The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-04-17
How To Plant Corn.

Editors Maroon Trlcyroph-As it is corn
planting time, 1t occurs to me that it might
not be amiss to remind cur planting friends Of
MIR. Dickson's method Of planting corn. The
readers of the Southern Cultivator are familiar
with his suggestions this subject; but as
very many of Jour readers possibly d, MT
take this valuable journal, and would be glad
to know the plan pursued by this ':princc Of
farmers us the result Of his experience and
scientific researches i'll farming for more than
twenty years. will take the liberty Of furnish
ing the desired information
Certainly, if our. planters could but take
peep at Mr. Dickson's corn cribs. still well
filed with corn which he made three years
ago, and see the abundance and even waste of
that valuable product which seems to grow
around him as if by magic they would be
anxious to learn tho secret of such success
For the benefit of those not posted, and who
feel an interest III this all important subject
| will furnish Mr. Dickson's method of pro-
;edurc, in his own words, for breaking tho
land and planting the crop:
Have good turning ploushs, and according
to your ability use one or two horses, and sub
soil. Ride over the field and lay the land so
that the horses will 20 round in level, and the
dirt will fall down hill a team will brc,k
up the soil nine inches deep in this way as
easily as they could seven inches on a level
piece of land. Continue to take the lands in
the same way until the field is finished, one
team following anothcr--all the time gon.
round the circle, and if you subsol have one
team between each turning plough running
to the bottom Of the furrow. When you finish
the field is ready for planting, if the proper
timo has arrived. In deciding this point you
must be governed by the weather 1t varies
from the 10th of March to the 1st of April.
According to my experience man only gains
hard wolk, aud more of it by very early plant
ing.
Now for the planting: Lny off furrows
with long shovel plough on il level seven
feet apart Commence at the opposite end
with Il longer shovel and open out the same
iurrow The reason for this is, you get up to
trees and stumps and make better finish Mt
the ends. This furrow should stand opcn
seven or eight inches deep. Whether YOU
use compost, cotton seed or guanos let each
hand have his three feet measure and lcposit
the manure just three feet apart. Then drop
the corn within three OF lour inches of tho
manure, one or more grains, as is your custom
dropping on the near side of the manure.
as the droppcr goos and then with very
light turrow cover the corn one or one and
half inches deep The harrow should 20 the
same way as the droppcr goes to keep from
pulling the manure OH the grain.
IF you cover deep you lose all the ad-
vantagcs of low ploughing (but not of the
deep brcakiug) and for this reason: Corn in
good weather. will come up from depth of
one to six inches, but will strike out roots
about one inch from the surface ofthe ground
and all below that will perish. That is one
reason why [ am opposed to dirting corn as
soon as it comes up~-it brings the loot of the
stalk to the top of the ground
This, Mr.. Editor, is Mr. Dickaons method
of preparing the land and planting the crop
The plan is subject to tho approval or disap-
proyal OF your many readers. We must make
our own corp, and some change from the
usual popular system of planting is necessary.
in Y!ew of our dull labor aud Increased liability