The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24

crop of it, says a farmer in Florida Agri-
culturalist. But as practical experience
and some experimenting go a long way
70 help making better crops in future to
the individual concerned, l trust a few
remarks on the subject will be deemed
worthy of notice.
All the statistics we come across as to
corn production per acre and other mat
tiers are nearly all based on the northern
states statistics, but now all that is be
ing changed, as the south is slowly but
surely forging ahead in her production
OF this crop, and in a year or two will
outstrip the north, east and west COM
blned. The days of importing corn into
south are gone forever.
i have never been able to get q good
crop of corn from new land, as it wants
the humus so essential to this crop, and
l md the older the land is, the better,
provided 1t has not been allowed to lie
out for any time. Corn does well to fol-
low corn, in fact, / believe that it is an
advantage to follow itself regularly, as
the old corn roots decomposing in the
soil year after year, keep the soil in a
perfect state of physical condition to
respond readily to judicious fertilizing, as
these roots with the natural growth of
crab grass that grows SO rank on our
southern soil, is one of the best sources
OF nitrates that we could wish. When
TINS crab grass is plowed under, and IL at
the time of blowing about four hundred
pounds OF kainit per acre are added, we
get a soil that will produce a good crop of
anything, If properly attended to. Adding
the kainit to the soil in this way al the
ness IN it, which would be apt to sour by
ploWing under so much vegetation, is the
very best way OF improving it,
Corn being a heavy feeder, requires poi
ash IN abundance, and that is one reason
have for applying so much kainit at
the hrst blowing. If l use the common
grade of fertilizer on the market, l find
il, as q rule, short in potash. Why it is
that they don't give us a better per cent.
of potash. | cannot understand, because
every one who has studied the matter
knows that potash is the deficiency in the
soil of the south.
1t is a common saying that the corn
crop must be made before planting il,
meaning thereby, that the land must ger
the most of its working before the seed
is put into the ground. This is no doubt
partly true, but the after cultivation is
as important as any. After my land is
well plowed, l lay it off in checks about
three and half feet each way. I put In
my seed with hand planter, and just as
it is coming through the ground, l apply
the balance of my fertilizer, say about
400 pounds PEI. acre of fertilizer rich in
phosphoric acid, say ten per cent, and
eight per cent. of potash and two to three
per cent. of nitrogen. This fertilizer I
harrow well into the SOIL making it the
with the kainit already in the soil makes
it somewhat high in potash, but I always
SOW peas among. the corn at the last plow-
ing, and they get whatever potash is
left and in this way 1 get two gold crops
with, the one fertilizing
The general rule among the southern
ldrnlels -, " Ueu tIS Idhu lot corn same
as for cotton, and plant the seed in the
water furrow, and bedding back to the
plant as it grows. This makes the land
into ridges. and in heavy rains exposes the
rootlets of the corn to the scalding suns
that are sure to follow. My experience
goes to prove that shallow and level Gull
tivation is best. This and plenty of
potash has never yet failed to give me a
good corn crop. If our southern farmers
would only recognize the fact that for
every dollar they spend on potash, they
would get hve at least back in increased
more apt to consider the matter in a favor
able light. My experience has always been
to that tune at least, and sometimes far
more. If they would only consider
corn without potash will weigh but from
fifty to fiftyfour pounds per measured
bushel, whereas with potash 1t will weigh
hfty-six to sixty pounds. At least that
has been my experience of the matter.
anyone can easily test it for himself and
he will find it is so every time.