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

nitrate of soda In THIS 1urroW, IL Tess
than $50 pounds. If more use one-half
of it now. Cover with n turroW or
turn pillow, then SOW peas in the mid
die broadcast at the rate of at least one
bushel to the acre, and finish breaking
out.
In a few days side corn in other mid.
die with same sweep, put oaiance OF
nitrate of soda in this furroW II 1t mas
been divided cover with turn pioW,
SOW peas and break out. This lays by
your crop, with a good bed ana plenty
ofdirt around your stalk. This should
be from June 10Th to Goth unless sea-
son is very late, and corn shoulu oe
hardly punching for tassel.
Lay by early. More corn Is ruined
by late blowing than by lack or pl"w-
lug. This is when the ear ls hurt;
Two good rains after laying by Should
make you a good crop of corn, n it
will certainly make with much less
rain than was required in the ola way:
The stalks thus raised are very small
and do not require anything like tie
moisture even in proportion to size,
that il necessary for large sappy talk.
They may, therefor, be lett much
tbickerin lie row. This is no process.
It has long been a custom to cut bacK
vines and Trees in order TO Increase u
Weld and quality of fruit; and SO long
as O do not hold back your corn, 1t
will go, like mine so long went' all TO
stalk.
Do O be discouraged by the Jocks
of your corn during the process OF cul-
tivation. 1t will yield out OF all pro-
portion to its appearance. Largesta,ks
cannot make large yields, except WIN
extremely favorable seasons, Tor 1ney
cannot stand a lack of moisture Ear
ly applications of manure 60 10 MAKE
large stalks, which you do not want
and the plant food Is all thus used up
before the ear, which you do want,
ia made. Tall stalks not only will not
produce we'll themselves, but Will not
allow YOU to make the pea vsnes, so
necessary to the improvement or land:
Corn raised by this method shoulu
never grow over seven and one-half
feet high. and the ear should be neal
to the ground. -.
I consider The final application of nj
trate of soda an essential point IN tnls
ear-making process. 1t should always
be applied at last blowing and unmlx-
ed with other fertilizers.
I am satisfied with one ear to the
stalk unless q prolific variety Is planteo,
and leave a hundred stalks for every
bushel that 7 expect to make. l nno
the six-foot row easiest to cultivate
without injuring the corn. For nifty
hnshels tn the acre I leave it sixteen
inches apart; for seventy.hve busnels
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. n
middles may be kept clean until Time
break out, by using harrow or oy run.
ming one shovel furrow in centre OF
middle and bedding OIL that with Que
or more rounds OF turn pillow.
I would advise only a few acres trleo
by this method the first year, or until
YOU are familiar with its application.
Especially Is it hard at first, to fully
carry out the stunning process Where
a whole crop is involved, and this is
the absolutely essential part OF the pro-
cess.
This method I have applied. or seen
applied successfully to all klnos OF
land in this section, except wet iands
and moist bottoms. and l am conhdent
it can be made ofgreat benefit through
out the entire South. ;,
In the middle West, where corn is
80 prolific and profitable and where un'
fortunately for US, so much of ours has
been produced, the stalk does not ma
turally grow large. AS we come South
its size increases, at the expense iol
the ear, until in Cuba, and Mexico, it
is nearly all stalk (witness Mexican
varieties.)
The purpose of this method is to
eliminate this tendency Of corn to
o%vergrowth at the expenseNofSield IL
this southern climate.
BY this method I have made my
corn crop more profitable than my cot
ton crop. and my neighbors and friends
who have adopted it have, without ex'
ception, derived great benefit there
from. ;
Plant your own seed. I would not
ad wise a change of seed and method
the same year, as you will not ther
know from which you have derived
the benefit. I have used three varieties
and all have done well. I have never
used this method for late planting.
In fact, lido not advise the late plant
ing of corn, unless it be necessary for
cold lowlands.
The increased cost of labor and the
high price of material and land are
rapidly making farming Improbable,
except to those who are getting from
one acre what they formerly got from
two. We must make our lands rich,
er by blowing deep, planting peas and
other legumes, mauring them With
acid phosphate and potash, which are
relatively cheap, and returning TO 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 mea.
sure of prosperity that should be hers
until this is done.
T give this method as q farmer to
the farmers of the south, trusting
that thereby they may be benefited
E. M. Williamson. |