Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-03-07

by E. McIver Williamson at the re-
quest of the Hartsvlle Messenger,
and til printed in that newspaper:
For number of years after / be-
gan to farm followed the old-time
method of putting the fertilizer all
under the corn, planting on a level
or higher, six by three feet, pushing
the plant from the start and making
a big stalk, but the ears were few
and frequently small. | planted
much corn in the spring and bought
much more corn the next spring,
until finally was driven to the con
clusion that corn could not be made
on uplands in this section, certainly
not by the old method, except at
loss.
did not give up, however, for i
knew that the farmer who did not
make his own corn never had sue
ceeded, and never would, 80 l began
to experiment. First, l planted
lower, and the yield was better, but
the stalk was still too large, so | dis
continued altogether the application
of fertilizer before planting, and,
knowing that all crops should be
fertilized at some time, l used mixed
fertilizer as side application and
applied the more soluble nitrate of
soda later, being guided in this by
the excellent results obtained from
it's use as top dressing for oats.
Still the yield, though regular, was
not large, and the smallness of the
stalk itself now suggested that they
should be planted thicker in the
drill. This was done the next year
with results so satisfactory that |
continued from year to year to in
crease the number Of stalks and the
fertilizer, with which to sustain
them, also to apply nitrate of soda
at last ploughing, and to lay by
early, sowing peas broadcast. This
method steadily increased the yield,
until year before last, 5000 with
corn eleven inches apart in six-foot
rows, and $ll worth of fertilizer to
the acre, made eighty-four bushels
average to the acre, several of my
best acres making as much as 125
bushels.
Last year (l905) followed the
same method, planting the first week
in April, seventy acres, which had
produced the year before 1000
pounds seed cotton to the acre.
This land is sandy upland, some
what rolling. Seasons were very
unfavorable, owing to the tremen-
dous rains in May, and the dry and
extremely hot weather later. From
June II to July, the time when it
most needed moisture, there was
only five, eighths of an inch of rain
fall here; yet with $7.Ol, cost of
fertilizer, my yield was 52 bushels
per acre. Rows were six feet and
corn 16 inches in drill.
With this method, on land that
will ordinarily produce 1000 pounds
of seed cotton, with 500 pounds OF
fertilizer, so bushels of corn per acre
should be made by using 200 pounds
of cotton seed meal, 200 pounds of
acid phosphate, and 400 pounds of
kainit mixed, or their equivalent in
other fertilizers, and l25 pounds of
nitrate Of soda, all to be used as side
application as directed above.
On land that will make bale and
one-half of cotton per acre when well
fertilized, hundred bushels of corn
should be produced by doubling the
amount of fertilizer above, except
that 300 pounds of nitrate of soda
should be used.
In each case there should be left
on the land in ,orn stalks, pe"s,
vines and roots, from $l2 to S16
worth of fertilizing material per acre,
besides the great benefit to the land
from so large amount of the vege-
table matter. The place of this in
the permanent Improvement of land
can never be taken by commercial