The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-02-21
Hundred Bushels of Corn per Acre
Can be Made by Stunfing the
Stalks and FertiIizing
After Planting.

The following highly valuable pa.
PEI, prepared by Mr.. E. McIyer VIII
hanson of Darlington county, has just
been published iii the Hdrtsviiie c0uii-
ty Messenger:
For number OF years after I be-
gan to farm I followed the old-time
method OF putting the fertilizer all
under the corn, planting on level or
higher. six by three feet, pushing the
plant f:Om the start and making big
stalk, but the ears were few and fre-
quently small. ] planted much corn
In the spring and bought much more
corn the next spring, until finally l
was driven to the conclusion that corn
could not be MADE on uplands in this
section, certainly not by the old meth.
cd. except at loss.
did not give up. however, for I
knew that the farme: VINO 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 discontinued
altogether the application Of fertilizer
before planting, and knowing that all
crops should be fertilized at some
time, I used mixed fertilizer as a side
application and applied the more
soluble nitrate of soda later, being
guided in this by the excellent re-
suits obtained from Its use as top.
dressing for oSt-. 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 80 satisfac.
tory that I continued from year to
year to increase the number Of stalks
| and the fertilizer with which to sus-
tain them, also to apply nitrate Of
soda at last plowing, and to lay by
| early, sowing peas broadcast. This
| method steadily increased the yield,
until year before last (1904) with corn
| II inches apart in six foot rows and
S11 worth OF fertilizer to the acre,
made "a bushels average to the acre,
several of my best acres making as
much as 125 bushels.
Last year (19O5) I foilowe, the
same method, planting the first week
In April, 70 acres which had pro-
duced the year before 1000 pounds
seed cotton per acre. This land Is
sandy upland, somewhat rolling. Sea-
| sons were very unfavorab1e, owing to
the tremendous rains in May, and the
dry and extremely hot weather later.
From June 18th to July 18th, the
time when It most needed moisture,
there was only rs OF an inch Of rain.
fall here; yet with $7.01. cost Of fer
tiizer, my yield was 52 bushels per
acre. Rows were six feet and corn
16 inches In drill.
I With this method, on land that will
ordinarily produce 1000 pounds of
| Sppd rnff0n Nth Qnn rsa,,ndo ~ For
tilizer, 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 Fertilizer and 1875 pounds of
nitrate Of soda, all to be used as side
application as directed below.
On land that will makko g bale ard
one-ha1f Of cotton per. acre when well
fertiiized, 100 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 BIZ left
on the land in cornstalks, peas, vines
aud roots, from $12 to $40 worth of
7e:tiiizing mateiai per acre. pessde
the great benefit to the land rum 30
large an amount C vegetable matter;
The place of this In the permanent
Improvement Of land can never be
taken by commercial fertilizer. for It
ts absolutely impossible to make
lands rich as long as they are lacking
In vegetable matter. Il. - -
Land should be thoroughly :, ard
deeply broken for; corn, and th!s is
the time in q system Of rotation to
deepen the soil. Cotton requires q
mora compact soil than corn, and
whilo a deep soil Is essential TO- It's
best development. it will not produce
as well on loose open land, while
corn does best on land thoroughly
broken. A deep soil win not onay
produce more heavily than a. shallaw
soil with sood seasons, but it will
stand more wet; as we'll as more dry
weather. :::;5 ~ t.. :. :s.;..
In preparing FOR the corn crop, land
should be broken broadcast during
! the, winter one-fourth deeper than 1t
has been plowed before, or If much
! vegetable matter is being turned I'M.
der, IT may bel h1pken pne-third deep.
or. This lis as much deepening as
| land Will usually stand In one year
and produce well, though st may be
continued each year, so long as; irfiicl
| dead vegetable matter. Is being turn.
ed under. It may, however! De SUD. sui :,
| solled to any depth by following IN
bottom OF turn ploR f1rrow, provided
no rcote OF the subsoil than has been
directed, is turned up. Break with
two horse plow. if possible. or better
with disc lploW. i; 18th the latter cot;
ton stalks or corn stalks as large ais
| we 'sver make can he turned i;undets