The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-02-03
N. WILLIAMS0N'S
CORN METHODS

'CVkN M hVDS.
SOUTHERN CORN FOR The SOUTH"
For a number of years after 1. began
to farm, I followed the old-time meth
cd of putting the fertilizer all under
the corn, planting on q leve! higher,
six by three feet, pushing the plant
from the start and making a big stalk,
but the ears were few, and frequently
small. I planted much corn In the
spring and bought much more corn
the next spring, until finally [ was
driven to the conclusion that corn
could not be made on uplands in this
section, certainly not by the old meth
cd, except at a loss.
I did not give up, however, for 1
knew that the farmer who did not
make hisrown corn never had succeed
ed, and never would, 80 I began to ex-
pertinent. First I planted lower, and
the yield was better, but the stalk was
still too large; 80 / discontinued alto
gether the application of fertilizer be-
fore planting, and, knowing that all
crops should b. fertilized as q side APP
plication, and applied the more soiu-
BILE nitrate of soda later, being guided
in this by the excellent results obtain
ed from its use as q top dressing for
oats. Still, the yield, though regular,
was not large, and the smallness or
stalk itself now suggested that they
should be planted thicker in the drill.
This was done the next year, with re:
suits go satisfactory that l continued
from year to year to increase the mum
Der of stalks and the fertilizer with
which to sustain them; also TO apply
nitrate of soda at last blowing, and to
lay by early, sowing peas broadcast.
This method steadily increased the
yield, until year before last 1904), with.
corn eleven inches apart In six-foot
rows, and $11 worth of fertilizer to the
acre, I made eighty-four bushels aver
age to the acre, several of my best acres
making as much az 125 bushels.
7 Last year (l9O5) I followed the same
method, planting the first week in
April, seventy acres which had pro-
duced the year before 1000 pounds
seed cotton per acre. This land is
sandy upland somewhat rolling Sea-
sons were unfavorable, owing to the
| tremendous rains IN May and the dry
and extremely hot weather later.
From June 18th to July 18th, the time
when it most needed moisture, there
was only fve.eights Of an inch OF rain.
fall here; yet with SOL, cost of fer
tilizer, my yield was 6fty-two bushels
Yper 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 800 pounds Of FERTILIZER,
fifty bushels of corn per acre should be
made BY using 200 pounds Of cotton
seed meal, 200 pounds of acid phos-
phate, and 400 pounds of Kainit mixed,
or their equivalent in other fertilizer,
and rs pounds Of nitrate of soda, all to
be used as side application as directed
below. .
On land that will make q bale and
one-balf of cotton per acre when we'll
fertilized, q hundred bushels of corn
should be produced by doubling the
amount of fertilizer above, except that
300 'pounds of nitrate of soda should be
used.
In each case there should be left on
the land in corn stalks, peas, vines and
roots from $l2 to $16 worth of fertiliz.
ing material per acre, beside the great
benefit to the land from 80 large an
amount of vegetable matter. The
place of this in the permanentimprove-
ment of land can. never be taken by
commercial fertilizer, for it is absolute
ly 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 q system of rotation to deepen
the soil. Cotton requires q more COM
pact soil than corn, and while a deep
soil is essential to it's best development,
It will not produce as well as loose,
omen 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 1t will stand more wet as well as
more dry weather. .
In preparing for the corn crop, land
should be broken broadcast during the
winter one-Tourth deeper than 1t has
been plowed before, or if much vege-
table matter is being turned under, 1t
NAV be broken :one-third deeper. This
is as much deepening as the land will
usually stand In one year and produce
we'll, though 1t may be continued
each year, 30 long as much dead
vegetable matter Is being turned
under. It may, however, be SUBSIDIZED
to any depth by following in bottom
of turn pillow furrow, provided no more
of the subsoil than has been directed ia
turned up. Break with two heavy
plows, If possible, or, better, with disc
blow. 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 1t will
not choke or drag.
Never pillow land when 1t is wet, if
you expect ever to have any use for it
again. $3.50.
Bed with turn plowsin six-foot rows,
leaving fve-inch bank. When ready
to plant, break this out with scooter,
following in bottom ofthis furrow deep
with Dixie pillow, wing taken of.
Ridge then on this furrow with same
pIoW, still going deep. Run corn