The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-08-02
AN ESSAY ON CORN RAISING.

ANsESSAY ON UkN-.kAlS1NHs -
Capt e. e. Walters Successful Experiment
In Raising Corn ON Upland In Orangeburg
s. County at Cost Of Ten Gents per Bushel
Is "A Paper ReAd Before the Orangeburg
s farmors' Institute. - s;
Weekly Neus and Courier.
Realizing the great Importance of the
corn crop Of our State and the necessity
for the introduction Of d more rapid and
economical mode of cultivation, your
sessayist has consented to submit for your
consideration method adopted by him.
self three years ago, and successfully
practiced since; and in order to present
Eit,as clearly as possible, viii endeavor to
lay before yon d statement from . care
fully kept diary Of every hours labor
expended upon the crop of thisye
The land selected for planting incorn
was fity:four acres, thirty.fonr of which
was in corn last year and twenty in oats,
followed By peas. It was all carefully
broken up flush with two horse ploughs
{Farmers' Friend No y in December and
early in JANUARY. fhe cornstalks we're
chopped into two or three parts, being
completely turned under, together with q
heavy growth Of peayines, grass, &c. In
this condition it remained till March Is,
when it was laid off With a Corbin har.
row, partially back and pulled by
two animals; thoroughly pulyeriziDg the
soil and killing all grass seed and weeds
then terminating: The water burrows
we're then opened with q eyen.inch
opener plough. In the furrow West
distributors were run, depositing 800
pounds Of fertilizers per acre, and were
followed BY an iron ootplougt stock,
with no mould attached, intend. sim.:
ply to mingle the fertilizer with'tne soil.
The corn Was dropped by hand at an
average distance of about thirty inches
and covered by board twenty.seyen,
inches in length, the lower corners Of
which swere saved of disgonally nine
inches from msthe ends. BY these boards
only limited covering of earth was
thrown upon the seed. The work was
done very rapidly, and the corn, when it
came up, wassin trench two inches
below the surface. The Corbin barrow
cuts a width Of six. feet, hence the corn
was planted six BY two and one,half
feet.
The seed was 3 corn known as the
North Carolina prolific, grows compar.s
atively small stalk, produces two ears
low down, and is susceptible Of very close
planting onithe bed. Forty.one acres
were planted, one. half day, March %,
three-fourths on the 2sd, one, half on the
26th, ands thirsaen acres on April 4, the
apparently irregular planting being ex.
planned BY the fact that q gale of wind
drove us from the field the frat day.
The ground being hard frozen delayed
recommencement Of work till 8 o'clock
a. Mon the second, heavy rains stopped
US on the third, and its continuance pre-.
vented completion Of our; labors till
April
The fertilizer consisted of q mixture
Of 40per cent each Of Edisto dissolved
bone and cotton seed meal, and 20 per
cent kainit, costing SIG 81 per ton, in.
Guiding value Of hauling home from
depot. Cost Of fertilizer per acre S2.5S.
rains February and March
had made the lands replete with mois.
ture, SO the corn came up rapidly and in
an almost perfect stand, though the dep
relations of birds afterwards impaired
it: and necessitated limited replantipg.
efotlowing is quoted from my diary:
The First Working Sided corn with
four eighteen: inch sweeps. and later
planted with twelve inch sweeps. April
%. "a and half Of 25, cleaned middles
with one sectionsof Thomas's harrow, all
Of same days, assisted halfaof last day
With another section. Fifty. -four acres
succored with fonr;hands, May 10.
The Second Working worked corn
with Corbin harrow May IA and ,l5 and
one:third 18th, with four animals. No
rain from April 10 TO May 9. Ground
very hard, necessitating heavy weight on
harrow. Forty cne acres. Worked
balance of corn with Corbin harrow four
animals, May 26, thirteen acres.
In explanation Of this work it is neces-
sary to state that. the harrow is run
astride Of the corn, the two inner discs
being first removed and the lever fully
drawn back. It is usually drawn by two
animals, the driver walking. but this yesr,
owing to theShard packed condition Of
the soil resulting from heavy rains, it
Was necessary to mount the driver, which,
increasing the; weight, necessitated the
use of four animals, the additional cost,
however, being, almost compensated for
by the increased rspidity Of the work.
The animals were attached two at the
pole and two in the lead, the latter being
driven by: a small boy riding the near