PLANTING AND CULTIVATING THE CORN CROP 249 



303. The Mclver Williamson method of corn produc- 

 tion. Within recent years much has been written with 

 reference to a system of corn culture originated by Mclver 

 Williamson of South Carolina. In devising this method 

 Williamson had for his primary object the stunting of 

 the corn during its early growth so as to prevent the pro- 

 duction of stalk at the expense of grain. The essence of 

 the Williamson method is thus summarized by the Georgia 

 Station : 1 



"First. Breaking the land broadcast and deeper than 

 is customary. Using disc plow in preference to old two- 

 horse plow. 



" Second. No fertilizer at or previous to the time of 

 planting, thus hindering growth. 



"Third. Rows six feet apart, plants eleven inches in 

 the drill. 



"Fourth. Feeding the plants with an open hand thus: 

 200 pounds of cotton-seed meal; 200 pounds of acid phos- 

 phate; 400 pounds of kainit, making 800 pounds an acre 

 of high grade material, carefully mixed. In addition to 

 the 800 pounds, fed as the plants grow, 125 pounds of 

 nitrate of soda per acre as a side application. 



"Fifth. Planting soon as all danger of frost is 



"Sixth. When plants are 12 to 18 inches in height, 

 begin to feed them; then follows rapid and shallow culti- 

 vation." 



Several stations have compared the above method of 

 corn production with the ordinary method in which the 

 fertilizers were added before planting, and frequent and 

 thorough cultivation given from the start. The results 

 of these tests have in almost all cases favored the ordinary 

 1 Summarized from Bui. 97, Ga. Agr. Exp. Sta. 



