Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-12-29
aae a-s BUSHELS ON ONE ACRE.
Good Seed, Fertilization and Deep
Flowing Did the Work.
J. F. Bats in Progressive Farmer

81. F. Bats In Progressive Farmer)
AS / am receiving many inquiries
concerning my acre on which l pro-
duced gas 2-3 bushels Of corn, I
gladly accept your invitation to write
short article about it.
In the first place, as many seem
to doubt that ! made SO much, let
me say that the acre and the yield
were measured under the rules of
the Wake county corn contest by dis
Interested and well-known freehold
ers, and that the evidence was heard
under oath before the judges. name
ly: Major w. A. Graham, Commits
sioner OF Agriculture; T. b. Parker,
and Col. Fred A. Olds. These Judges,
after hearing the evidence, confirmed
the report of the local judges who
measured the land and the yield.
This will settle the doubts of some,
l think.
Now, as to how made the yield:
| did all l could do with the land
AMI the cultivation. cultivated as
much as l thought the land would
stand, I manured as generously as
| thought necessary. | have made a
full report to the State Board of Ag-
riculture on the details Of cultiva-
stand that this report will be printed
In the Bulletin. thought / had the
seed corn that would win, IL gave
1t fair chance, and l spared moth
ing to give it that chance.
The acre was not all that l could
have wished for. Eight years ago it
produced only five bushels. Last
year 1t produced eight bushels Of
wheat. But l began preparing it last
year by planting peas, from which |
cut the hay. On the 18th of March,
25 2-horse loads of COW manure were
applied. 1t was then plowed 12 in
ches deep and subsoiled 6 inches
deeper. On the 9th Of April 20 more
loads of manure wore spread, and
the field was plowed and subsoiled
again-this time 20 inches deep.
Three days later 500 pounds of acid
phosphate and 1000 pounds of cot
ton seed meal were spread and har-
rowed in. The corn was planted s
inches apart, with the rows Al in
ches apart, and 900 pounds Of an
S-3-3 fertilizer put In the row.
May 20th 400 pounds of cotton
seed meal, 400 pounds OF acid bhos-
phate, 500 pounds kainit and 200
pounds nitrate of soda were put
along the rows. On the 9th 200
pounds cotton seed meal, 200 pounds
acid phosphate, 400 pounds kainit
and 200 pounds nitrate Of soad were
broadcasted and narrowed in. June
9th, 200 pounds cotton seed meal,
200 pounds acid phosphate, 400
pounds kainit and 200 pounds nitrate
applied was worth $685.; the fer
tilizer cost $3.50, and the total cost
Of the crop was $1,000. The yield
was 226 2-3 bushels.
| attribute much Of my success to
seed selection. | have kept a seed
patch seven years, and on this patch
l have, year by year, planted my best
seed, selecting the seed from the best
ears with view to good size and
quality and prolific type. ] do not
believe that more than four ears can
be safely made on stalk, and this
can be done only under the most
favorable condition. But If we make
four ears in the seed patch, and
breed the seed to that type, the aver
age in the main field will tend to
run above two ears. This was the
plan | worked on, and 1t has come
out all right. I believe 7 had the
benefit Of the most prolific seed to
be had. And I know the seed had
all the chance that could give.
] am now making plans to show
what can be done profitably on 20
acres. I will make no promises, but
next year | hope to be able to report
on yield of 20 or 80 acres. be-
lieve that We can do great deal by
increasing our average yields all
along the line, and that the way to
do 1t Is by the use Of prolific seed
stock, good manuring and faithful
and intelligent cultivation.
Garner, n. c., r. F.. ID. No. /.