The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-04-22
F FARMERS COLUMN.
R9 Communications from our Farmers
on any matter pertaining to Agriculture,
are respectfully solicited for this colun,n.
How TO Make Corn Cheaply.


Coru is q most valuable grain, says the
Southern CuNirator, and very desirable
on farm, but often costs the farmer too
much to make it. How to make it
cheaply should be a matter of careful
consideration. Mr.. David Dickson says
that after the land is prepared all the
labor required to cultivate corn is less
than one day per acre. His plan is
briefly this: After deep breaking he
laid off rows seven feet apart with a long
shovel, running twice in opposite direc'
tions. Manure, whatever kind used, was
dropped every three feet, and the corn
dropped three or four inches from it on
the near side, and covered one to one
and half inches deep with harrow
going in the same direction as the drop
per. In his locality he planted from the
10th of March to the 1st of April, and
gave the first working from the goth of
April to 1st of May. Early dirting of
the corn he considered positive injury,
doing away with all the good Of planting
in deep furrow. First ploughing, he
sided with twenty two inch sweep, the
back of the right wing elevated about
one and a quarter inches: filling the
shovel furrow within one inch of the
general surface. The middles we're
finished with same sized sweep, the wings
elevated. Four furrows in all completed
row, a horse going over three and a
half acres a day. After three to four
weeks it is ploughed again with same
sized sweep, running FIVE burrows to the
row. Between the second and third
ploughings he planted peas by running a
shovel furrow in the middle, dropping
six or seven peas every two feet and
covering with harrow. Two hands and
dropper will p]ar, sixteen acres day,
The third aud last ploughing is given
with sweeps also, running only half inch
deep. A twenty.two.inch sweep, with
right wing elevated, sides the corn,
twenty six-inch sweep, with right wing
half elevated, sides the peas. This
makes four furrows in all to the row.
He never put hoe in corn. His esti-
mate was that only small fraction over
one days work was required for an acre
of corn and peas, and on poor pine land
he averaged from twenty to twenty-five
bushels pc. acre. One days labor in
preparing the land, one days labor in
cultivating the crop, together with cost
of manure ard gathering the crop, Gov
ers the expense of one acre of corn,
averaging twenty bushels. Allowing
three dollars an acre for manure, and fifty
cents each for hand and horse per day.
the total expense per acre would not
exceed six dollars, or thirty cents per
bushel. We believe that with good
management and sound judgment corn
can be raised at that cost. Even on bot
tom lands, by planting in checks four
feet each way (leaving two stalks in each
hill) the crop can be made entirely with
the plough. We have done it for years,
including several wet seasons.
From the experience of the past year
in feeding the heads of an early matu.
ring variety of milo maize, we have con-
cluded that it would be we'll to substitute
this crop, in part, for corn. Horses relish
the grain, fed whole in the head, appa.
rently as we'll as corn, and fattened and
worked upon it quite as we'll as upon a
corn ration. 1t stands drought better
than corn, and can be made with rather
less work. Drill thinly in rows two and
"a half to three feet apart and cultivate
with sweeps or scrapes-hoe work is un-
necessary. May be planted after the
20th of this month. So may all varieties
of sorghum and millet. These will be
found very valuable for soiling during
summer and autumn when stock is not
heavily worked and pastures are cut off
by drought. A succession of paintings
ought to be made from the Goth of April
to August. We have found these crops
of great value in helping out the corn
crib. They are better for feeding green
than for curing into dry forage. We
have not tried it directly, but are salts
fed they may be kept green the greater
part of the winter by being put in silos
or pits Some report good results with
sorghum preserved iu trenches like the
Louisiana sugarcane.