make these dreams come true through strong and helpful cooperatives
and service organizations, through better schools and roads, and
churches that meet and help solve the problems of life, and by living
at peace and in harmony with their neighbors."
Of course, by calling attention to these people, Wallace and Wallaces
Farmer offered inspiration to other Iowa farmers to follow in their
footsteps. We continue the award program today and the award is
considered prestigious.. Since 1926, 390 Iowans have been so honored.
This is just another tribute to the legacy of Henry Wallace
AI lot will be mentioned today about Henry Wallace's impact on
agriculture but since the World Food Prize ceremonies were held
in Des Moines recently I thought it appropriate to point out an
instance of how Henry A. Wallace influenced agriculture around the
world in a story related to me recently by Dr. Norman Borlaug.
Indirectly, Henry Wallace was responsible for the establishment
of the first Foreign Technical Agricultural Assistance program.
In December of 1940, when he was vice president-elect he was sent
by President Roosevelt to represent him at the installation of the
incoming president of Mexico. Keep in mind this was only a little
more than a year before the attack on Pearl harbor. Mexico had undergone
agrarian reform after the Mexican revolution but per capita food
production was on the decline. Mexican leaders, knowing Wallaces's
reputation as the founder of Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed, etc. invited
him to go to the old parts of central Mexico for two days. He was
shown the impoverished fields of corn and the Mexicans made a request
for assistance to train Mexican scientists to do research to increase
the yield of corn, wheat and beans.
Wallace was tremendously interested. This was something close to
his heart. But when he got back to Washington and assumed the vice
presidency he realized there had never been any funding for foreign
agriculture. It would require a bill going through Congress and
with the war clouds on the horizon, he knew this would never fly.
So, he called the Rockefeller foundation and talked them into expanding
their interests and helping our neighbors in Mexico. Eventually
in 1943 this cooperative Mexican govern ment/Rockefeller Foundation
program was initiated. The spin off from that first program led
to the so-called green revolution.
WALLACE'S ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT OF HYBRID SEED CORN TECHNOLOGY
It was Wallace's curiosity and his unwillingness to accept old established
answers that led him to translate hybrid corn from theory into practical
farmer needs. His first challenge to the accepted theories of corn
breeding came when he was only 16. In those days Wallaces Farmer
held a corn growing contest for boys. P.G. Holden, a corn expert
from Iowa State Agricultural College, judged the different ears
and selected the winners. From the winning corn, he chose the thirty-three
best ears and urged Henry A. Wallace to plant them the next spring.
Wallace did, an ear to a row. In the fall he husked the rows, weighed
and carefully recorded the yield. Then the surprise. The most beautiful
ear in the thirty-three was one of the poorest yielders.
The experiment greatly affected Wallace. From then on he had no
respect for a merely beautiful ear of corn, the kind that won ribbons
at corn shows. He believed, " a pig doesn't care how pretty
the corn looks or how homely."
So, he set out to find a corn that would produce the best yield.
The principle of crossbreeding and inbreeding had been developed
as a botanical experiment. But it was Wallace who perfected in and
made it adaptable to the Corn Belt. As early as December 1919 he
urged upon the readers of Wallaces Farmer the possibilities of inbreeding
and cross breeding.
He continued his testing and in the statewide Corn Yield Test of
1926 his hybrids walked away from the rest. They led in nine of
the twelve districts with from three to ten more bushels per acre.
Naturally, Corn Belt farmers then wanted to know where to get the
seed. Wallace was out in front once more. He organized a group of
enthusiastic young college men who knew corn. They took over growing
and crossing inbreds and distributing the resulting seed to farmers
at a fair price.
Early in 1928 about 1,000 bushels of hybrid seed were placed on
the market. "Through his own personal efforts, endless experiments
and the influence of Wallaces Farmer, Wallace added over $1,300,000
to the farm wealth in Iowa in 1928." Quote from a brochure,
"The man who made hybrids pay."
WALLACE'S VISION FOR AGRICULTURE AND HOW HE MIGHT RESPOND TO THE
CURRENT SITUATION.
A few years ago senior management of the company that owns Wallaces
Farmer decided to take the publication in a new direction. Where
we had been broad-based and able to serve readers of all farm sizes,
management wanted to attract and focus on the larger producers,
in effect telling the average or small guy,"we don't need you
anymore."
Not everyone agreed with this philosophy, myself included. I'm quite
sure Henry Wallace would not have agreed either. This quote from
the March 15, 1895 issue of Wallaces Farmer, the third paper under
the total management of the Wallaces, is not directly from Henry
A., but it is the Wallace philosophy with regard to their magazine.
It reads: "Wallaces Farmer believes, that while one object
in conducting newspapers is to make money, that is not the sole
object. The man who has no higher aim in view in conducting a newspaper
than to make money will go wrong as soon as his paper obtains power
and influence and nothing can prevent it. It is not in human nature
to resist temptation to make money illegitimately if there is no
higher motive than the making of money. Its downfall is only a question
of time."
Fortunately, our management has rethought the business strategy.
In fact, we are considering partnering in a small farm conference
in the near future. The staff and I feel that if Henry A. Wallace
were the editor today he would jump at the opportunity.
Now that it has become abundantly clear that the largest percent
of our readership are those folks who are farming smaller acreages
and have offfarm jobs we are again going to try to serve those readers.
How would Wallace react to what's going on in agriculture today?
First, I believe he would not be passive and remain silent. But
we should keep in mind this point. The Wallace Editors had immeasurable
freedom in writing and publishing their editorials. They owned the
magazine. It's a different situation today. We can get into that
more if you wish and if we have time.
In conclusion, I've asked my colleagues from time to time, what
farm editor today would you compare to Henry A. Wallace? There is
no one
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