The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-02-28
Hundred Bushels of Corn Per Acre
Can Be Made by Stuntng the Stalks
And Fertiiz:ng After Planting.

, MOST DIFFICULT POINT in tn
whole process. Experience and judg
ment are required to know just how
much the stock should be stunted, ant
PLENTY OF NERVE is required. t.
hold back your corn when your neigh
bors, who fertiliZed at planting Time
and cultivated rapidly, have corr
twice the size of yours: (They are bav
ing their fun now. Yours will come
harvest time.) The richer the lanc
the more necessary it Is that the
stuntng process should be thoroughly
done.
When you are convinced that your
corn has been sufficiently humiliated
you may begin to make the ear. l
should now.be from II to 18 inches
high, and look worse than, you evel
had any corn to look before.
Put half your mixed fertilizer Qhis
being the first used at ally in the old
sweep furrow on both sides of every
other middle, and cover by breaking
out this middle with turn plow.
About one week later treat the Other
middle the same way. Within q few
days side corr in first middle with IL
inch sweep. Put all your nitrate oi
soda in this furrow, if less than Isl
pounds. If more, use one-half OF II
now. Cover with one furrow Of turn
plow, then SOW peas. in this middle
broadcast at the rate Of at least one
bushel to the acre, and finish breaking
out. -.
Ina few days side corn in other
middle with same sweep, put balance
of nitrate of soda in this furrow If II
J has been divided cover with turn
plow, SOW peas and break out. This
lays by our crop with a good bed and
plenty of dirt around your stalk. This
should be from June 9Th to 26th unless
season is very late and corn should be
hardly punching for tassel.
Lay by early. More corn Is ruined
by late plowing than by lack OF ploW'
ing. This is when the ear is hurt.
Two good rains after. laying by should
make you good crop Of corn, and 1t
will certainly make with much less
rain if pushed and fertilized in the old
way. ..
The stalks thus raised are very
small, and do not require anything
like the moisture, even In proportion
to size, that is necessary for l@ge,
sappy stalks. They may, therefore,
be left much thicker in the row. This
is no new process. 1t has long been
custom to cut back vines and trees
in order to increase the yield and
quality of fruit, AMI so long as you do
: not HOLD back your corn, 1t will 60
like mine 80 long went, to all stalk.
Do not be discouraged by the looks
of your corn during the process OF cul-
tivation. 1t will yield out 'of all PRO-
portion to its appearance. Large
stalks cannot imake. large exyields. eX-
cept with extremity favorable seasons,
for they cannot stand lack of mois-
ture. Early applications of manure 60
to make large stalks which you do not
want, and the plant food is thus all
used up before the ear which you do
want, is made. Tall stalks not only
will not produce we'll themselves, but
will not allow you to make the pea
vines, so necessary to the improve
ment of land. Corn raised by this
method should never grow over seven
and half feet high and the ear should
be near to the ground.
/ consider the final application off
until you are familiar with its applica-
lion. Especially Is it hard, at first, to
fully carry out the slunting process,
where whole crop Is involved, and
this is the absolutely essential part OF
the process.
This method I have applied or seen
applied successfully to all kinds OF
land in this section except river lands
and moist lotions, and am confident
it can be made of great benefit
throughout the entire south,
IN the middle West, where corn is
so prolific and profitable, and where
unfortunately for US, so much of ours
has been produced, the stalk does not
naturally grow large. AS we come
south its size increases, at the ex-
pense of the ear, until in Cuba and
Mexico it is nearly all stalk witness
Mexican varieties.
The purpose of the method is to
eliminate this tendency of corn to
overgrowth at the expe nse of yield in
this southern climate:
By this method have made my
corn crop more profitable than my
cotton crop, and my neighbors and
friends who have adopted it have
without exception, derived great
benefit therefrom.
] Plant your own seed. I would not
advise change of seed and method
the same year, as you will not then
know from which you have derived
the benefit. have used three varie.
ties and all have done we'll. 1 have
never used this method for late plant.
ing. In fact I do not advise the late
planting of corn. unless it be necessary
for cold lowlands.
/ The increased cost of labor and the
high price of all material and land are
rapidly making farming improbable,
except to those who are getting from
one acre what they formerly got from
two. We must make our lands rich
by ploWing deep, sowing peas and
other legumes, manuring with acid
phosphate and potash which are rela.
lively cheap, and returning to the soil
the resultant vegetable matter rich in
humus and expensive nitrogen. The
needs of our soil are such that the
south can meyer reap the full measur G
of prosperity that should be hers, un.
til this is done.
I give this method as afarmer to the
farmrse of the south, trusting that
thereby they may be benefited as i
have been.
| A. NJ. Smita's Locals,