The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-03-24

rotate their crops think ii pays them
to raise corn. The question goes fur
thar than to supply the corn with
plant FOOD. When corn Is raised on
the same land year after year. insect
enemies get to making their homes in
the land; and they are here to de-
stroE the next crop as far as they
can. Deprelations from insects are
accepted by the average farmer and
drouths are, on the suppoSition that
these things are sent by nature and
that man ran do nothing about them.
But the farmer can rest assured tina.
If he raises corn on tire same land
year after year he is turning his field
into a hatchery Of enemies that will
devour his crop, and this injury is
Far more serious than generally sup
posed. If the crop does not do we'll,
the matter is dismissed with the SUP
position that the weather or the soil
was unfavorable. The cora grower
should certainly be II grower of Glow
cr o. peas. and one OF these crops
should be grown On the land the first
year preceding tllc corn.
Thr time will come IN the south
when orn will he planted in checks
and cultivated both ways. a> il is in
tn" great corn states. Many things
may contribute t. make dis imn"ac-
ilcab!r now. bat SEINE Of these Times
can be done away with ny a man who
goes at it right. Very shallow plow-
ing THAT is broadcast or blowing in
narrow beds make il impracticablc to
check corn and cultivate il both ways;
50 may steep hillsidcs or bitches. al
SO irregular outlines OF the field. or
stumps or trees on the land. and the
land may be O poor that thicker
seeding will be preferable. 1t will be
noted. however. that really GOOD farm
ing cannot be done Wi:h such draw
backs: and they ought 10 II, done
away with even if the corn is not
planted in checks. Some Of these
drawbacks seem more serious than
they are. because checking * rare in
the S"u1ll ant linS" who have not
that i! is impossible. Here and there
Germ is checked with success in the
south. and under conditi"ns which
other Farmers say make checking
"Hrn ianpracticablt. Corn is grown
"hraply when checked: and Il SOM
what smaller crop would make as
mnrf money rs Il larger crop grown
jhN Il more expensive method.
The Williamson nxfhod Of corn
growing has its advocates: but il re-
mains to be learned whether the samn
amount Of plant food and labor used
by more common methods will not
"ri as large Il yield. if not a larger
one. Fo"d the crop must have: and
cultivation makes plant food that is
not vel availrb}c turn INFO available
forms. In other words. Il rood cult
Walton is something Of IL substitute
fer Fertilizers: and working tnr soil
well before the crop com2S mp is an
other substitute. That is one rca-
son That harrowin" cnfn is So helpful.
il makes grass and weeds Sprnul and
then kills them: bat il also prepares
food for tire crop, and that IS the
important thing. Trc cry will 90 up
that 50 much working of the soil is
cSpcnsive: but that will dcpcn.! on
whether the working Is Of I'm expcn-
sivc or an inexpensive kindly men
or by mules. Working with mules
can be made expensive, too. if the
implements are Of Il kind that one
must keep going around and around
the row. instead of a kind thai. will
finish one row or one mildla at each
trip across the field. Much cultiva-
ton at SO small an expense that the
cultivation cal he repeated frequent
ly should be the aim of the corn
grower.
When the corn is cultivated in
ridges more surface IS exposed for
the sun and air to draw moisture
from; and the rule will be that if the
previous working Of soil has been
what it should have been. flat cult
walton will be better. Still. This is
conditional, it should be noted. For
the same reason that cultivating a
crop in ridges is detrimental. plant
ing i'll narrow beds in detrimental in
dry wcathcr--it dries out more than
is good for the crop. Deep blowing
would be worth more than narrow
beds. provided thc field IS Othr,wisn