Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-08
WILLIAMSON'S CORN METHOD
BY f. NJ. WILLIAMSON

For numDer Oh years aIler De-
gan to farm, l followed the old-time
method of putting the fertilizer all
under the corn, planting on a level or
| higher, six by three feet, pushing the
plan; from the start and making a
big stalk, but the ears were few. and
frequently small. 1 planted much
corn in the spring and bought much
more corn the next spring, until final
| ly was driven to the conclusion that
corn could not be made on uplands
in this section, certainly not by the
old method, except at loss.
1 did not give up, however, for l
knew that the farmer who did not
make his own corn never had sue
Ceeded, and never would, so 1 began
to experiment. First I planted low
er, and the yield was better, but the
stalk was still too large; so I discon-
tinued altogether the application Of
fertilizer before planting, and, know
ing that all crops should be fertilized
as a side application, and applied the
more soluble nitrate of soda later, be-
ing guided in this by the excellent re-
suits obtained from it's use as a top
dressing for oats. Still, the yield,
though regular, was not large, and
the smallness Of the stalk itself now
suggested that they should be planted
thicker in the drill. This was done
the next year. with results so satis-
factory that 1 continued from year to
year to increase the number Of stalks
and the fertilizer with which to sus-
tain them; also to apply nitrate Of
soda at last plowing, and to lay by
early, sowing peas broadcast. This
method steadily increased the yield,
until year before last Q904), with
corn eleven inches apart in six-foot
rows, and $11 worth of fertilizer to
the acre, I made eighty-four bushels
average to the acre, several Of my
best acres making as much as 1875
bushels.
Last year (1905) I followed the
same method, planting the first week
in April, seventy acres which had
produced the year before 1000 pounds
seed cot i per acre. This land is
sandy upland, somewhat rolling.
Sea sons were very unfavorable, ow-
ing to the tremendous rains in May
and the dry and extremely hot wealth
err later. From June 18th to July
+ha rr,t1a
mo, o,sture, there was only five-eights4
Of hn inch of rainfall here; yet with
s7.p1, cost of fertilizer, my yield
was fifty-two bushels per acre. Rows
were six feet and corn sixteen inches
in drill.
With this method, on land that will
ordinarily produce 1000 pounds Of
seed cotton with 500 pounds of fer
tilizer, fifty bushels of corn per acre
should be made by using 200 pounds
of cotton seed meal, 200 pounds of
aei. phosphate, and 400 pounds Of
kainit mixed, or their equivalent In
other fertilizer and 1875 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
we'll fertilized, 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.
T.. Cd, ha 1aft
on the land in corn stalks, peas, vines
and roots, from $12 to SIG worth of
fertilizing material per acre, beside
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 1t
is absolutely impossible to make lands
rich as long as they are lacking in
vegetable matter.
Land should be thoroughly and
deeply broken for corn, and this Is
the time in a system Of rotation to
more compact soil than corn, and
while a deep soil Is essential to its best
development, it will not produce as
we'll on loose, open land, where corn
does best on land thoroughly broken.
A deep soil will not only produce more
heavily than a shallow soil with good
seasons, but it will stand more wet
as we'll as more dry weather.
In preparing for the corn crop, land
should be broken broadcast during
the winter one-fourth deeper than 1t
has been plowed before, or If much
vegetable matter Is being turned un-
der, It may be broken one-thlrd deep
err 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 spbsoiled
to any depth by following in bottom
of turn plow furrow, provided no more
of the subsoil than has been directed
is turned up. Break with two heavy
plows, If possible. or better, with disc
plow With the latter, cotton stalks
or corn stalks as large as We ever
make can be turned under without
having been chopped, and In pea vines
it will not choke or drag.
Never plow land when it Is wet, If
you expect ever to have any use for
it again.
Bed with turn plow In six-foot
rows, leaving five-inch balk. When
ready to plant, break this out with
scooter, following in bottom Of this
furrow deep with Dixie plow, wing
taken off. Ridge then on this fur
row with same plow, still going deep.
Run corn planter on this ridge, drop
ping one grain every five or six inches
Plant early, as soon as frost danger
Is past, say first seasonable spell af-
ter March 18th, in this section. Es-
pecially Is early planting necessary on
very rich lands where stalks cannot
otherwise be prevented from growing
too large. Give first working with
harrow or any plow that will not
cover the plant. For second work.