The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-03-29


planters in our section of the country
"Givc honor unto him To whom honor i,
due is IN old maxim, and with feeling,
mingled with pleasure and pride, have
We heard the name called, and witnessed
our distinguished editor receive the pre-
mlumS awarded to the best essay upon
the cultivation of corn and cotton, ut our
State Fairs. Now, Mr., Editor, after Your
acknowledged and well mertcd ESSAYS
have been given to us for our reflection,
AMI as an example, | hope YOU will not
consider 1t presumption in me, TO give
lou my plan OF preparing and planting
these crops.
In the first place, have my corn land
plowed close and deep rs early as posi-.
BILE; lay off my rows the distance | wish
TO give the corn, and throwing t into
beds. When ready to plant, open tie
middle or water furrow, drop the corn the
distance | wish to have it in the drill or
It hill corn, let it he checked off previously
covering with wooden tooth harraw,
which gives light and loose covering
Should there come rain and bake the
ground before the corn is up, run the liar.
row over tie second time. Corn planted
this way. OH low and fiat land, OF wet
or backward spring, will bc apt to rot,
un.rsS covered very lightly 10y Il harrow
or something that will give similar COW
ering. Upon this plan, after the corn re-
ceiNes the third plowing, it will be fully u
foot in the ground, and as the roots are
nearly all given, off laterally, and grow
superiicially they consequently require
some depth to be protected from drought
sod ara less injured by the last plowinp.
As to distance, l am governor altogether
by the quality of the land. AS general
rule, one hundred stalks will make BUSH
el OF corn, and il the land under favorable
seas ,ns will produce twenty bushels of
corn per acre, give it four and a half
feet each way; or if in the drill, three
and half by six feet, will give about two
thousand stalks to the acre. Now IL an
acre Of gtennd can only mature twenty
more upon ii! For there will be an ex-
cess in stalks and fodder, and "a deficiency
in weight of corn, besides being dsad-
vantage to the land, and leaving less
space tor pea crop. My mode Of plan
the plan usually followed. Some bottom
land is the better for being thrown into
beds, while with some other land, it does
not make any material difference.
l;un # the row, drop (or | would not
do wrong to say sow,) the corn, cover it
with fam f,rr,,,s al,
tooth rake, which breaks up the clods,
and removes al! trash, leaving the corn
row entirely clean, for twelve inches on
each side. use the harrow after each
plOwimg. Give ii To Il careful hand and
let HIM follow after the plows, running
two or three times in each row, which
breaks up aMl kills the lunches of grass
young cane, weeds, &c, saving fully two.
thirds Of the hocing This harrow can
be used to an advantage, on first wears
IanG. The construction of it is very sim
pie, after the old pattern, two feet wide
ut the open end, has eleven teeth made
out of an inch square bar OF iron, straight,
the lower end V,pered to point, tie up
per end tnp"rcd to half an inch, with Il
tap; the morticc in the stock must bc cut
taperng also. 1t will be found very use
fuI i'll sowing turnipS, grazing lots, &c,
1t is generally admitted to be the best
plan to plant cotton on beds, and that
they should he made early, and it is fire.
quenty the case, that the grass and weeds
come up with the cotton. or little ahead
and get the start Of it. In order to obvi-
ate this, run off the rows, make ridge
with two turrows, leaving the middIcs to
he split out with two or more furrows, as
the distance Of the rows may require, TO
complete the beds, just before painting
This combines the advantages of early
and late bedding, without the disadvan
tage> of either, and consumes no more
time.
The beds should be opened with a small
scooter, made for The purpose, so that in
running round with the plows for the frs.
time, there will he space not more !han
three or four inches wide, instead of six
or eight inches, which gives nearly hall
of the space Of the cotton row list, III favor
of the hoe hands The seed should he
covered with wooden tooth harrow; il
the ground bakcs, run over the second
time.
Respectfully,
J.
HTI 81.