From the February 18, 1909 Skidmore News (Skidmore, Missouri), page 4:
Choice Varieties of Famous Seed Corn.
Corn Adapted to This Section of The Country.
Selected, Graded and Strictly Tested.We herewith present to you a photograph of the inside of A. F. Howden’s corn crib and seed house. It is a mouse proof lathed and plastered substantial building, erected in the fall of 1904, and is used for the selecting, grading and storing seeds.
Mr. Howden is one of the practical and successful farmers of the county, and has made corn growing a special study. So successful has he been as a corn breeder and producer that he has been exhibiting and receiving premiums on his product at county and state fairs for the past 2 years.
In the state corn show held in St. Louis in the winter of 1904, he received a $50 prize on Reid’s Yellow Dent, aned at the Exposition at St. Louis, he was awarded the Gold Medal on his corn exhibit. Besides numerous premiums at county and state fairs and corn shows.
Following is an extract taken from a letter by Hon. H. J. Waters, Superintendent of Agriculture, in writing to Mr. Howden, when sending him the premium awarded at the St. Louis corn show: ‘In view of the fact that this is probably the largest and best corn show ever held, you are to be congratulated on furnishing corn that would win this prize.’
Mr. Howden has now at his house, the following well known and selected varieties: Reids Dent, Legal Tender, Snow Flake, Iowa Silver Mine, St. Charles White and Pride of the Valley.
Reids Dent is well known to all good corn growers. It is a rich golden color, ears from 9 to 13 inches long, 18 to 24 rows of kernels on an ear, with small cob and shank, butts and tips well covered. The stalk is heavy below the ear and not easily blown down. This corn is claimed to mature in 100 days, making it the quickest of any large corn known.
Legal Tender: This wonderful variety originated in southwestern Iowa and is one of the most productive and popular of all yellow corns. It is strictly thorough-bred and breeds very true to type and is peculiarly free from barren stalks.
Snow Flake is no doubt the largest white corn grown. It is a pure white with white cob, ears measuring from 11 to 15 inches weighing from 1 to 2 pounds.Silver Mine is a very excellent corn, a little earlier than Snow Flake and should mature in 110 days. The grain and cob purest white, husk thin, ears uniform in size and a great success in all parts of the corn belt.
St. Charles White is an exceptionally pure white with red cob, making it a favorite with millers making it a favorite with millers on account of its fine grade of meal. Has a broad succulent blade very desirable for fodder and always a good and reliable yielder.
Price of the Valley is hybrid produced by Mr. Howden, from Bloody Butcher and a large yellow corn. Is one of the largest varieties grown in this section of the country, rich and oily and is a very excellent corn for feeders.
All care has been taken to grow select, dry and store this corn properly. It will be sold at seed house, one mile west of Skidmore, Mo., for $1.25 and $1.50 per bushel. Parties wishing good reliable seed corn, corn that will grow, and all tested, write or call on A. F. Howden, Skidmore, Mo.