The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-29

horse gang-plows mancuvrc for SIX
weeks like an army. sowing small grain,
! plowing and planting corn. The min
ute the mall grain is sown 81 corn
! planters aie thrown behind the pIows,
and in this work lies largely the sue
cess or failure Of the crop. Note, for
for instance, the pains taken IN select
ing the seed corn.
\ perfect stand Of corn is the first re-
quisitc of large yield From choice
piece Of land previously planted with
selected seed about 1000 bushels Of
the finest ears are taken. From these
an expert selects 900 bushels. These
ears are placed on racks in building
arranged especially for seed house.
Whatever the thermometer registers in
Iowa, the temperature in that seed
house never falls below freezing. All
this insures the highest terminating
power in the seed, and that alone
might, in case Of cold, wet spring, save
the entire profit Of the season by pro-
ducing good stand.
The planting must Of necessity be
done by machinery, and to secure the
maximum yield three seed kernels
must be dropped in each hill. If FIVE
drop in, that hill is lost to the profit ac-
count. Ifonly one, it is partially lost.
But perfect as American farming ma
chinery is, it does not leave the factory
perfect enough to insure against irreg-
ular planting. Patiently and by Sc
ries Of exhaustive tests the planter
plates are so adjusted to the size Of the
seed kernels for each year that they de-
posit an average Of sixty-fve kernels to
every twenty hills, and not more than
four nor less than two in any one. So
great are the precautions that before
the seed is shelled the tips and butts
OF the seed ears are cut off to secure
kernels Of an even size.
Even after this delicate adjustment
OF the best machinery in the world,
foremen follow the 81 planters and at
intervals open hills to count the seed
deposits and make sure that each ma
chine is doing its work. In addition,
purse Of 500 is split in eig hit prizes be-
tween the eight men who do the best
work and whose teams mark the stralgh-
test rows. With such method is it any
wonder that the crop on this farm aver
aged 60 bushels per acre, against the
average of 32 bushels as given Iowa
By the government report for 1898?
After the seeding, the narrowing and
it is done with extraordinary energy
and concentration. One hundred and
forty sections of four-foot harrows
sweep the fields like charge of caTal-
ry. Every time they move mile to-
gether 62 acres are covered.
When the $500 acres Of corn are up
and ready 76 two-horse cultivators are
put into it. The point in the first cul-
tivation one way and IN the second
the other way, is to get as close as pos
sible to the corn; but after the pains to
place it there no plant must be lett
covered Gy clod Of earth. The field
hand must uncover it, and foreman
on horseback behind each twenty men
is held responsible for his crews work.
In the third and final cultivation the
earth is thrown up against the plant,
the sn,all weeds in the hill being
smothered and the large ones being
pulled by hand. 1t will be Of interest
to merchants and to theological profes-
sors to learn thatait is not the weed in
in the row, but the one in the hill,
that mars the beauty Of the balance
sheet.
The corn being now three feet high,
the stalks prevent further cultivation.
Into this field, approximating one mile
in width and six miles in length, are
sent in October IS wagons and men for
the husking. This takes 90 DAYS. and
row of cribs 10 feet wide and Is feet
high, half a mile long, are required to
hold the crop.
In harvesting the small grain it is
threshed directly from the shock, say
ing the cost Of stacking and rehand-
ing. Elevators provide against heating
4 further saving of 5 to S per cent over
the operations of the small farmer is
effected in shipping to terminal points
instead of selling to local grain-buyers.
Future options may also be sold against
the growing crop on market bulges at
season when the small farmer could
not ordinarily deliver his crop.
The soil is kept in a high state Of
fertility by a rotation Of crops so ar
ranged that each piece of land bears
three crops of corn, next Of wheat, IN
which clover is sown, next one Of clo-
yer plowed under, then follow again the
three crops of corn.
The clover is simply fertilizer, a
portion only Of the first crop being cut
for nay, and the remainder plowed un-
der to maintain the vitality Of the soil.
The large roots act as subsoiler and
the decomposing vegetable matter
restores the nitrogen aken by the
grain.
In order that the maximum amount
field work may be obtained, no chores
are required Of the men other than the
cleaning of their teams. These are fed
beddcd, and the barns cleaned oy barn
men. The results on this farm are
therefore secured BY paiustaking care
and thorough methods.
The question is often asked, what
does it cost to produce a bushel Of corn?
On this farm, the size Of 35 ordinary
farms, with a 60 -bushel crop the cost
was 9 cents per bushel to the crib. For