Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-01

low you to make the pea vines, sc
necessary to the improvement Of the
land" A comparison of the ears pro-
duced by the Williamson plan with
ears of the same variety grown by the
ordinary method shows that there is
but slight difference in size or in guam
tity of corn to the cob, the difference
being apparently about nine and a
half per cent in favor of the ordinary
plan. More of the large stalks failed
to produce an ear than did the Will
hanson plan stalks. The ordinary
plan stalks were from two to four times
larger than the Williamson plan
stalks Since about 400 pounds OF
water are required to produce one
pound Of corn dry matter, 1t Is evident
that the large stalks more rapidly ex-
haust the water supply and as a con-
sequence would not only be first af-
fected in dry weather, but would Sc
riously interfere with the growth OF
cow peas sown with the corn. a growth
vi NtIdl a pctI Vi bAAC
Williamson plan. It was noticeable
fact that the replanted stalks in Mr..
Williamson's field and in others grew
to at least double the size (weight) OF
the stalks that had been subjected to
the full treatment Of the Williamson
plan.
Corn should be planted from four
to six inches below the level and laid
by from four to six inches above" II
Is necessary that the corn be planted
about five inches below the level to
carry out the conditions OF the plan.
Ii, however, II Is laid by four to six
inches above the level Of the soils sur
face, the base Of the stalks would be
from eight TO twelve inches in the
ground, condition that might be un-
favorable in some characters Of soil.
Further, the surface at the row would
be more than four to six inches abov
the center of the middles, and this ex-
posure of a greater soil surface to the
effect of evaporation would probably
have detrimental effect in dry sea-
sons. Planting four inches deep In
many soils in the upper part OF the
state is not advisable on account of
the nature Of the subsoil.
Hoeing Is Expensive.
10. mo hoeing should be neces-
sary. and middles may be kept clean
until time to break out by using har-
row, or by running one shovel furrow
to center of middle and bedding on
that, with one or more rounds OF turn
plow." Since the corn is planted in
the water furrow and at least four
inches below the grounds level. 1t is
not difficult matter to kill all or very
nearly all of the weeds In the row by
covering them with earth by using
some kind of horse power. Hoeing
Is one Of the most expensive elements
in corn growing and many farmers
find II difficult to dispense with. II
the same work can be done by one
plow the labor of six or eight hoe
hands Is saved.
IL. "In the middle west, where
corn Is so prolific and profitable, and
where, unfortunately for us, so much
of ours has been produced, the stalk
does not naturally. grow large. As
we come south it's size increases at the
expense of the ear. until In Cuba and
Mexico 1t Is nearly all stalk (witness
Mexican varieties)." 1t Is well es-
tablished fact that as the tropic is
the size Of corn stalks in
creases and that this increase Is often
dL Tic cApcl5C VI tiC oioAis hS
large stalk demands and transpires
an immense quantity of water in ex-
cess of that needed in the development
of the grain. The occurrence OF
drought when the ear making Is in
progress and when the corn stalk has
developed its maximum leaf area pre-
vents a normal grain development az
ter the stalk has grown to q size de-
manding q large supply OF soluble
plant food. The Williamson plan
contemplates the application of avail
able plant food, Just as the ear-mak-
ing. begins and after the size OF the
stalk had been controlled. Some corn
growers do not. endorse the necessity
for "stunting" or retarding process,
and are Of the opinion that the stalk
should be kept In a uniformly vfgor-
Gus growth, allowed to develop to q
size normal to the variety and then
give the intercultural or side appiica-
ton of fertilizers in conformity to
Mr. Williamson's plan. A number OF
experiments based on this idea have
been executed, but no remarkable re-
suits or conclusions have followed.
The late application Of fertilizers fol-
lowing the application Of fertilizers In
the drill before planting has generally
shown an increase in a majority OF
cases, but the increase in majority
of cases reported was not sufficient to
balance the cost Of the late applied
fertilizer.
Bio Stalks Not Desirable.
Not only does the tendency Of corn
seem to become less prolific as the
stalk Is increased in size beyond what
appears to be normal for any partic-
ular variety, but the excessive devei-
opment of stalk also seems to carry
with II an increased tendency towards
barrenness. Varieties of corn that
have developed in the south or that
have for a number of consecutive
years been grown here habitually are
large stalked. Varieties brought
south from the north increase rapid.
ly in size of stalk. The experiment
station this year grew Mexican June
corn from seed imported from Mexico
side by side with the same variety
grown in Texas. The stalks of the
former were IA to II feet high and
of the latter seven to ten feet.
IL. PLANT your own seed" 1t has
been repeatedly demonstrated thai
either north or south of the point
where seed are to be planted will not
produce so well as seed grown under
soil and climatic conditions to which
the coming crop will be subjected
Notwithstanding the fact that very few
farmers devote intelligent attention
to the breeding. selection and care OIL
their seed corn, many find that their
home grown seed produce better than
the high-priced seed procured from
distance and discredit the advantages
of breeding and selection by drawing
conclusions from comparisons mol
Justly comparable. Mr.. Williamson
not only uses his own seed, but prac-
tices careful selection and has select
ed his seed for a number OF years
The writer once collected 119 sam
ples of corn from localities scattered
from the Canadian border to the Gull
of Mexico on the one hand and from
the Rocky Mountains to Maine on the
other. These samples represented ~
odd varieties and were planted and
grown under conditions as nearly
similar as possible. Four out OF fve
highest yields were grown from home
grown seed and the other had TOT
many years grown on very nearly the
same parallel of latitude as the point
where the test was made. Piaht
your own seed does not mean that
any old seed you happen to have VIII
do, but presupposes that the variety
grown has been grown for seVeral
years and that the grower not only
started out with a good variety, but
30, oopually jmnroyed II by breeding,