St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-08-30

To raise one hundred bushel
of corn per acre is not a Difficult
thing to do, If all of the feature
of modern farming are carefully
observed. # all Of the ifs ar,
overcome, and they can be, TIL
task is an easy one. The follow
ing figures will give the farmer
an idea of what must be done tt
accomplish the results. An acre
of corn should have 1856 hills,
and each hill should contain al
least three stalks, or 10, 668 stalks
on an acre. Each stalk should
have one ear and an acre as
many ears, namely 10, 668 as
there are stalks. The average
ear of corn weighs twelve ounces.
If, however, the ears weigh an
average of 10 IL ounces each,
which is below the average,
there would be 112.O14 ounces.
One bushel Of 70 lbs. contains
1,120 ounces. Divide the total
number of ounces on an acre
(112, Ola by the number of
ounces in a bushel (111O) and we
hrve 100 bushels and a slight
fraction.
u. In order to accomplish that
result, the soil must be rich
enough to grow three healthy
stalks in a hill and mature at
least three ears.
2. A sufficient amount of water
must be stored in the deeper
subsoils to prevent a retarding
of growth in case of drouth and
the seed bed must be deep and of
good filth
3. The seed must be pure-bred
and not fortified by pollen from
barren stalks.
A. The cultivation should be to
maintain a mulch to prevent the
escape of moisture and remove
weeds.
5. Great care should betaken not
to disturb or prune roots in cul-
tivating.
Fertility. The first thing to con-
slider is fertility. The plant
must be supplied with an album
dance of nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash in an available form,
and the soil must be in a healthy
physical condition. Corn requir-
es an abundance of nitrogen, and
without it the crop will be def
cient. This valuable clement
can be supplied by planting a
legume, preferably clover, is a
rotation, blowing the second crop
under and planting corn the fol
lowing spring. Clover or any of
the legumes not only furnishes
nitrogen, but the substance of
the plant furnishes, when well
rotted, organic material which is
finally resolved into humus.
Phosphorus can be supplied by
the application of barnyard ma
nure. IF the land is very def
cient in that element, it may be
necessary to make an application
of raw rock phosphate in the
form of a compost. If manure
cannot be obtained to make a
compost, the raw rock phosphate
can be soWn on the clover before
the ground is ploWed. There is
little use, however, of attempt
ing to proftably raise corn and
not apply manure to the land,
for barnyard manure possesses
so many fertilizing qualities that
it should not be dispensed with.
Manure not only furnishes plant
food, but the organic matter it
contains renders available other
plant food elements. It must al
so be remembered that manure in
a soil causes the soil to rapidly
absorb water and it also acts as a
regulator Of the temperature Of
the soil.
Lime may be necessary. Old
land is apt to be sour, a condi-
ton disastrous to many forms of
soil bacteria, especially those
that make available organic nj
trogen. When soil is sour, fine
" ground lime rock should be
applied IN amounts ranging from
two hundred pounds to two tons
per acre. The lime not only