Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-26
HOW TO PLANT CORN.

Editors Telegraph As it is corn plant.
! ing time, it occurs to me that il miobt
not be amiss to remind our planting friends
! Of Mr.. Dickson's method OF planting corn.
lhe readers Of the Southern Cultivator
are familiar with his suggestions on this
subject; but as very many of your readers
possibly do not take this valuable Journal,
and would be glad t. know the plan pur-
sued BY this "prince Of farmers" rs the
result of his experience, and scientific re-.
searches in farming for more than twenty
years, l will take the liberty OF furu ,shug
The desired informat on.
Certainly, it our planters could but take
apeep at Mr.. DIckson's corn cribs, still
well filled with corn which he made three
years ago. and see the abundance and even
waste OF that valuable product which seems
TO gro" around him as If by magic, they
would be anxious to learn the secret of
such success. For the benefit of those
not posted, aud who feel an interest in this
all.lmporlant subject, will furnish Mr..
DIckson's method of procedure IN his own
words, Tor breaking the land and planting
the crod:
'Have good turning plows, and accord.
ing to your ability, use one or two horses,
and subsoil. Ride over the field aud lay
of the land SO that the horses will 90
round on level, and the dirt will fall
Gown bill. A team will break up the soil
nine 'uches deep in this way as easily as
they conld seven inches on u level piece oil
land. Continue to take the lands iu the
same way until the field is flushed, one
team following another-al The time 90,
ing round the circle and it you subsoll,
have one team between each turning plow
running in the bottom of the furrow.
When you finish the field is ready for
planting, if the proper time has arrived.
In deciding this point, you must be gov.
erued by the weather. II varies from the
10th OF March to the lst of April. Ac
cording 10 my experience, man only
gains hard work, and more Of it, by very
early planting.
Nov for the planting: Lay ffurrows
with long shovel pIow on level, seven
feet apart. Commence at the opposite
eud with a longer shovel und open out th 9
same furrow. The reason for this is, you
get up to trees and s,u'nps, and make a
better finish at tie ends. This furrow
should stand open ssven or eight inches
deep. Whether you use Q ,mpost, cotton
seed or guanos, let each hand have his
three feet measure and deposit the man
ure just three feet apart. Then drop the
corn within three or four inches of the
manure, one or more grams, as is your GUS
tom-dropping on the near side OF the
manure, as the droppsr goes; and then
with very light furrow cover the corn one
or one and half inches deep. The bar-
row should 60 the same WY as the drop
per goes to keep from pulling the manure
on The grain.
eff you cover deep you lose all the nd
vantages of low blowing (but not of the
deep breakiug) and for this reason Corn,
in good weather, will come up from a
depth of one to ak inches, but will strike
out roots about one inch from tho surface
of The ground aud all below that will per.
ish. That is one reason why am oppo
sed TO dirting corn As soon as it comes up
it trings the root of the. stalk to the
top Of the ground"
This, Mr.. Editor, is Mr.. Dickson g meth
cd Of preparing the land and planting the
crop. The plan is subject to the approval
or d'sapproval OF your many readers. We
must make our own corn, and some
change from the usual popul r system Of
planting ,s necessary, in view Of our dull
labor and increased liability to drought.
We must guard against the effects Of hot,
dry. Summers, and the deep plowing and
deep planting, as advised by Mr.. Die son,
promise the appropriate remedy.