Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-01
their entire next years crop by this
camnarison of Fields.

L plaI1.
Comparison Of Fields.
or the fields inspected where the
Williamson plan was followed closely
only three varieties of corn were
found to have been used. All Of these
fields were planted in the Williamson
| corn except two. One of these two
was planted in a variety similar to
| the Williamson corn ears, but with
longer cob and shorter and broader
grain; the other was planted in Marl-
| boro Prolific. This last named vari-
ETY. grew alongside of the Williamson
corn and gave a slightly heavier yield
of grain on shorter stalks. The ears
on the Williamson corn stood about
three feet above the ground and on
the Marlboro about 26 inches. The
Marlboro Prolific grown by the Will
hanson plan seemed but slightly af-
fected as regards number Of ears to
stalk or size of ears as compared
with the same variety grown in the
ordinary way. Twenty-Five stalks
bore 4S ears in one case and the same
number of stalks 45 ears in another.
The Williamson corn habitually bears
one ear to the stalk, and the ears.
when grown by the Williamson plan
are from six to eight inches long and
seven and a half to ten inches In cir
cumference. The type is intermediate
between the southern gourd seed and
the Standard Dent. The grains are
from eight to eleven-slxteenths wide
and two to hree-sixteenths of an inch
thick. The cob is usually red the
grain white) and from four and a
half inches in circumference meas
urements being taken one-third the
cob length from the butt. A hundred
pounds of ears shell from 80 to 80
pounds of grain. Eighty-five to 100
ears will shell a bushel Of corn.
Two Notable Facts.
A close scrutiny Of Mr.. William
sons article will reveal at least two
notable facts-that he has given the
matter careful and intelligent atten-
| ton and study, and that he Is ortho-
dox as far as accepted and modern
AGRICULTURAL science applied to corn
culture Is concerned. In addition to
the application Of the Williamson idea
to the Williamson plan, he also util-
| ICES all the other modern. up-to-da
and accepted principles and practices,
which, taken together constitute the
twentieth century idea Of crop produc-
ton. Leaving out of consideration, for
time being, the "stunting" or retarding
process, 1t will be found interesting to
examine closely Mr.. Williamson's de-
scription of his plan and note how
| thoroughly he has brought to focus the
basal principles of good farm prac-
| tice:
/. He recognizes the value Of avail
able plant food, makes what would
commonly be considered heavy appli-
cations for corn and endeavors to ap-
ply the commercial fertilizers in such
manner and at such time as will Sc
cure the most profitable utilization OF
| the applied plant food by the corn
crop. Recognizing the two facts that
the character Of soil and quantity of
rainfall have a tendency to dissipate
plant food and that the demand OF a
corn plant for food Is cumulative up
to the time the ear Is produced. he
adjusts his cultivation and fertilizer
application to suit.
.. While the quantity used and the
time Of application Of commercial fer-
tilizers are important factors in the
plan and so stressed, the necessity Of
vegetable matter in the soil is fully
recognized and Mr.. Williamson says:
1.-THE place Of this vegetable matter)
in the permanent improvement Of land
can never be taken by commercial fer
| tilizers, for II Is absolutely impossible
to make lands rich as long as they are
lacking in vegetable matter" 1t Is
confidently believed that every agri-
cultural authority recognizes humus
as the prime requisite and most uni
versal deficiency in southern soils. and
of the greatest need in southern farm
practice and that a large majority VIII
agree with Mr.. Williamson in desig-
| mating the COW pea as the most i'm
portant source of humus' for the south.
Preparation Of Land.
3. Land should be thoroughly and
deeply broken for corn, and this Is
| the time in a system of rotation to
deepen the SOIL" The character OF
blowing done in the south Is notori-
ously poor and the lack OF system Of
rotation is proverbial.
4. "A deep soil will not only produce
more heavily than a shallow soil with
good seasons. but ii will stand more
wet as we'll as more dry weather.
This is aphoristic and needs no COM
ment.
5. I'm preparing for the corn crop
land should be broken broadcast dur
ling the winter one-fOurth deeper than
| vegetable matter is being turned un-
| der II may be broken third deeper.
I may, however, be subsoiled to any
lepth by following in bottom of turn
plow furrow. provided no more Of the
subsoil than has been directed Is
turned up" The broadcast breaking
of corn land in the fall or winter Is
by no means common practice in the
south and the gradual deepening OF
| the soil as advocated above is the ex-
ception. Subsoiling Is opposed by
many farmers and practiced by few.
Broadcast plowing, fall and winter
plowing particularly the latter in the
south) and subsoiling are operations
that now are given almost universal
endorsement by well informed and
| practical men. If done at the proper
| time and in appropriate association
with prevailing conditions, results from
these operations cannot help but bear
fruit.
6. Break with two-horse plow II
possible or better. with disc plow."
1t Is a painfully acknowledged fact
that the one-horse plow is the rule