The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-05-06
Making Corn.

Southern farmers made n better
corn crop than usual Inst year bur il
they do not look out they Will find
their corn crib next fall in The West.
and the money made on cotton going
away to other States to pay for the
necessities of life
one OF the most successful farmers
we ever met attributes his good for
tune largely to the fact that while
his tenants made cotton. he devoted
his attention on his wages farm to the
growing something with which to
feed them and their animals He made
corn, wheat, oats, potatoes and meat
which he sold them on credit. and mt
the end of the year he owned nearly
all the cotton these people had worked
all the summer to make and gather.
lie grew some cotton also to be sure,
Dat he grew 1t rs a surplus crop and
III a regular rotation. Now, if they do
not mind, great many of our farm
ers will find themselves next fall in
the condition of this gentleman's ten
ants; some one else will own the cot
ton, or what amounts to the same
thing, some one else will get most of
the money the cotton brings, in ex-
change for corn, meat, flour, hay. etc.
There is tendency right now to
plant all the best land in cotton and
stick the corn in anywhere around
the edges.
Now, friends, this will not do. The
price of corn is advancing as wei, as
f 40 ri Of t. T.
seventy cents bYshel i'll Atlanta, and
going higher. We must lay our plans
to make what corn we will need for
home consumption at least, then we
snail be able to keep some of our cot
tor money when we get it, We shonld,
therefore, divide up our land and make
a good corn crop as we'll as cotton crop.
All through the upper part of Geor-
Gia and adjoining States the practice
is to plant corn on the river and creek
bottoms year after year, and with lit
tie or no fertilizer. Where the land is
'overA0wn periodically by creek or river
the fertility of the land is fairly well
maintained and even increased But
there is Il very large amount of bot
tom land that does not become over
flown, and On such land the yield of
corn is becoming lighter year by year
1t still grows a fairly good stalk. but
the ears are nothing like so heavy as
formerly.
This falling off is undoubtedly due
to the exhaustion of the mineral ele-
ments of plant food in the soil, phos-
phoric acid and potash. There is still
a fair amount of organic or, vegeta-
bic matter in most Of these soils which
the growth of grass and weeds, after
the crop is laid by, helps to keep up.
The growth of stalks also indicates
that there is at least fair supply of
ammonia. The ear, however, is de-
fcient, and ears are what we want
When we realize that a crop of fifty
bushels of corn per acre actually re-
moves from an acre of land sixty
seven pounds of nitrogen, thirty one
pounds of phosphoric acid and eighty
pounds of potash, we can better under
stand why, if the supply of plant food
is not renewed the ears will grow
smaller from year to year. If our yield
per acre is only twenty-five bushels.
the drain upon the soil will be half
the above amount and to meet this
and increase our yield of corn from
year to year, we should use on such
land at least six hundred pounds per
acre of a fertilizer Analysing nitrogen
two and a half per tnt., phosphoric |
acid seven per cent and potash eight |
per cent. To make this fertilizer take |
cottonseed meal ESQ pounds, acid phos- |
plate 1000 pounds and muriate of pot |
ash 800 pounds to make q ton. Mix |
thoroughly together until the whole
mass is an even color, pounding up all
Jumps as they roll down around the |
edges Of the pile. By using GOO pounds
of such a fertilizer per acre on your
bottom lands, together with proper |
tiIlage and the planting of cowpeas in
the mddles, when laying by, you will |
be able to grow corn steadily on this |
land and find your crops constantly |
increasing in size every year, instead |
of diminishing Very little nitrogen
will be needed in the fertilizer, as this |
will be supplied by the pea vines dy
ing on the land.
Now. don't fall into the mistake OF |
concluding the fertilizer is going to
make the corn by itself, or that it will |
make up for poor tillage; on the con-
trary. the fact that you have spent
money for fertilizer is another reason
why YOU should take extra pains in
the preparation Of your land and the
IF I