Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1916-01-20
Corn And Wheat

While the art of agriculture
is very old, the science of agri
culture is the newest science, anc
how to grow crops on a remuner
alive basis is not understood, anc
the science is neglected by the
farmers of the United States. II
is to grow better crops or face
starvation, because it is now i'm
possible to go to the west and
grow up with the country. Wythe
County soils, and the humid air
and the fine china e surrounding
it are not exceeded in the world.
| By proper management it is feas-
ible to grow 100 Blu. of corn per
oc' e, SO Blu. of wheat per acre,
and four tons of clover per acre,
and an abundance of blue grass.
How To GROW CORN
Apply with a lime spreader
about 800 lbs. of finely ground 80
per cent Phosphoric acid Rock
Phosphate to the soil. This should
be on clover sod if possible or
fully grown blue grass sod. 1t
will assist if this Phosphate is
discked in before blowing with a
disc harrow. Then pillow for corn
in the usual way, and plant the
corn in the usual way. Some peo-
pie plant it AZ inches apart, and
! leave two stalks in one hill and
three in the next. 1t would be
better to say that this corn will
not be made to grow much taller,
and the stalks will not be helped
much, but w hen earring time
comes phosphorus will grow large
ears and mature it before frost
comes, and it will be better ma
tured corn than it would have
been if the phosphate had not
been put on. 1t will be necessary
to measure the land and weigh
the corn to detect the 16 Blu. per
acre increase if the proper kind
of seed are used and this amount
of phosphate has been plowed
down. 1t will increase the yield
of corn and benefit the land if
you SOW about 2 tons of finely
ground lime stone on the land be-
fore narrowing the second time.
This lime stone can be sowed af-
ter the corn is planted. This lime
stone will also assist in putting
land back into any kind of clover
or grasses including alfalfa. The
usual way of farming is to use a
wheat drill and drill about IL
bushels of good wheat seed in
the corn stubble, and in tins way
you will increase the wheat crop
about Is Blu. per acre, and still a
stand of clover and grass can be
had in this wheat by sowing tim
othy in the fall and clover in
April. This land will be level
enough to admit of going back to
grass if the corn has been proper
ly cultivated, and not plowed too
deep. The corn stalks can be
knocked off with a steel rail, a
pole or a hoe. The 100 Blu. corn
crop will take out q lbs. of the
liz ID. application of the element
phosphorus, the 50 Blu. wheat
crop will take out 16 lbs. and the
ton crop Of clover will tske out
20 lbs So the reader will observe
that there will still be phosphorus
left for permanent improvement
; Phosphate acts best when ploweG
down, and when kept plowee
down.
If inoculated Sofa Beans in
proper quantity are mixed with
seed corn in corn planter at plant
ing time and planted with the
corn, they will grow and be titled
, with the corn and will catch Nit.
rogen which will in part be used
by the same crop of corn anC
they will increase the present
yield of corn and help to add feed
and Nitrogen to the farm. These
beans keep away certain kinds Of
hugs and worms. For further in
formation about Seed Corn. Rock