The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-16

large an amount OF vegetable matter.
The place OF this IN the permanent
Improvement of land can never be
taken by commercial fertilizer, for IT
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 deepen
the soil. Cotton requires q more COM
pact soil than corn. and while a deep
soil is essential to Its best develop
ment. 1t will not produce as well as
loose, open land where corn does best
on land thoroughly broken. A deep
soil will not only prduce more heavily
than 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 dur
ing the winter one-fourth deeper thar.
it has been plowed tefore. or If
much vegetable matter Is being turn.
ed under. 1t may be broken one
third deeper. This Is as much deep
ening as land will usually stand in
one year and produce WELL though it
may be confined each year, so long
"a much dead vegetable matter Is
being turned under. 1t may. how
ever. be subsoiled to any depth by
following In bottom of turn plow fur
row. provided no more of the sub
soil than has been directed Is turn
cd up. Break with two heavy plows.
IL 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 1t is wet. II
you expect ever to have any use for
II 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 pow, wing
taken off. Ridge then on this furrow
with same plow. still going deep
Run corn planter on this ridge, drop
ping one grain every five or six
inches. Plant early. es soon as frost
danger Is past. say arsl seasoua BILE
spell after March 18th, Of this section
Especially Is early planting necessary
on very rich lands where stalks can
not otherwise be prevented from
growing too large. Give first working
with harrow or any plow that will
not cover thel plant. For second
working use ten or twelve-inch
sweep on both sides OF corn, which
should now be about eight inches
high. Thin after this working. 1t Is
not necessary that the plants should
be left all the same distance apart II
the right number remain to each
yard or row. EN
Corn should not be worked again
until the growth has been so retarded
and the stalk so hardened that il will
never grow too large. That is the
most difficult point In the Whole
process. Experience not Judgment
Is required to know just how much
the stalk should be stunted. and
plenty OF nerve is required to hold
back your corn when your neigh
bors. who fertilized at planting time
and cultivate rapidly. have corn
twice the size of yours. (They are
having their fun now. Yours will
come at harvest time.) The ricner
the land the more necessary il rs
that the stunting process should be
throughly done.
When you are convinced that your
corn has been sufficiently Inundated
you may begin to make the ear. Ii
should now be from twelve TO eighteen
ihches high ana look worse than you
have ever had any corn to look before.
Put half OF your mixed fertilizer
tshis being the first used at alb In
the old sweep furrow on both sides OF
every other middle, and cover by
breaking out this middle with turn
piow. About one week later treat the
other middle tine same way. Within
a few days side corn in first middle
with sixteen-inch sweep. Pat all your
nitrate OF soda in this furrow. IL less
than $50 pounds. If more use one
half OF 1t now. Cover with one fur
row OF turn plow. then SOW peas i'm
the middle broadcast at the rate of
at least one bushel to the acre. and
finish breaking out.