The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-17
CORN RAISING.
Wonderful PossfblIitle. i'm the south
Graphically illustrated

were based that the South had more
TO gam from Improvement IN rs
methods OF agriculture perhaps than
from ali other sources combined.
Last year the value OF the corn crop
IN the Southern States was approx
mately equal TO that Of the cotton
crop, Notwithstanding the fact that
the average yield per acre in this sec
ton was much below that Of the gen
eral average for the country II large.
due 10 POOR methods Of cultivation II
has been shown repeatedly that II
only the yield was brought up to the
general average Of the corn crop u
the whole country. the South would
be a gamer from this one source alone
10 the extent Of a half billion " dol
lars annually. To prove that this cau
be done The TradeSman presents hega-
with some facts in connection with
the award that went 10 a Seutn Caro-
lima farmer last year FOR the largest
yield Of corn on q single acre Of
ground IN the United states This
award was made to A j. Ttndal. Of
Clarendon, S. c. who vas paid 800
by the American Agriculturist after
q thorough examination had been
I2ade by competent judges. Prof Shaw
being the chief Judge who inspected
this acre and who made a detailed re-
pot on the same ard which. 2atc At
the time e worldwide advertisement
for Sou.h Carolina.
Mr.. Tindal raised and gathered 1S2
bushels Of corn from this one acre.
which had a value of only $50. but
the net profit was s366.45. as viii be
shown in detail by the figures below.
What is sought by these facts is to
impress on the farmers of the South
the value of improved methods in Gull
~tivatinp all crops, but more especially
corn, as there Is no difficulty any
where in this section in SO increasing
the yield of corn as Will more than
double its average yield, and that
would mean as much to the South as
is now received from the cotton crop.
If the commissioner OF agriculture
and the various experiment stations
and agricultural colleges in the sew
eral States of this section Will but
cooperate in disseminating the in
formation needed to stimulate effort
for better methods. and start a sys-
ternatic campaign of education for
greater interest among the people in
behalf OF agriculture, there would soon
be a c~' that would take thousands
of The native sons of the South back
to the farm and the idle lands of this
section would be brought into use.
But here is a portion of Prof,
Shaw's report that shows how this
crop was raised, the character Of the
soil and the cost of producing il:
The soil was naturally enriched BY
wastings from the surrounding soil
and had also been highly fortified
during the three previous years. 1t
had in it lone open and some branch
drains that were covered. In 1903 GOO
pounds of guano with a composltlon
Of 4.S.4 gave a return to 1927 pounds
of seed cotton. In 1904 600 pounds
Of Asa guano and 80 pounds Of
nitrate of soda gave 1872 bushels Of
corn and 8 busheis of coWpeas- In
1905 500 pounds of guanO, 100 pounds
Of nitrate of soda and 80 pounds Of
nitrate of potash gave a yield of g.
912 pounds of seed cotton.
Planting the Corn.
ION April 5, 1906, the ground was
%ploughed to the denth of IA inches
and the same day was cr~oss-ploughed
and sub-soiled to the depth of 20
inches using a ten-inCh turning
plough, and the sub-soil plough run
in every furrow was homemade. I'M
mediately after, the same day, d
sDrins-toOth harrow was run over the
acre to the depth of three inches, and
also a smoothing harrow. On April
10th it was similarly narrowed and
the harrow was at once followed by q
smoothing harrow. On May lth 1t was
narrowed in precisely the same way
as on April 18TH
THE fertilizer applied was as fol-
lows: 500 pounds of complete special
guano, containing 4 per cent ammonia,
8 per cent phosphoric acid and 4 per
cent potash; 500 pounds of cotton
seed meal with a composition OF II
- liz dIlE L. W poolloo ~ - -
guano with a composition OF $50 ana
q: and 400 pounds of nitrate Of soda
with IS per cent of ammonia. me
first three fertilizers We're applied IN
&. furroN on May 7, at the time OF the
planting of the corn, and the fourth
was given as d top dressing on June
Is. One man with mule and plough
} opened the burrows and three men
applied the dressing by hand. Tbs
cost of the fertilizers before appIlca-
tioD WAS sac az fer the acre.
r THE variety planted was the Mari
boro Prolific, grown by the owner
who in 1900 introduced the variety
> into the -neighborhood. The seed was
planted in rows mat were mace W.
=. the shovel. The kernels were buried
three inches deep in a l-prepareo
| soil, and one inch apart in the line OF
the row. The rows were % inches
5 distant and % quarts of seed were
used, the termination of which was
, considered perfect. The weather was
: dry until June 10, and was then over
wet.
/ Financial Statement.
!, Expenditures were:
= Interest on land at 6 per cents l.sl
l Cost of plougning ........ ~,
l Coct ~ ~ba~rowin~ 1.0(
Other labor in preparing land ~.
Cost OF fertilizers .......-.- ga
Cost of a~~olyin- fertilizers.... 10'
. Cost of seed .
; Cost OF cultiVatlnG .......... 20
Cost Of other work Isl
COST of harvesting 9.St
T Total cost oe.o'
Receipts Ee-e:
G 49, bushels corn at S2...-...$564.o
3 tons slower at 6......... lo.O'
4,100 lbs fodder at $50 per ton 4l.o'
n Total receipts .s425-o
Net profit $500
& Nav 16 a weeGer was run ONe