Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-19
Fall Flowing.

Ii fall blowing is properly done, anC
al the proper time, it has the advantag,
oi favoring earlier spring sowing, an,
leSSening the work at that busy me, M
advantage that is too important to b,
overlook d. But if not done at tn,
right time and in a proper manner. i
had better be put off till spring. Thus
by blowing land early in the fall,
chance is given for weeds AMI grass t.
spring forth, particularly grass wher
sod is turned down, and especially
when that grass is quack or couch grass
In such case, unless the land is DlowcC
again in the spring, the grass and weed,
Will contend with the grain for the mas
terry. and too often successfully-alwa
in the case of quack-affording, besides
chance for the better ripening of the
seeds of the foul stuff.
Generally, if not always, land shou!c
be p!owed rather late in autumn, and
if there is much to pow, the work j:
continued, if the weather and condition
of the soil will adm t. The later the
blowing is done under such circum.
stances, the better, even should it eN.
tend into winter, which however is rare
here at the North. This gives the fresh
ground to the frost and the snow, with
no benefit to nOXious weeds and plants
AMI with the further advantage of the
freezing and thawing in the spring.
The difficulty with late blowing is that
the soil is apt to be wet, which, whether
corrected by the frost or no., makes un.
pleasant work. This is less the case
with sandy soil, or wcll-dra ned CAV
loan; but with clay soil. retaining it
water long, and packed in blowing, OF
hard and tenacious, it is not only un.
pleasant, but in some cases hurtful, n,
when packed by Il heavy weight of snow
during the winter, with little or no froSi
10 relieve it, the spring freezing anc
.hawing do not penetrate sufficiently to
benefit much. II will take long for suct
soil to dry, and then the harrow will,
skip over 1t, making little impression
What can be expected from such n con.
1ition of the land? If plowed again
he chances often are not much better
breaking up rough and wet below where
1t rests on the subsoil.
We used to pillow such soil the first in
The fall, when it was the drieSt, or de.
Ter the blowing till spring, or, if toe
late to put in, prepare it for buckwheat.
In no case should. the porous texture of
the soil be sacrificed, and clay of all
soils is the most subject TO injury of this
KIND, the harm usually being done liz
the fall and spring. With proper man.
ngement, fall blowing may be made tc
improve the texture of the soil through
the action of the frost. as when thrown
to the air in a comparatively dry anG
open condition, so that the elements.
have free play with it, the spring viii
ind 1t mellowcr than the pillow left it in
the fall, and in a condition for early
sowing. This should be done in time.
as by deferring it rains may occur anC
pack the sol, and rs clay parts SLOWLY
with its water, may make the sowing
late, or defeat it altogether. 1t should
therefore by all means be done as soor
as the ground will allow, even if quite
early, and all the more where the sol
Jacks drainage. The grain will Their
get the start of the weeds, and if the
soil is good. stand a chance to keep it
for one of the principal difficulties with
fall blowing is the advantage it gives
to weeds and grass.-F. e., in Countr,
Gentleman.