Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-13
wALHALLA. SOUTH oA.soErsA, nsA1sor9 1;, 500

March 2, the weather Sbeing warm
and the land moist. Five or six
kernels were dropped 20 each foot OF
the row. The lattefwere five inches
deep, but the seed was only covered
lightly an inch decl,H ,raking In the
sides of the furrow.s Rains the next
day, washed in more soil, md GOV.
cred the seed rather ,leeplS There
were good rains March 10 and 15
the plapts began to$ho@ on the 9th
and by the 25th thdgaswas atolcrably
good stand. On 4prslaSs tho crop
was hocd for the first time, thinned
to one stock every Mye,or six inches,
and the few missingsplaces rcplantcd
On the 10th the wide spaces (six
fcet) between the alternate rows
were ploughed out with the subsoil
plough. Then a mixture composed
Of two hundred pounds each of
manipulated guano, kainit, cotton
seed meal, acid phosphate and animal
bone, was evenly applied by sowing
in each furrow (thus confining this
application Of plaut-food to the wide
spaees0 after which the whole acre
was gone over with Thomas har-
row. There was rain on the oath,
and two days later the crop was
again narrowed With the Thomas
harrow. Now, onsMay Is, the mar
row or three-foot rows we're ploughcd
out with the slbsoiicr, and 800
pounds of nitrate Of soda was sowcd
in these rows, and worked in with
hand-harrow or cultivator. On
the 25th the Thomas harrow was
run througe the wide rows to break
the crust. 1t viii be seen that by
this time the soil was not only well
filled with plant-food, but had beer,
thoroughly cultivated on the surface,
and also well worked underneath by
the subsoil plough so that the whole
soil was in that light and open con
dition that best facilitates root
growth.
ROOT DEVELOPMENT.
To stimulate a still further root
Development, especially in the wide
spaces between the alternate rows,
where there was moro room for this
purpose, three burrows were run, side
by side, in the middle of the wide
rows, with the subsoil plough, and 200
pounds of manipulated guano was
applied i'll these burrows, the rows
being then worked by a Thomas
harrow. The next day there was
about an inch Of rain, about six
inches of rain fell four days later,
and, on June 2, the land was lightly
stirred with a hoe. a little earth
was hocd into the corn, making the
land about level. There was more
rain June d and 5, and, on the Sth,
three burrows were again turned in
the middle of the wide rows, this
time with 20-inch Campbell sweep.
Now, 500 pounds of q mixture com
posed of equal parts Of manipulated
guano, cotton seed meal, and kainit
was strewn in the wide spaces, and
the corn on the entire field was hocd.
Raln came the next day, but, on
June II, 100 pounds of nitrate of
soda was sowcd in the narrow rows
and hoed in.
THE WONDERS OF THE CROP.
The crop was now wonderful
sight. 1t soon became necessary to
put up posts and nail Stats to them,
on both sides of each row, to prevent
the corn falling. No hillingwas done,
but the whole acre was kept perfectly
level. Arrangements for irrigatio.,
had been made, but the season was
early and wet, as compared with
other years; rain followed frequently,
and no irrigation was necessary. In
fact, as Mr.. Drake says, "pho season
was the most favorable for corn I
ever saw" The fame of the contest
acre spread far and wide, and farm
crs and planters came from all parts
OF Marlboro and adjoining counties
to behold it. p. L. Brccdcn, a
great cotton planter, and one Of the
most progressive farmers in the
State, says it was "a wonder to
behold" S. A. Brown, editor of
the Marlboro Democrat, writes ::
"The harvest was indeed curiosity.
One laborer told us that the corn,
when pulled, was knee deep on the
ground. The yield was not much of
a surprise to those who visited the
crop while growing, and some Marion
county farmers put the estimate at
800 bushels"
THE HARVEST AND IT'S CORRECT