The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-09-04
How Southerner Raises Prize Corn.

corn planting. Yet, as few crops are
pressing this season, it may be we'll to
study the methods by which good
farmer in the south has won a prize
for growing 1872 bushels of corn on one
acre. Is there any reason why as good
crops of corn cannot be raised In Flor
ida as in South Carolina?
His method is fully described in an
article in The American Agriculturist
Study them WE'LL and see if it will not
pay you to adopt some of them when
you plant your corn next spring. The
Agriculturist says:
In it's issue of March % this journal
printed list of prize winners in the
corn division of the Orange Judd grain
growers contest. It was there shown
that A. J. Tindal, of Clarendon county,
S. c., scored the greatest number of
points of all contestants and secured
the phenomenal yield of 1872 bushels corn
per acre. Herewith Prof. Thomas Shaw
gives details as to Mr.. TindaPs methods
of raising this wonderful crop.-Editor.]
The acre of corn grown by Mr.. Tindal
produced a remarkable yield. It made
him the winner of a $100 prize. The
corn was grown on land possessed Of
cash value of $50 per acre. The soil,
rather low and naturally wet, was hui
mus in it's composition, at least, to a
considerable extent, chocolate in color,
and was underlaid at depth of about
two feet by mixed gravel and pipe clay
of non-receptive character.
The soil was naturally enriched by
washing from the surrounding soil, and
had also been highly fertilized during
the three previous years. 1t had in it
one open and some branch drains that
were covered. In 1908, 600 pounds of
guano, with composition of 4.8.4, gave
a return of 1927 pounds of seed cotton.
In 1904, 900 pounds of 4S4 guano and
60 pounds nitrate of soda gave 1872 bush
els corn and bushels cowpeas. In 1905,
600 pounds guano 100 pounds nitrate
of soda and 80 pounds nitrate of potash
gave yield of 1912 pounds of seed cot
ton.
Planting the Corn.
On April s. 1906, the ground was plow-
ed to the depth of IA inches, and the
same day was cross-plowed and subsoil-
ed to the depth of 20 inches, using a
1O-inch turning plow, and the subsoil
pillow run in every furrow was home
made. Immediately after, the same day,
spring tooth harrow was run over the
acre to the depth of three inches, and
also smoothing harrow. On April 16
it was similarly narrowed, and the har-
row was at once followed by a smooth
ing harrow. On May it was narrowed
precisely in the same way as on April
16.
The fertilizer applied was as follows:
Six hundred pounds of complete spe-
cial guano containg 4 per cent. am
monia s per cent. phosphoric acid
cottonseed meal, with composition of
7, ~ and l; 500 pounds Peruvian gu
ano, with composition of 8.8.5 and g.;
and 400 pounds nitrate of soda, with
Is per cent. of ammonia. The first three
fertilizers were applied in a shovel fur
row on May 7, at the time of the plant
ing of the corn, and the fourth was Civ
Ell as a top-dressing on June Is. One
man with mule and plow opened the
burrows and three men applied the dress
ing by hand. The cost of the fertilizers
before application was $32.45 for the
acre.
The variety planted was the MARI
boro Prolific, grown by the owner, who
in 1000 introduced the variety into the
neighborhood The seed was planted in
rows that were made with the shovel.
The kernels were buried three inches
deep in a we'll prepared soil, and one
inch apart in the line of the row. The
rows were SO inches distant, and %
quarts of seed were used, the germina-
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