Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-11

should be cleaned, oiled, and stored
in q dry place; and equal care should
be given to harrows, tools, wagons,
and other farm machinery. Break
ing should not be done too late nor
too early in the season. From the
middle Of May to the middle Of July
is the best time, or, as I may say, the
only time when breaking should be
done. That done in the month Of
June is the best Shallow breaking
is the best, if no crop is wanted off
the sod. At no time should land be
broken deeper than three inches, as,
it broken deeper, it will not rot read
lily. Flowing, when wheat, oats, bar
ley, or other small grain is to be put
in, in the following spring, should be
done as early in the fall as possible.
For corn the ground must be plowed
in the early spring, as corn needs
loose ground. In my study of fall
blowing, I have noticed that ground
plowed early in the fall is better
rotted, is in better condition in the
spring, and will produce far more to
the acre than that plowed late in the
fall. For small grain it ought not to
be plowed less than six or eight
inches deep. This has been proven
in every case in which it has been
tried in this county.
My experience in putting in crops
so they will produce the most and so
they will best withstand all kinds of
weather, wet or dry, is to seed as
1searly in the spring as the ground is
dry enough to get in after the 10th
OF March. To begin earlier, even
though the ground was in fit condi-
ton, would be unsafe, as the grain
might sprout and freeze out. If the
land is very rough, it should be har-
rowed at least once with q Randolph
harrow or %pulverizer. Theland upon
which small grain is sown cannot be
worked too much. It should be har-
rowed. before being sown. After the
sowing, it should be gone over with
the pulverizer two or three times, and
afterwards once OF twice with a lever
harrow. It does not hurt wheat to
be worked till it comes out of the
ground, say from six to nine days
after seeding. The a why the
ground should be worked so much in
the spring is to thoroughly combine
the old soil with the subsoil, and to
open the ground to the action of the
air and moisture. It will not then
hurt it to stand from four to six
weeks without rain, and it will never
suffer from the drouth, Not less
than one and one-third bushels of
wheat should be sown to the acre.
The ground should not be cult
waited if wet. Never cultivate unless
the ground is dry in the seeding sea-
son. My experience with such cult
walton as l have described is as fol-
lows: I had three and one-third
acres by actual measurement, which
1 sowed to wheat of the Scotch Fife
variety. From this 7 thrashed 16s
bushels of wheat, machine measure,
being a yield of 1884 bushels oi
wheat to the acre. This land has
been broken shallow in the early part
of the previous June. It was then
plowed, in September following, tc
the depth of eight or nine inches
The following spring 1883 I sowed
four and one half bushels of wheat
on the three and one-third acres
broadcast. I then took a Randolph
harrow or pulverizer and went over
the ground thoroughly three times,
and then narrowed it twice. and the
return was 1853 bushels of as nice
wheat, No. 1 hard, as was ever seen.
l also had six acres of White Russian
oats that weighed 667 bushels, or
over Ill bushels per acre. It was
put in the same way as was the
wheat. 1t is best to change your
seed wheat on the same ground about
every two years, and always get your
new seed from the Northeast, If pos.
sible.
shall be very glad to comply with
your request and will give you occa-
sioual communications on Dakota
farming. Yours,
HENRY II. DETERMAN.
Miller, Nov. 26. 1883. .