The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-04

never would, sol began to experiment.
First / 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 appli-
cation and applied the more soluble
nitrate OF soda later, being guided in
this by the excellent results obtained
from its use as top dressing for oats,
still the yield, though regular, was
not large, and the smallness of the
stalks now suggested that they should
be planted thicker in the drill. This
was done the next year with results
so satisfactory that T continued from
year to year to increase the number of
stalks and the fertilizer, with which
to sustain them, also to apply nitrate
Of soda at last blowing, and to lay
by early, sowing peas broadcast. This
method steadily increased the yield
until year before last (19O4) with
corn III inches apart in six-foot rows
and $l1 worth Of fertilizer to the acre,
made Sd bushels average to the acre,
several of my best acres making as
much as 1875 bushels.
"Last year (19O5) T followed tho
same method, planting the first week
in April 70 acres which had produced
the year before 1000 pounds seed cot
ton per acre. This land is sandy up
land, somewhat rolling. Seasons were
very unfavorablc, owing to the tre-
mendous rains in May and the dry
and extremely hot weather later.
From June IL to July IL, the time
when it most needed moisture, there
wos only five-eighths of an inch of
rainfall here; yet with $7.91 cost of
fertilizer, my yield was So busha
per acre. Rows were six feet ano
corn 16 inches in drill.
"With this method, on land that
will ordinarily produce 1000 pounds
of seed cotton with 800 pounds Of
fertilizer, 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 fertilizers, and 125 pounds Of
nitrate of soda, all to be used as
side application as directed below.
"On land that will make a bale
and one-half Of cotton per acre when
well fertilizcd a hundred bushels Of
corn should be produced by doubling
the amount Of fertilizer above, except
that 800 pounds of nitrate of soda
should be used.
"In each case there should be left
on the land in corn stalks, peas, vines
and roots, from $12 to $16 worth Of
fertilizer material per acre, besides
the great benefit to the land from so
| large an amount of vegetable matter.
The place of this in the permanent
improvement Of land can never be
taken by commercial fertilizer for
it is absolutely impossible to make
lands rich as long as they are lack
ing in vegetable matter.
"Land should be thoroughly and
deeply broken for corn, and this is
the time in a system of rotation to
deepen the soil. Cotton requires a
more compact soil than corn, and
while Il deep soil is essential to lis
best development, it will not produce
as well on loose open land, while corn
does best OH land thoroughly broken
A deep soil will not onlyproduce more
heavily than a shallow soil with good
seasons, but it will stand more wet as
well as more dry weather.
"In preparing for the corn crop,
land should be broken broadcast dur
ing the winter one-fourth deeper than
it has been plowed before, or if much
vegetable matter is being turned I'M
der, it may be broken one-third deep
er. This is as much deepening as
land will usually stand in one year
and produce we'll, though it may be
continued each year, so long as much
dead vegetable matter is being turned
under. 1t may, however, be subsoil-
ed to any depth by following in bot
tom of turn plow furrow, provided no
more of the subsoif tn an has been
directed is turned up. Break with
two-horse plow if possible, or better,
with disc plow. With the latter, cot
| In, foil ,{o1I L.,