The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-12-26

parts of the State and even on ada
cent farms.
If the cow pea crop grown with the
corn produces one ton Of hay, this
crop, if left on and in the ground,
would add to lit about s12 worth of
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash.
If the cow pea would produce two
tons of hay, this crop left on and in
the ground would add S24 worth Of
these fertilizer ingredients. However,
the value of the COW pea forefeedlng
purposes is double its value for fert1-
lizing purposes. IF judiciously fed to
animals this hay will have a asfeeding
value Of about ;s24 per ton, Snd II Ell
the excreta is saved and returned to
the soil between so and 90 per cent.
-(slO.20 per ton) of the fertilizing val
ue of the cow pea hay VIII be given
back to the land An ordinary crop
of COW peas may be made to pay the
cost of cultivating the corn, or prob
ably the, cost Of the fertilizer. A good
crop should pay for both.
Compared With Other Yields.
Considerable effort has been made
IN gather as much comparative data
:. possible SO as to have Williamson
plan corn yields that might justly be
compared with yields from the ordi-.
nary method. It is highly deslr-
able that as far as possible; and With
out prejudicing either, the two crops
for comparison be grown on the same
character of land and planted at the
same time, and that the treatment
and surroundings Of each differ in no
way except as to the peculiar or es-
sential features Of difference existing
between the two plans or methods.
Reports of some three dozen farmers
who have this year given the VIII
hanson plan a test have been brought
to the notice of the writer. Some OF
these were not considered definite
enough for consideration, but twenty
eight reported either a comparison Of
yields from crops grown this yeac ty
both plans or gave yields secured
from the ordinary plan in the past on
the same land. The two lowest
yields reported from the ordinary
methods were seven and ten bushels
per acre. The two highest yields re-
ported from the same method were
forty-five and fifty bushels per acre.
The two lowest yields reported from
the Williamson plan were twenty-sev-
en- and thirty bushels per acre. The
two highest yields reported from the
same plan were one hundred and one
hundred and twenty bushels per acre.
The yields from twenty-eight report
inc both the ordinary and the Will
hanson plan compared gives an aver
age of 1926 bushels per acre for the
former and 56.42 bushels per acre for
the latter. These twenty-eight show
remarkable average difference Of
33.17 more bushels per acre in favor
of the Williamson plan, an increase Of
Jap per cent.
It cannot, however, in justice to
either method, be said that these
comparisons indicate the actual diff
ference between the Williamson plan
and the ordinary method. Many Of
the reports give the number Of bush
els per acre ir round numbers, indi-
eating that the yields were estimated
rather than actually determined. In
number OF cases the yield in 1906
from the Williamson plan was COM
pared with the yield secured from the
same land when it was last in corn,
the compared crops not having been
grown the same year. There may be
other sources of. error. On the other
hand, large majority of farmers who
have tried the Williamson plan now
enthusiastically accept it and it is the
sensation in the communities where
the plan has been consistently follow
ed. 1t is hoped that every farmer in
the State viii give it fair and I'M
partial trial in 1907.