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GROWING CORN BY NEWMETHOD. Mr. ?. Mclver Williamson Gives Plan* HE STUNTS THE STALK. How 50, 75 and 100 Bushels of Cora can be Made to the Acre?Deep Plow ing Very Esseitial. The following highly valuable paper, prepared by Mr. E. Mclver Williamson of Darlington county, has just been published in the Hartsville County Mes senger: For a number of years after I began to farm I followed the old time method of putting the fertilizer all under the com, planting on a level or higher, six by three feet, pushing the plant from the start and making a big stalk, but the ears were few, and frequently small. I planted much corn in the spring and bought much more corn the next spring, until finally I was driven to the conclusion that corn could not be made on uplands in this section, cer tainly not by the old method, except at a loss. I did not give up, however, for I knew that the farmer who did not make his own corn never had succeeded, and never would, so I began to experi ment. First, I planted lower, and the yield was better, but the stalk was still too large, so I discontinued altogether the application of fertilizer before planting, and, knowing that all crops should be fertilized at some time, I used mixed fertilizer as a side applica \ and npplied the more soluble ni l of soda later, being guided in this b^ i excellent results obtained from its .j as a top dressing for oats. Still the yield, though regular, was not large, and the smallness of the stalk it self now suggested that they should be planted thicker in the drill. This was done the next year with results so sat isfactory that I continued from year to year to increase the number of stalks and the fertilizer with which to sus tain them, also to apply nitrate of soda at last plowing and to lay by early, sowing peas broadcast. This method steadily increased the yield, until year before last (1904) with corn 11 inches apart in six-foot rows and $11 worth of fertilizar to the acre, I made 84 bush els average to the acre, several of my best acres making a3 much as 125 bush els. Last year (1905) I followed the same method, planting the first week in April, 70 acres which had produced the year before 1,000 pounds seed cotton per acre. This land is sandy upland, somewhat rolling. Seasons were very unfavora ble, owing to the tremendous rains in May, and the dry and extremely hot weather later. From June 12th to July 12th, the time when it most needed moisture, there was 5-8 of an inch of rainfall here; yet with $7.01. cost of fertilizer, my yieid was 52 bushels per acre. Rows were six feet and corn 16 inches in drill. With this method, on land that will ordinarily produce 1,000 pounds of seed cotton with 800 pounds of fertilizer, 50 bushels of corn per acre should be made by using 200 pounds of cotton seed meal, 200 pounds of acid phos phate, and 400 pounds of kainit mixed, or their equivalent in other fertilizer, and 125 pounds of nitrate of soda, all to be used as side application as di rected below: On land that will make a bale and one-half of cotton per acre when well fertilized, 100 bushels of corn should be produced by doubling the amount of fertilizer above, except that 300 pounds of nitrate of soda should be used. In each case there should be left on the land in cornstalks, peas, vines and roots, from $12 to $16 worth of fertiliz ing material per acre, beside the great benefit to the land from so large an amount of vegetable matter. The place of this in the permanent improvement of land can never be taken by commer cial fertilizer, for it is absolutely im possible to make lands rich as long as they are lacking in vegetable matter. Land should be thoroughly and deeply broken for corn, and this is tha time in a system of rotation to deepen the soil. Cotton requires a more compact soil than corn, and while a deep soil is essential to its best developement, it .will not produce as well on loose open land, while corn does best on land thor oughly broken. A deep soil will not only produce more heavily than a shal low soil with good seasons, but it will stand more wet as well as more dry weather. In preparing for the corn crop, land should be broken broadcast during the winter one-fourth deeper than it has been plowed before, or if much vegeta ble matter is being turned under, it may be broken one-third deeper. This is as much deepening as land will us ually stand in one year and produce well, though it may