The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-29
THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS.

Our farmers have not the time to
read all the bulletins issued by the ex
pertinent stations. Hence, each week
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER will contain
in a condensed form, the ideas and sug
gestions of the various bulletins of ag
ricultural experiment stations. This
is very valuable feature of the paper.
1t means that our readers will receive
in a little space. the conclusions and
results obtained from experiments by
leading farmers and scientists in all
parts Of the United States,
The planting season is at hand.
Following are the results of the corn
experiments at Alabama Station last
year:
Seed corn from Illinois gave slight.
ly larger yield than seed corn grown in
the South.
In 1892 the productive varieties were
Mosby Prolific, Cooke Prolific and
Renfro.
Kernels from the middle portion of
the ear used as seed failed to Show any
superiority over seed from the tip or
butt end of the ear.
This will be surprise to many North
Car oliua farmers.
Topping, and also cutting corn and
curing it in shocks, slightly decreased
the yield OF grain. The combined value
of grain and stalks, valuing the stalks
at 25 cents per 100 pounds, was greater
by 81 95 per acre than the value of the
grain from the plot where only the ears
we're harvested.
When each plant was allowed Is
square feet of space, narrow rows and
wide spacing in the drill gave slightly
better average results than wide rows
and close planting in the drill. Having
regard to convenience of fcultivation, as
we'll as to the yield, rows practically
feet apart, with plants feet apart in
the drill, gave most satisfactory results
on poor sandy land.
Cotton seed meal alone was the most
profitable fertilizer for corn in 1892.
Acid phosphate and kainit failed to in
crease the yield. Cotton seed placed
in the ground 80 late as to germinate
had considerable fertiIjzing value.
In bulletin 80 the same STATEN re
ports the following results of tests in
growing cotton:
The group Of varieties yielding most
lint were Texas Oak, Griffin, Hawkins,
Deering, Nell Cross No. Is, Jones Re
improved, Duncan, Hutchinson, Peter
kin, Truitt and Whatley.
Seed of the same original stock, but
grown for one year in different parts
of the cotton belt when planted in Au
burn, showed no marked difference in
productiveness.
The yields obtained by planting fresh
one year old and two year, old seed
were nearly Identical.
With late cultivation the yield of
cotton was slightly larger than with
ordinary cultivation.
Truitt cotton in narrow rows on up
land or medium quality gave practic
ally the same yields, whether the single
plants stood ID, 18 or "a inches apart in
the drill. The yield decreased when
the distance between plants was in.
creased to 80 or 36 inches. The crop
matured earlier with thick planting.
Topped cotton plants yielded less
than those not topped.
The use OF 64Opounds of slaked lime,
applied broadcast in 1896. failed to in
crease the crop that year. But cotton
following broadcast COW peas, turned
under in the spring of 1892, afforded a
larger yield on the plot lined the pre-,
vious year than on the plot not lined.
subsoiling in January, 1896, was de
cidedly beneficial to the first crop of
cotton, but afforded no increase in the
second crop, grown in 1897.