The farmer and mechanic., 1910-09-27
Established 1877
THE GROWING 81 CORN
southern Pines Tourist }

fst.u laImers to grow two ears of
corn where but one grew aforetime
+s surely doing much for their well
f4re-nOre perhaps, than is realized
Nv those whc, enshGed in dollar
chasing in business life or professional
wallis. 90 not give to the yellow grain
+h. place which is its due. He is a
home missionary, for his field is not
,.sreeas but right here in Moore
county.
Moore county's corn story might
he made m ghty interesting if the
right chap got hold of it. He should
rav. hayseed in his hair. which would
give his yarn the smell of the soil
lie should be something of a story
tallor--in the good sense-which
would enable him to put the facts
into such form as would make care
les readers sit up and take notice.
Ten Years ago the Moore county
fumor who was getting anywhere
from eiSht to twelve bushels Of corn
to the acre was fairly Well satisfied,
while the man that managed to coax
fifteen OF twenty bushels off a single
acre thought he had done big thing
and no one disputed him. The
other day the writer stood in a big.
Luo Iooking corn patch and one Of
ms companions, a successful corn
grower said 20 the owner: James,
you should be ashamed of this corn
field Not that it isn't mighty fine
corn. hut there should have been
twice IS much of it L know it."
replied The owner, but, you see, I'm
not much of a farmer; and then I
vas busy with other things, and didn't
take care Of the corn as l should
have DONE And yet that piece of
corn was gOod for 35 or 40 bushels
to the acre; and that's the difference
h.
In the old days the good Scotch Pres
byterians of Moore county read of the
splendid corn crops Of the corn States,
ard then sighed as they remembered
that Providence had placed them
whore they were foreordained to
raise ten or a dozen bushels instead
of five or six times as much, as many
IL. them are doing today.
What has wrought the change?
Deep ploW ng, generous Fertilization,
ana shallow but frequent cultivation.
The old shallow plowing gave the
r".5s but half Il chance, and the deep
cultivation ripped them loose and
spoiled Whatever chance they had. IN
scaut fertilization the farmer was try
ju- to get something for nothing, or,
~ put it in another way, was trying
t. get big returns from a small invest
mons. That was bad business. for in
every field Of human endeavor men
Reap as they SOW. No man can get
q iot Of corn out of a field into which
h" has put little labor and less fer
ti'iZer
For the general Improvement the
fara papers and the State and Ma
t"""i Agricultural Departments
@hH"id have the credit. while the
F#~m Demonstration Agents, working
under j0int local and national
auspices. are bringing the latest meth
ods Of the department to the farm
eTS door. Not only does the demon
stTator tell him what to do but shows
hjm how to do it, and explains just
Whv he does it.
At tha present time the Cour1F De-
m"nStTator has under his care and di-
I0tton about IS acres, located in
WIDELY separated parts of the county.
i" these acres he makes several visits
o"' ing the growing season. lnStruct1ng
and advising.
The question is sometimes asked.
" hat are the farm demonstration
methodist" It may not be out Of place
70 introduce here a synopsis of those
methods, as given by Mr. Mclean.
he first article in the new farm
gospel is that the ground be broken
I'ep, m the falI-that is, as deep as
II IS possible without turning up too
HH"h of the subsoi Nothing less
l.aH eight inches is considered deep
""WIng. In this connection it may
'" said that there are some light
s'iS that may not be bettered by fall
1i'"lhg. Here is where common
SINS" and experience come in.
IN me spring the soil is ready for
thorough narrowing to make the
HoNd fine. In some cases it is nee
a[.iF to break the ground again
'''S. TOO, common sense and horse
So must decide. The ground should
worked to a depth of at least six
,'Ght inches and from that to ten.
irFe and even sixteen or eighteen
HeS. The amount Of corn grown to