Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-05-14
From the Laurensville Herald.
DIR. FULLER'S PRIZE ACRE OF CORN.

r. NJ. STOKES Eso.-Dear STR: Noticing
the courteous and intelligent correspondent
of the Farmer and Planter. " Laurens," in
an article re.published in the Herald, to give
my mode of managing the acre Of creek
bottom, submitted to the Laurens Agricul-
tural Society at its last meeting for the pre-,
MUM on Corn, and also being urged TO do
so BY others, most cheerfully comply, after
begging pardon for unavoidable delay. Not,
however. without serious misgivngs that
many will be disappointed to learn that so
large result has been achieved by so sim.
pie and, in most respects such ordinary
means.
The land selected for the experiment was
one acre in the bed Of an old mill. pond. care
fully measured by competent and disin-
terested person with Surveyors chain.
TIE soil was deep, rich, porous, and sufi
cieutly dry and sandy to pulverize well. 1t
was cultivated the year previous in corn,
and left clean of grass and weeds, or other
litter. had it first broken the 18th Of JAN
uary with long narrow scooter, as deeply
as single mule could draw it. On the lst
of April, the weeds beginning to appear, it
was again plowed with scooter. On the
18th Of April the corn rows were laid off 8
feet 10 inches in width with shovel plow,
the corn dropped IL inches apart in the drill,
and covered in the ordinary way with two
scooter furrows. When ready to come up,
it was boarded off. Three grains having
been dropped where one was expected to
stand, and coming up well, | had most ex-
cellent stand for the crop though it was in.
jured TO some extent by the bud worm and
birds. 1t was replanted on the lst of May.
The thianing was delayed on account of the
bud worm, till it reached the height Of about
IL inches; it was then reduced to one stalk
in'the hill, making the stand feet 10 inches
in the row to IL inches in the drill.
The 10th of May it received its first
blowing, siding with long scooter, and
blowing out the balks with very broad, long
shovels, for the purpose of better pulverizing
the clods.
May 18th. Hoed and thinned to stand.
June 9th. Pulled off suckers, Of which there
were good many, Notwithstanding the
thickness of the corn.
June 10Th. Plowed the second and last
time, with short, broad shovels, running quite
light by and some 6 or 8 inches from the
corn,
June 18TH, Hoed again, which merely
consisted in closing up any .gaps left by the
plow, and shaving out any green stuff that
the plow did not destroy, wounding as little
as possible the corn roots.
The corn was then "laid by" having re.
ceivsd, after planting, but two plowipgs and
two hoeings in the cultivation of the crop
and two plowings in course of preparation.
The product was carefully measured in
the presence of two disinterested and re-
spectacle witness, and found to be sc bush.
els and pecks. 1t was damaged by Sc
we're storm with which it was visited on the
last of June. by which great deal of it
was blown down. and the yield shorted, in
the opinion of several who saw it, to the
amount of Is or 20 bushels.
The object of the experiment was to sat.
isfy myself to what extent corn could be
successfully crowded, and what would be
the probable maximum yield on our very
best lands, under the most judcious system
of culture and under the most favorable cir
cumstances. l have long thought that we
are falling far short of producing the amount
of corn or other grain on our lands that we
ought to do. The farmers of England
thought fifty years ago, that 10 bushels of
wheat per acre was handsome return now
they make so bushels per acre, and have
not reached the maximum. The farmers of
kentucky, Ohio, and many of the Northern
and North Western States. make frequently
100 bushels corn per acre. and occasionally
report 200; Yeti is matter for proud triumph
and boastng, If the farmers of South Caro-
lima reach the. very modest yield of so
bushels per acre. Why is it so2 Is it the
effect Of difference, of climate. soil. or ag-
rieakaral skils Or is it from combination
of afl.these cansess Our seasons are lon-
gsr aud our soil, though often poor and ex-
hausted, presents endless varieties, stretching
as it does from the sands of the sea shore
and swamps of The tide.water Districts to
the rich valleys and the coves Of the moun.
tains i doubt not the fault is largely our
ows.. Our farms, With judicious manage.
aaent and more thorough and ssiilful sys.
ten Of culture can be made greatly to ex.
ceed the ordinary product. We are in want
Of many of the elements Of high success.
We nee1 greater attainments in, and more
thorough application of the science of agri.
culture. We need to have the number of
acres undertaken to be cultivated, curtailed.
and better preportioned to our physical ca.
pacity, and that, of our horses and mules.
We need time to prepare the soil as it should
be done for the reception Of the seed, and.
to make and apply manures. We need a
chemical analysis of our soils, that we may
know to what crops they are best adapted,
and in what ingredents they may be most
deficient In short, our wants are very great
and pressing, but above all, we need greater
pride and cher spirit Of emulation among
US as class. Yours, &C.,
A. C.FULLER.
giLUE or title SOUTHERN SEEDLINGS,