be continued each year, so long as much dead vegetable matter is being turned under. It may, however, be sub-soiled to any depth by following in bottom of turn plow fur row, provided no more of the sub-soil than it has been directed, is'turned up. Break with two horse plow, if possible, or better with disc plow. With the latter cotton or corn stalks as large as we ever make can be turned under without having been chopped, and in peavines it will not choke or drag. Never plow land when it is wet, if you expect ever to have any use for it again. Bed with turn plow in six foot rows, leaving five-inch balk. When ready to plant, break?this out with scooter, fol lowing in bottom of this furrow deep with Dixie plow, wing taken off. Ridge then on this furrow with same plow still going deep. Run corn planter on this ridge, dropping one grain every five or six inches. Plant early, as soon as frost danger is past, say first sea sonable spell after March 16th in this ??ction. Especially is early planting necessary on very rich lands where stalks cannot otherwise be prevented from growing too large. Give first working with harrow or any plow that will not cover the plant. For second working, use 10 or 12 inch sweep on both sides of corn, which should now be about eight inches high. Thin after this working. It is not necessary that the plants should be left all the same distance apart, if the right number re main to each yard of row. Corn should not be worked again un til the growth has been so retarded and the stalk so hardened that it will never grow too large. This is the most difficult point in the whole process. Ex perience and judgment are required to know just how much the stalk should be stunted, and plenty of nerve is re quired to hold back your corn when your neighbors, who fertilized at plant ing time and cultivated rapidly, have corn twice the size of yours. (They are having their fun now. Yours will come at harvest time.) The richer the land the more necessary it is that the stunting process should be thoroughly done. When you are convinced that your corn has been sufficiently 'Hated, you may begin to make *. It should be from 12 to 18 ,;h, and look worse than you eve. any corn to look before. Put half your mixed fertilizer (this being the first used at all) in the old sweep furrow on both sides of every other middle, and cover by breaking out this middle with turn plow. About one week later treat the other middle the same way. Within a few days side corn in first middle with 16-inch sys tem. Put all your nitrate of sodu in this furrow, if less than 150 pounds. If more, use one-half of it now. Cover with one furrow of turn plow, then sow peas in this middle broadcast at the rate of at least one bushel to the acre, and finish breaking out. In a few days side corn in other mid dle with same sweep, put balance of soda in this furrow if it has been di vided, cover with turn plow, sow peas and break out. This lays by your crop with a good bed and plenty of dirt around your stalk. This should be from June 10th to 20th unless season is very late, and corn should be hardly bunch ing for tassel. V' Lay by early. More corn is ruined by late plowing than by lack of plow ing. This is when the ear is hurt. Two good rains after laying by should make you a good crop of corn, and it will certainly make with much less rain if pushed and fertilized in the same old way. The stalks thus raised are very small, and do not require anything like the moisture, even in proportion to size, that is necessary for large supply stalks. They may, therefore, be left much thicker in the row. This is no new process. It has long been a cus tom to cut back vines and trees in or der to increase the yield and quality of fruit, and so long as you do not hold back your corn, it will go, like mine so long went, to all stalk. Do not be discouraged by the looks of your corn during the process of cul tivation. It will yield out of all pro portion to its appearance. Large stalks cannot make large yields, except with extremely favorable seasons, for they cannot stand a lack of moisture. Early applications of manure go to make large stalks which you do not want, and the plant food is all thus used up before the ear, which you do want is made. Tall stalks not only will not pro duce well themselves, but will not al low you to make the pea vines, so ne cessary to the improvement of land. ? Corn raised by this method should never grow over seven and half