The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-19
Checking VS.. Drilling.


to connnence planting as soon as a part Of
the field has been plowed. Nor is the plan
permissible on land that is much rolling.
But granting that an early start has been
m ,de in preparing the soil. and their exists
no urgent reason for planting hastily, and
the Law of the land does not prevent the
adoption of thu plan it is one that should
commend itself mora frequently to farmers
than it has appeared to do the past.
There is undoubtedly great saving of hoe
I,bor to bs obtaine by the observance of
the checking plan, and soma crops are very
greatly increased by the thorough cultiva-
ton given them as the result of relying 50
exclusively upon horse culture. 1t is not
70 be commended for some crops-for in
stance, sweet potatoes, turnips, sorghum,
fodder corn, or in every instance Irish pota-
toes. but for crops like cotton or corn there
is no question of its superiority over the
usual drilling plan. In field culture of Irish
potatoes on land suffice ltly level we should
always give the preference to this plan,
having observed it on number of occa-
sions where as much as four or five acres
were planted in potatoes.
In each instance the result was highly
satisfactory, the yield being larger and made
almost entirely without use of the hoe
Various distances were given the hills. In
one plat feet by was adopted; in another
8 by 2; in another feet by IS inches, and
ais 21S feet by 21S feet. 1t depends upon
the character of the soil which of these is
the best to adopt. If the land is rough
and at all stiff it is better to give
more distance than where the land is
light loan and susceptible to proper culti-
walton with sweep and harrow. Ga land of
this character, if fairly fertile or made so,
3 by feet is a very good distance for the
hills, allowing at least two but not more
than three eyes to the hill. Land highly
adapted to this esculent can doubtless be
made to produce its maximum crop of
merchantable potatoes under this allotment
of room aud seed. Some of the early sorts
with small tops Qike the early rose) may be
made TO produce more perhaps with dis
tance of feet by Is inches if afforded all
the moisture that they require; but, as
rule, with our usual spring drouths in April
and May the distance by ? is to be recon-
mended for general adoption.
CHECKING COTTON.
All the large yields of cotton have been
made by the checking plan. A number of
instances where the yield was variously
from two to nearly Eve bales per acre is on
record. The largest crop made in Georgia
was when the land very highly manured)
was checked 8 by feet, and only one plant
left to the hill-4. $40 stalks per acre. The
next largest crop, where three heavy bales
were made ON one acre in South Carolina
was the result of checking 4 by 21S feet,
and two stalks left to the hill-S,7l2 stalks
per acre.
Other large yields have been made with
distances by 3 and by2.
Much of the cotton produced in Georgia.
as in other cotton states, is made on land
where the practice still holds of leaving
Is, 900 to 10000 stalks to the acre. Mora
even than this is left by many farmers, but
it is only the very ignorant who now leave
more than 5000 or 1900 stalks on any kind
of land
There is very little land rich or poor that
duce its maximum yield. OF course poor
land requires more stalks than rich land
does, but it may be stated without fear of
having the statement disproved that any
land that requires moro than 10000 stalks
to produce its maximum yield is certainly
not worth cultivating in cotton, or any
other crop perhaps for the profit to be made
directly out of it. There is much medium
land, no doubt, that when checked 3 by
fest will give larger crop with two stalks
left to the hill thaa when only one is left.
1t may be that a limited area of soil here
and there in localities will produce little
mora with three stalks than two, but it is
not probable that such land will produce at
any time very satisfactory crops.
CHECKING CORN.
What is true of cotton is true also of
corn, that checking will usually produce the
largest yield and with less labor. But in
the matter of stalks it is altogether differ
ent. Instead of expecting the best yield
from one stalk the method of culture justi-
fies an increase of stalk in the hill in pro-
portion to the quality of the soil. Two
even three oftentimes-stalkso of our south
ern field corn may, very safely, be left to
the bill, where under the drill plan as usually
cultivated it would not be advisable to leave
more than one. On good soil, supplied with
plenty of mineral matter. and especially
where fair quantity of fine raw bone had
been applied. it was found quite proper to
allow three stalks to the hill where the
Bount prolific varsity of corn was planted
iand the Adams early also).
The fine filth that was secured to the land
by the several plowings at right angles
makesa vast difference in the ability of the
crop to withstand droughty weather, with
JudlciouS use of the harrow or sweep.
Tn one occasion the writer saw plat of
FODDER corn where the planting was made in
checks 3 by 8 feet, and IL to is stalks grown
TO the hill, and many hills averaged right
good-slzed ''nuboin" to each stalk. 1t was
astonishing the number of edible roasting
ears small-sized plant furnished, and in
way, too, that extended the season two or
three weeks from the corn's not maturing
uniformly, but successfully according
somewhat to the thickness of the stocks in
in the hilD.
inns incident proved full of suggestion
and led to many interesting tests of thick
planting with x-arious xariatioS of coru