The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-31
Marion's $1,000 Corn Men.
Marion Index.

pTlZ6 OF one CllOuSduu dOAo1o "At0H
has been offered by the American Ag'
riculturist and the State of South Car
olina for the greatest yield Of corn on
one acre of land. Half of this premi-
um is offered by the American Agri-
culturist and may be competed for by
any one in the United States. The
other five hundred dollars is offered
by the Agricultural Department OF
South Carolina only in the case the
first premium is won by South Car
Gilman.
Among the contestants for this
prize in South Carolina are Messrs.
James G. Moody and ". B. R. Gasque,
of Marion county. Both of these
gentlemen have crops that are the
wonder and admiration of all who
have had the pleasure Of seeing them.
Probably not half dozen men in the
county, perhaps not one, have ever
seen any corn that will make as many
bushels per acre as these crops will
make. In country where thirty
bushels per acre is regarded as a fine
yield crop that will make from sew
enty-fve to one hundred bushels per
acre is an object of perpetual wonder
and curiosity.
Mr.. Moody's corn is planted in
rows three feet apart and is ten inch
es apart in the drill. Standing at the
end of the rows and looking into the
corn the land seems to be covered
with one mass of corn and has the ap-
pearance OF being planted broadcast
rather than in rows. So thick is the
corn that it is almost impossible for
one to make his way through It. It
is about ten or twelve feet high and
of dark rich green color. When
seen many of the ears were full grown
and the grains hard but considera-
BILE number of the stalks were just
then in full silk. Mr.. Moody planted
Clouds Dent variety, an early variety
with small stalk and ear which can be
planted much nearer together than
the common corn of the country. It
is estimated that there are seventeen
thousand and FIVE hundred stalks on
the acre but the corn will not average
one ear to each stalk. Mr.. Moody
thinks he will get one hundred and
twenty-five bushels of corn and two
thousand pounds Of fodder from the
acre. The preparation of the land for
the crop was begun in February when
it was broadcasted with one hundred
bushels Of cotton seed and two thou
sand pounds Of kainit and acid mix
ed. The land was broken up with a
Dixie plow and subsoiled to depth
of eighteen inches. The land was
then laid off in three feet rows and
two hundred pounds of ammoniated
guano applied with distributor:
The corn was planted on the first 6f
April. At the first plowing five hun
dred pounds of ammoniated guano
was applied and at the third and last
blowing, about the first OF June, two
hundred and fifty pounds of nitrate
of soda were added The corn was
plowed three times only, its rapid
growth preventing any work from be-
ing done after June the first. The
land is ordinary upland which has
been kept in fairly high state of cul-
tivation. The soil is light and easily
cultivated. Mr. Moody thinks the
corn was injured some by the dry
weather, though the season has gen
erally been more than usually fayora-
BE BE fs ssH tie TIE prediction Of Sass'A Mr.
Moody says he is not PREPARED to ac-
cept the statement that more than
two hundred bushels of corn have
been made on one acre of upland IN
this State. He does not believe that
twice as much corn can be made on
an acre of land as his acre will make.
With the exception of a slight posi-
bic injury that may have been done
to the corn BY the dry weather, and
this injury at the most is scarcely ap-
preciable, nothing was lacking to
make as large yield as it is possible
for upland in this State to make AS
much manure as the land demanded
was put down, the ground was well
prepared and well cultivated and the
season could hardly have been more
favorable and a crop of one hundred
bushels, or perhaps little more,
would seem to indicate that crop OF
more than two hundred bushels on
our uplands is exceedingly improba-
BILE, not to say impossible.
We believe, however, that Mr..
Moody made two mistakes: first, in
not planting the variety Of corn COM
monty planted in this county; and,
second, in planting too close together.
Greater distance in the rows and
drill and variety of corn producing
larger ears would probably have CIV
en- more satisfactory returns. The
crop is a magnificent one, thoug h,
and will be revelation to those who
have never seen anything but the or
dinary upland corn Of this State.
Mr. Gasque's corn week ago was
as luxuriant almost as tropical jun
gle. The stalks are of great size and
about fifteen feet high. The ears are
large, long, and filled out well to the
end. Many of the stalks will make
two large ears. The corn is the COM
mon gourd seed variety and is plant
ed in four feet rows In the drill it