The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-16
nine so long went, all to stalk.

Do not be discouraged by the looks
OF your corn during the prcess OF Gull
tivation. 1t will yield out of all pro-
portion to its appearance. Large stalks
cannot make large yields, except with
extremely favorable seasons, for they
cannot stand lack of moisture. Early
applications of manure go to make
large stalks, which you do not want,
before the ear, which you do want,
is made. Tall stalks not only will not
produce we'll themselves, but will not
allow you to make the pea vines, so
necessary to the improvement of land.
Corn raised by this method should
never grow over seven and one-half
to the ground.
1 consider the final application Of
nitrate Of soda an essential point in
this ear-making process. 1t should al
ways be applied at last plowing and
unmixed with other fertilizers.
1 am satisfied with one ear to the
stalk unless a prolific variety is plant
ed, and leave a hundred stalks for
every bushel that / expect to make. /
find the six-foot row easiest to culti-
vate without injuring the corn. For
fifty bushels to the acre, 1 leave il
sixteen inches apart; for seventy-five
bushels to the acre, twelve inches
apart. and for one hundred bushels,
eight inches apart. Corn should be
planted from four to, six inches below
the level and hid by from four to six
inches above. No hoeing should be
necessary. and middles may be kept
clean until time to break out by using
narrow or by running one shovel fur
row in centre of middle and bedding
on that with one or more rounds of
turn plow.
l would advise only a few acres
tried by this method the first year, or
until you are familiar with it's applica-
ton. Especially is it hard, at first, to
fully carry out the stunting process
where whole crop is involved and
this is the absolutely essential part of
the process.
This method 1 have applied, or seen
applied. successfully to all kinds of
land in this section except wet lands
and moist bottoms, and 1 am conf
dent 1t can be made of great benefit
throughout the entire South.
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 eX-
pense Of the ear, until in Cuba, and
Mexico, 1t Is nearly all stalk (witness
Mexican varities)
The purpose of this method is to
eliminate this tendency Of corn to
overgrowth at the expense of yield in
this Southern climate.
BY this method / have made my
corn crop more profitable than my
cotton crop and my neighbors and
friends who have adopted it have,
without exception, derived great bene-
fit therefrom.
Plant your own seed. l would not
advise a change of seed and method
the same year. as you will not then
know from which you have derived
the benefit. 1 have used three va
rieties and all have don, well. / have
never used this method or late plant
ing. In fact, do not ad yise the late
planting Of corn, unless be neces-
sary for cold lowlands.
The Increased cost of labor and the
nigh price of material and land are
rapidly making farming unprofitable.
except to those who are getting from
one acre what they formerly got from
Two. We must make our lands richer
by plowins deep, planting peas and
other legumes. manuring them with
acid phosphate and potash which are
relatively cheap, and returning 20 the
soil the resultant vegetable matter rich
In humus and expensive nitrogen. The
needs of our soil are such that the
south can never reap the full measure
OF prosperity that should be hers until
this is done.
give this method as a farmer to
the FARMERS of the South. trusting that
thereby they may be benefited as I
have been.
E. M'IVER WILLIAMSON.