The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-02-01
columbia State. }

{tO1uI1l Ola >ldtt.J
1885 l began to farm on a sandy
slightly rolling place. 1t has been
under exhaustive cultivation for
many years, and the soil was thin,
making about 500 pounds of seed cot
ton per acre, when we'll cultivated by
costing 81. or ten bushels OF corn with
81 worth Of fertilizer.
/ followed the old way Of early
fertilizing, planting high, working
rapidly. and buying corn. 1t always
made q big, flourishing stalk, and
was an annual joy in the 81 ing, and
in the fall [ was in annual sorrow. |
knew that the farmer who did not
make provisions always failed sooner
or later, and in my case all signs
pointed to 1t being sooner. SO I ap
piled more fertilizer at planting times,
and gave it more work. 1t grew still
larger than before, and made even
less, and I continued to buy corn. [
was getting out of trouble nearly as
fast as the frog was getting out Of
the well.
corn on much smaller stalks. / had
laughed at them in the spring and
they at me in the fall. SO profiting
by their success, as well as my fail
ure, I began to plant lower. and fer
tilize later. but it was not until I had
allowed it to stand on a small ridge
with the second working burrows left
open on both sides, that the stalks
could be forced to give proper atten-
ton to making its ear.
The smallest OF the stalk itself now
suggested that it could be planted
thicker in the drill.
Thus for more than ten years I
kept on studying and experimentin
planting lower and thicker, and stunt
ing the stalk growth, after which all
fertilizers were applied, nitrate OF
soda being saved for last plowing
My yield gradually increased, until
in 1904, when with s11 worth OF fer
tilizer per acre, the yield was 81
bushels per acre, on my crop Of ten
acres, the land being good, rows six
feet apart, and corn eleven inches in
drill. ! was then convinced that the
principles Of the method were cor
rect, and that by its use corn could
be made more profitable than cotton
Son in 1905 l increased my crop to
20 acres on poorer land, and made
SO bushels per acre, with $7.01 in
fertilizers; rows feet apart and Is
inches in drill. In 1906, on rs acres.
with $3.50 fertilizers per acre, l made
50 bushels per acre; rows feet apart
and Is inches in drill. In 1907, 65
acres yielded So bushels per acre, with
S9.S7 fertilizers per acre, stand ir-
regular from hail; rows six feet apart
1905 was very dry here at caring
tire.
1906 was entirely too wet.
1907 crop was greatly injured by
hail on June 18th.
This method which has been so sue
Cessfully followed in this section, is
given in detail With such modifica-
tiOns IS any practical farmer can
n hi oil
mate, | believe that 1t can be used
with much profit throughout the en-
tire South, especially upon sandy
soils. The tools named are such as
every one-horse farmer has. Labor
saving implements can be used. for [
nave known crop practically made
with two-horse riding disc cultiva-
tor 1t Is my purpose, however, to
keep this method within reach OF the
one-horse farmer. and to so describe
II that he may derive its full benefit
with the tools that he has and under
the conditions by which he Is sur
rounded, and not to tell him how well
ne might succeed, by using things
Nh"t ne can not get. This method
may seem to call for a great deal of
"o'k X. ana much running up and down
the rows, but 7 have tried hOth and
i would rather be runpine mn o,d
down the rows making corn than nm
and down the road buying it.
Stiff land requires more breakins g
and subsoiling than light SANDY
soils Therefore, plough your land
as it may require during the winter.
l DO not break up more than one
fourth deeper than land has been
piouehed before
Do not plough land when 1t Is wet.
no matter how far behind In your
work: it will nav to wait until it IS
in proper condition, even though you
plant less. for it will produce more.
Especially is this true at planting