feet high and the ear should be near to the ground. I consider the final application of ni ONE ACRE CROP ANALYSIS: I M Z Cl, Oh > 2,800 pounds ' corn (grain) 50 20 11 500 pounds of shucks 5 2 7 400 pounds of cobs 2 0 2 "A" taken land 58 22 20 1,200 lbs corn stalks 12 8 17 3,000 lbs peas, vines and roots grown in corn. 59 16 44 Entire crop contains 129 41 81 28.26 J Taken from land "A" 58 22 20 12.03 Left for next crop - 71 19 61 16.23 100 bushels of oats and straw will re quire - - - - 78 31 48 1,500 lbs seed cotton and stalks will re quire - - - - 64 17 56 50 bushels corn, cobs, shucks and stalks will require - - 70 25 37 tr?te of soda an essential point in this ear making process. It should always be applied at last plowing and unmixed with other fertilizers. I am satisfied with one car to the stalk, unless a prolific variety is plant kd, and leave 100 stalks for every bush el that I expect to make. I find the six foot row easiest to cultivate with out injuring the corn. For 50 bushels to the acre, I leave it 16 inches apart; for 75 bushels to the acre, 12 inches apart, and for 100 bushels eight inches apart. Corn should be planted from four to six inches below the level, and laid by from four to six inches above. No hoeing should be necessary, and mid dles may be kept clean until time to break out, by using harrow or by run ning one shovel furrow in centre of middle and bedding on that, with one or more rounds of turn plow. I would advise only a few acres tried by this method the first year, or until you are familiar with its application. Especially is it hard, at first, to fully carry out the stunting process, where a whole crop is involved, and this is the absolutely essential part of the process. This method I have applied or seen applied successfully to all kinds of land in this section except river lands and moist bottoms, and I am confident it can be made of great benefit through out the entire South. In the middle West, where corn is so prolific and profitable, and where, un fortunately for us, so much of ours has been produced, the stalk does not nat urally grow large. As we come South its size increases, at the expense of the ear, until in Cuba and Mexico it is nearly all stalk (witness Mexican va rieties) . The purpose of this method is to elim inate this tendency of corn to over growth at the expense of yield, in this Southern climate. By this method I have made my corn crop more profitable than my cotton erop, and my neighbors and friends who havo adopted it have, without ex coption, derived great benefit there from. Plant your own seed. I would not ad vise a change of seed and method the same year, as you will not then know from which you have derived the bene fit. I have used three varieties, and all have done well. I have never used this method for late planting. In fact, I do not advise the late planting of corn, unless it be necessary for cold lowlands. The increased cost of labor and the high price of all material end land are rapidly making farming unprofitable, except to those who are getting from one acre what they formerly got from two. We must make our lands richer by plowing deep, planting peas and other legumes, manuring them with: acid phosphate and potash, which are relatively cheap and returning to the soil the resultant vegetable matter rich in humus and expensive nitrogen. The needs of our soil are such that the South can never reap the full measure of prosperity that should be hers, until this is done. I give this method as a farmer to the farmers of the South, trusting that thereby they may be bonefitted as I have been. N. B. Dial,. a. O. Todd. DIAL & TODD, Attorneys and Coun sellors at Law. Enterprise Bank and Todd Olli en Build log. Laurkns, S. O. Whiskey, Morphine and other DRUGS, and nervous diseases treated. Charges more reasonable than other like institutions. $25.00 per week pays for treatment, remedies and board. Result absolutely the same. L. G. CORBETT, M. D. THE CAROLINA SANITARIUM, Greenville, S. C. We Have Just Received Another Car of That Good Flour which we always keep on hand. The price is all right.. Also fresh shipment of k Seed Irish Potatoes and GARDEN SEED of every kind and description. Our goods are all guaranteed to give satisfaction or money refunded. I Watts Mills Store, <?j Laurens, - Smith Carolina. \^K^r. 7V\ ytr' sw\ . w\ *?? ^^^K HR <-Urs !tt\ . "Oh, I AM SO TIRED!" Is heard daily from old and young, rich and poor. Did you ever stop and consider