Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-19
REASONS FOR LOW YIELDS


The chief cause for low yields of
corn and other farm crops is poor soils
some uf these soils have always boon
poor and some have been made 200,
by continual cropping and the one
crop system, These poor soils can only
De made rich 10y addition OF vegetable
matter. This can best he accomplished
10y using a system OF crop rotation so
that lcgum,uouS crops. such aS nous
means. clorcrs and Netch ana grasses
arc added to the soil occusionallv-,
regular intervals. Liberal npplicn tons
OF lime will also hc found of .-r.. I
benefit. as almost all crops. especially
lcEnincS aud grasses viii grow better
on land that IL is not acid. Farmers
should also increase the number of
iiv" stocks on their farms and soil live
stock and livestock uroCucts rather
than grains. hays and vegetables. Live
stock men AR" building M their soils
as II * necessary for them to grow
icSN'ncS. grasses and other forage and
the larger per cent Of tho c"rtiltzinc
value of 'h"s" crops is returned Ia tho
SOIL III tho manure. Ia addition TO
these fcrtilizinc values tho manure
constitutes tho Vegetable matter or
organic matter tha, our soils need 80
much.
Another reason for low yields or corn
and other crops is poor seed rms
i often n more important factor th:,u
can Ii"ld bat little. 1t iS MOI ,nf-
ncicn; FOX seed 10 Spout and produce
4 young plant. bat this seed shouil
nave sufficient breeding and vigor TO
grow and produce fruit in tho form,
O: grain II this is the frui, that We
want. Havs YOU ever looked over your
cornticid and noticed the number OF
stalks that have no car Rarren stalks
Viii often decrease the yield of corn
from 20 Per cent TO 80 per cent II
your corn is planted three and onc-half
ieei each way with TWO stalks 10 the
hi! and YOU average one small car
10 the stalk YOU will make nifty bushels
u the aero our county does not aver
age twenty-five bushels TO M, aero
SO II must lie true that one fourth 10
one-haE o. the stalk in our corn
ae!ds produce nothing. The only way
10 get ride OF the barren stalks is TO
select yonr seed corn every Year in the
field and take only ears from, good
stalks II You have not a good grade
81 seed corn to star; with il will Day
10 buy some pure bred seed justas near
| nome as YOU can get il. \ part or all
OF your seed corr should lie tested TO
see II /; VIII Sprout evenly and yiror-
ousiE Ears that are slow in sproutinc.
and slow in growing should be discard
Ed, as we'll as those tina; fail TO sprout
on can make more money for the
time that you work by testing Your
sec" corn tnan anything els" 'ha, you
may 40 during til. year \ seed t.Sr.r
can b. prepared with coffee box filled
with Wet sawdust and "A piece If cloth
10 cover the Sawdust and cover the
corn after i, is placed on the cloth.
me cloth Should be drawn OF INTO
TWO o. iwo and onc-half-inch squares
. enc on each OF these squares not less
than sin grains OF corn from mat Won
| have numbered like the uumb~r ON tho
square.
Res" your farm paper or write or
see Eour county agent for information
T.taI!Nr 20 testing Your seed corn.
W I'm AL farm products high and labor
h'gh We can only afford 10 plan, the
best seed. The yields OF hftv 70 200
ousheis OF corn PEE acre ;ha; VIC hear
OF are only obtained by use Of the hes,
breeding and testing OF seed corn IL
our farmers would usa much care
IN selecting seed corn as a good stock
man uses i'll selecting his breeding
! stoci: our Yields would soon be doubled
CUR standard for corn should be- the
highest per cent Of corn and the small
est per cent II cob.
Probably the next cause of low yields
Is poor methods OF cul,ur. poorlv
prepared seed beds ana poorly Guilt
Nat.d fields usually mean poor yields
Com mas practically IN. same habit OF
growth everywhere ana practically the
! same rules apply TO corn culture every
where
We pay our experiment stations 10
/ md out the best methods for seed bed
| preparation. cultivation. etc. ana we
are .>pcndinG our money but poorly
II Nc do not follow their rccomren-
dat!ouS
Insects and diseases en-, some figure
IN causing low Yields. but these can
nc largely avoided by crop rotation a
good foEr-year rotation for many sec
tons is corn. with peas sowed a, ,bc
iaSt cultivation. wheat seeded in the
ial! after dtscing the land thoroughly.
" hen tn" wheat comes OF. pillow the
! IT, an! prepare il we'll and sou. a
f, "."-s mixture containing one or more
"i ~" "loTers. This grass can be left
TWO wears or longer if il remains good
enough and corn may be planted again
when the grass is turned under. An
! increase Of yields means bigger profits
! ana Digger profits is what all farmers
ar" Looking FOR j .. STILES
Hanover County Agent