The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-01-27
Corn Culture-Mr. Dickson's Plan.

tation last summer, we gathered some in
teresting facts in regard to his system OF
farming, a portion of which were given to
our readers in our October number, and
have been extensively copied throughout
the South. Our attention, in the article
alluded to, was more particularly directed
to cotton. We purpose now to speak Of
his mode of planting and working his
corn crop.
WHEN AND how TO BREAK UP THE LAND.
1t should be remembered that in Mr..
Dickson's system of rotation, corn follows
cotton. He expressed the opinion that, as
a rule, the later the land is broken up the
better for both the land and the crop but
where large area is to be planted, the
blowing must be commenced by the first
day of January in his latitude-carlier
further South.
Mr.. Dickson's plantation is situated in a
rolling country-hilly, perhaps, it may be
called-and he lays off his land so that the
teams go round the hills on a level, the
dirt falling down the HILL ga team" he
says, "wil1 break up the soil nine inches
deep in this way as easily as it could sew
en- inches on level ground" He, we think,
uses two horses to the plow, one team fol-
lowing another, and all the time going
round the circle. If the landis to be sub
soiled, a subsolf plow follows each turning
plcw. The ground is then ready for
LAYING cFF AND PLANTING.
Mr.. Dickson's directions for laying off
and planting, are as follows: clay off fur
rows with long shovel plow, on a level,
seven feet apart. Commence at the oppo
site end, with longer shovel, and open
out the same furrow. The reason for this
is, you get up to trees and stumps, and
make better finish at the ends. This
furrow should stand, open seven or eight
inches deep. Whether you use compost,
cotton seed or guanos, let each hand have
his three foot measure, and deposit the
manure in the bottom of the furrow, just
three feet apart. Then drop the corn
within three or four inches OF the manure,
one or more grains, as is your cgstom-.
dropping on the near side of the ma
nure, as the dropper goes; then, with a
very l;ght harrow, cover the corn one or
one and half inches deep The harrow
should go the same way the dropper goes,
to prevent from pulling the manure on the
grain"
Low planting, but not deep covering, it
will be perceived, is the rule, and we are
able, from personal experience, to endorse,
to the fullest extent, the principle involved,
though we have not been accustomed to
make our burrows quite SO deep as Mr.
Dickson does. To couer deep, however, is
to lose the advantage of low planting, for
the corn will, IN all cases, ttro,0 out its
roots near the surface.
WORKING THE CROP.
Mr.. Dickson says that he is opposed to
earthing the corn as soon as it comes up.
In the latitude of Middle Georgia, he
usually finishes his first working from the
goth of April to the 10th of May.
For the first blowing he uses a heavy
twenty-five inch sweep, with the right
wing so set, that its back end will not be
more than one inch above the ground.-
This is to run near the corn, and should
fill the furrow within one or one and a
half. inches of the general surface. He
breaks out the middles with the same sized
sweep, with the back of both wings
tured up. If the plowing is we'll done,
four burrows will finish out-four hands
completing fourteen acres every day.
For the second plowing, he has the
wing of the siding sweep turned little
more than half up, and runs close to the
corn, leaving nothing for the hoe; for if
the plowing is we'll done there is no use
for a hoe He breaks out the mlddles,
with three furrows, to make good place
to plant peas. He plants peas from the
first TO the goth Of June, in his latitude.
This is the way he does it: After the Sec
end plowing, he runs shovel furrow in
the middle between two corn rows, and
drops one bushel of peas to every eight
acres-say six to eight peas to hill
Sixteen acres per day can be planted, and
will use two bushels to each plow. He
covers with harrow.
For the third and last plowing, he pairs
his hands, putting one to side the corn and
one to side the peas. The hand that sides
the corn uses twenty-five inch sweep,
right-hand wing well up, and runs close
to the corn-not going more than half
inch deep, and thus cutting no corn roots
The left wing should be nearly fiat. The
hand that sides the peas uses heavy
twenty-eix inch sweep, with the right
wing set at medium height, runs it near
the peas, SO as to fill the pea furrow en-
thcly up. The left wing should be up, to
push the dirt near the corn. This is the
last plowing, and should leave the field
smooth and entirely free from weeds and
grass.
For manure he uses the Dickson Com