the cause of this remark? We will venture to say nine cases out of ten are caused by improper digestion. This, or other symptoms of Indigestion such as nervousness, nausea, heart-burn, sour stomach, flatulency and despondency, should be a warning to you who are in danger of having indigestion, the great est enemy of American health to-day, fasten its merciless fangs on your health. Remember, "A Stitch in time saves nine", and a bottle of the celebrated Kellum's Sure Cure for Indigestion has saved untold misery to people in many parts of this broad land, by curing them permanently of this miserable disease. Yes, not like the pepsin digestives that help for a time, but cures permanently by causing the digestive organs to perform their functions. Nature being such a great rectifier of its own ills, with the assistance of this powerful medicine, gives you a healthy stomach and removes indigestion and its symptoms perma nently Sold on a $5.00 guarantee. 50 centa and $1.00 per kettle at Laurens Drug Company. Why SM Not Buy the Best Stove or Range? Buy a Buck's Range It has been on the market j? for over fifty-seven years, gs and has always given satis-Sjk faction; you are ''stove safe" if you buy a Buck's. The ^8 Oven of a Buck's Range is a distinctive feature. It isgjg large, roomy and well venti- sl8 lated. The construction ofjs? the Oven is such that warp- >lg ing is impossible. White ?5 enameled oven doors and 3^ oven racks makes Buck's Ranges sanitary. Buck's &B ovens are self basters. See Jta our line before buying. W S. S. BOYD, Tho Old Reliable Plumber and Tinner, who has been in busi ness in I,aureus for over twelve years. L. L. BROWNING, of Celumbia, who will make this his. home and be associated with Mr. Poyd in the plumbing business. He has had 20 years' experience. I Announcement! We announce to the public that we are now ready for any work in our line, and respectfully solicit a share of your patronage. We will carry in stock a high grade line of Plumbing Material, and will at all times be ready to quote you closest prices for any sized job. We are men of experience and know our business thoroughly, therefore can guarantee you entire satis faction and high-grade work. We ask that you give us a chance to submit prices and specifications for any work that you may have in our line. Our prices are very low, consistent with the best workmanship. Yours for High Grade Work at Honest Prices. Boyd &, Browning, Plumbers That Know How. Laurens, - - - - South Carolina. OOOOOOOOCKDOOOOOCKKXKXJOOOOO Get it Repaired at Blakeley's Repair Shop. "You break it I mend it." Guns, Pistols, Clocks, Locks, Automobiles. Pictures and Picture Frames made to Order. A. Ross Blakely Next to Express Office Laurens, S. C. SPECIALS AT J. E. M1NTER & BRO.'S J. E. Minter & Bro.'s Bargain Basement. Our buyer, Mr. E. P. Minter, leaves for New York Monday to purchase a Big Stock for Spring for all our Departments, and especially for our Bargain Basement. We have already received large shipments for this Department, so We will offer the following Specials in our Bargain Basement: i i 8> Bargain/.Basement! | We have just completed making some important changes in our store. We have fitted up our basement into a modern well-lighted store room, where we will keep at all times a splendid stock of goods of all kinds, which will be sold UNDER VALUE. If it is Real Bargains you are looking for you will always find them at V;" 4,000 yards Calico, lights and darks, 3J cents. I lot Ladies' Black Under skirts bargain basement price 49 cents. 2,000 yards yard-wide Sea Island bargain basement price 5 cents the yard. 100 dozen Ladies' 10-cent Hose, bargain basement price 6 cents. 1 lot Children's Hose, bar gain basement price 8 cents. 50 dozen Men' Shirts, beau ful Spring styles, bargain base ment price 49c ents. 1 lot Men's 50-cent Shirts, bargain basement price 39cts. 1 lot Men's $1.25 Pants, bar gain basement price 89c. 1 lot 15-cent Towels, bargain basement price 10c. 100 dozen Men's 10-cent Half Hose, bargain basement price 5 cents per pair. 1 lot Men's Pants worth $2.00, bargain basement price $1.49. $1.50 Counterpane, bargain basement price $1.09. $1.25 Counterpane, bargain basement price 94 cents. im Clothing ,nthe Bargain Basement We have pui here some short lots to close out quick at a sacrifice. Come get your size, and you will be surprised to find how much you have saved. MEET ME AT J. E. Minter & Bro.'s a LAURBNS, SOUTH CAROLINA. sail