The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-18
Tile Intensive System.

The Intensive System.
Mr.. Rufus NJ. Allison, of Broad River
township, is remembered as one Of the
competitors for the american Agicultur.
ist's corn prize last year. Though failing
to secure the prize, he did not neglect to
profit by the experience gained in the
contest, and this year has about ready to
harvest another crop that bids fair to
greatly exceed the previous one. A
representative of the Inquirer ha, been
out to see it, and finds that the reports
that have already been printed have been
in no wise exaggerated.
Mr.. Allison's plantation is on Clark's
Fork of Bullock's creek, about three
miles northeast of Hickory Grove, and
bis residence, which overlooks the msgni.
6cent bottom lands in which his corn is
grown, is situated on high hill about q
half mile from the creek. The view
from the house over the plantation is as
pleasing as the most ideal farmer could
desire. Stretching away up the creek
until the sight almost grows monotonous,
is broad level valley that is as rich End
productive as years deposits of sediment
can make it. On either side, this valley
is walled in by high hills, in places so
steep as to be difficult Of ascent. At the
lower end of the plain, indeed the only
end in sight, an almost mountainous
ridge runs directly across and forms
huge basin, probably quarter of q
mile in width. But for a narrow gap Of
less than stones throw from side to
side here there would be, as it is possible
there once was,. Ian immense lake, more
than fifty feet deep and les in length.
AS it is, the creek flows through the gap
without ripple, and so deep is the chan.
mel through the bottoms, that except
when overAowed by freshets, every acre
is as dry and workable as the choicest
uplands. Appreciating the advantage
Gus conditions in which nature had left
the work, the owner, at cost of some
three thousand dollars, has constructed
strong stone dam about, twenty feet high
and eight feet broad at the top, across the
gap. In case of drought he is now ena-
bled to inundate all the fields above and
make full crop independent of the
rain.
This is where Mr.. Allison raised his
one hundred and four bushels of corn
on one acre last year, and where it is not
at all improbable that he will harvest
from two hundred and seventy-fve to
three hundred bushels on two acres this
year. Nearly all of the bottom is planted
in corn, and the reporter is free to con.
fess that he never saw finer prospect
on so large a scale. The stalks range
from one and a half to two inches thick
at the ground, and are from twelve to
fifteen feet in height, all having one or
more heavy ears, many Of which, in
shuck, will measure two feet. The rows
are uniformly six feet spart and the stalks
stand about two feet in the drill.
The two pet acres are especially fine.
They occupy the same spots as the prize
acres of last year, but have been manur-
ed and planted after a different plan.
In manuring, Mr.. Allison put one han
dred bushels of green cotton seed on
each acre, and in laying of, run the rows
alternately two and six feet apart. This,
be says, was in order to give the corn the
advantage of necessary distance, and at
the same time plenty of cool air. It is
his experience that though the land may
be strong and rich enough to luxuriously
grow very heavy crop, if planted too
close, it will necessarily suffer from the
intense heat that will generate beneath
the foliage. The seed used on one Of
these acres is Garrett's improved gourd
seed, and on the other the West corn,
which took the premium at the Atlanta
exposition for the heaviest ear. The
former is large, but somewhat soft.
grained variety, while the latter has
white, hard, compact aud heavy grain.
It is difficult to judge which of the two
acres promise the largest yield. The
prospect for both seem most fatiering,
many stalks in either acre holding three
large, fully developed ears, and some
few having as many as fodr. Althoug b
the prospects are not quite so good as
last year, before it was damaged by the
freshet, Mr.. Allison thinks the two acres
will make between two hundred and
seventy. five and three hundred bushels
of corn, and it is not probably that he
will be badly disappointed.
In addition to the pet acres Of corn
backed up'by an exceptionally fine gen.
eral crop, Mr.. Allison is also nursing a
pet acre of cotton. The seed planted
we're of the Crawford variety. and the
rows were laid off 81 feet apart. The
weed is now6 to fleet high and the
branches interlock so strongly in the
centre that it is somewhat difficult to
to walk up the rows. It is we'll
fruited, the stalks containing all the way
from twelve to fifty bolls each, and the
acre will probably yield between bale
and half aud two bales of cotton
YorkviNs Inquirer.
- UI,o;r TLinI- ponc Ifphfor