The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-07-04
The Williamson Corn Stunning Plan.

The Williamson stunting process of
corn and cotton, too, .seems to be the
most fashionable plan of the day. All
over the country we see the stunting
process on the crops. Corn and cotton,
too, are looking yellow for the lack of
work and sunshine; too much rain
and the scarcity Of labor has forced
this stunting process upon the farmers.
1t is not in the plans of the farmers to
thus stunt their crops! 1t is the force
of circumstance-the weather and la
Dor; this condition is unavoidable.
But why not now apply nitrate of soda
or high grade ammoniated fertilizers
to the side of these crops and test the
value Of late application of the more
volatile fertilizers?
There is no doubt in our minds but
what all the ammonia or available nj
trcgen in commercial fertilizers. have
been washed out by the recent heavy
rains, and is now gone out Of reach of
the common crops, and if we expect
the best results from these very solu-
Bile nitrogenous fertilizers we should
apply them to crops in the latter stage
Of its growth, when the soil is filled
with the feeders-little rootlets-then
ready to consume volatile plant or
soluble food.
We would not have our readers to
misunderstood our position or opinion
on this stunting plan. Mr.. William
son, we think, has done good thing
for the farming interest of the whole
South by calling our attention to his
stunting plan in the cultivation of
corn. He has put the progressive
farmer to thinking along this line OF
retarding the growth of stalk, the less
valuable part of our crops, and increas-
ing the grain or fruiting. We farmers
have great deal to learn along this
line. We have known years ago that
the best fall cabbage were grown by re.
tarding the growth in the earlier stage,
that is, transplant the plants in July
or August and not work them out un-
til first of September, when good ap-
plication of fertilizer applied along
with late cultivation insures fine
crop of fall cabbage. We have also
been deceived by the comeout of some
very grassy cotton that was not work
ed out until very late when propitious
seasons and good cultivation have pro-
duced astonishing good crops, even at
this late stage of the growth of the
crops.
For many years we have stopped
what we think waste of money by ap.
plying ammoniated commercial ferti-
lizers to small grain sown in fall, OF
to other spring crops when planting.
We are satisfied that usually about all
the soluble properties of nitrates are
gone before the roots of crops are
sufficiently large or numerous to take
up or appropriate this valuable plant
food.
Therefore, we believe more in late
or side application Of fertilizers than
we do in the retarding or stunting Of
the stalk growth. But, we do not say
that we are sure OF this without we
have demonstrated this fact by actual
comparative test by measured area
and weighed cropa.
We have this side application OF
fertilizers to both stunted and unstunt.
ed crops Of both cotton and cOrn-in
practical test, this year which, we
trust, will give us more light on this
subject by actual comparative test
made in practical way on the farm