Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-10-30
Cleaning the Land.

Farmers have been getting '.line upon
line" on the treatment Of foul land.
having been told thai the only success
fhl way is by working the soil: yet they
continue TO ask how to exterminate
weeds The great bugbear in the case
Is the labor to be spent on the land,
which prevents them from employing
the only thorough available means. and
so the weeds continue TO increase. foul
ing the land with the seed that they
shed. and that is sOwn with the grain
LOoK at the soil of such farms, and it
will be found that It is generally in
bad state, particularly where clay pre-
vaiis. Il IS harsh and lumpy AMI. in \
drOuth. becomes hard and cracked.
Flowing il in the fall IS considered 4
remsiy, and il helps; il gets but one
blowing. which merely turns il without
breaking and mixing it up. which it
particularly needs. Perhaps it was
never subjected to such treatment.
which is all the worse for H.
The main Joint in farming is work
bestowed on the soil; yet we are shun-
ning il as much As we can. and the re-
suit is that We lessen the yield OF graiu
and grass, and favor the weeds.
By single stroke this may be re-
versed. the land made clean and far
more productive. II is not done by the
one plowing in the fall. though tine ef-
feet Of the srost is benefit: il = done
by frequent plow ng during the SIM
mer. the heat and rains be NJ OF moro
benefit than the frost. rs then the chem
ical aud mechanical action favor one
another, 10 this may be added the bene-
tit Of fal blowing, where the land Is
rough. and has been much abused. Tn
treatment will secure not oniy mel
low surface. but the body OF the sol
will be wei pulverized and mellow
throughout. IN the condition of a ga
den. only il will be better. as il 5
cleaner. The weeds have ceased TO
take nourishment from the soil. and
now themselves form food for the crops
TO be raised. besids helping in their de-
cayed-state TO improve the mechanical
condition. aud the capacity for retain
inc moisture and fertility such a sol
wili grow any of the grains. and at hrst
without manure. unle-s IN verg poor
soil. and the crops will be AL grain-no
weeds 10 share il with the grain OF the
grass that IS to follow. Inueed the soil
i now in 4 better condition than ever
before. more easily worked, realiz-
ing more profit on what is raised Tbs
is experience. and there are no eXcep-
tions To ii where the work Is properly
done. which means plOwing. cultivat-
ing aud narrowing often enough at
somewhat regular intervals 10 keep the
weels from seeing the light. in which
case they arc smothered. and after that
90 TO improve the soil, otherwise. II al
lowed to show above ground. ttey viii
grow all the bert T IN the improved soil
Ali the implements should q used
piow, culfivator and harrow plOw
to turn back the weeds aud grasses that
are pushing toward the surface; II this
sense II becomes n necessity; ii also nj 5
in mixing the soil. the eultlvsiOr being
the chief means of doing this neediul
work-need nj. as il displaees the par
ticles OF soil aEd puts them in new en-
tact, securing thus new and enlarged
chemical combinations The WORK Of
the harrow IS confined to the surface.
and is important. not so much in timing
the soil ~ in exposing and destroying
SprOuting weed seeds Our land IS cry
ing for relief from the weeds. and it
can be afforded only by ca.e!ully, thor
Oaghy working the soil in the way in
dicaied- Avoid working il when wet
IL is nOw n good time TO pl6w the land
deeper il it re i4ires il. as il generally
does. for deep sol Is better than
shallow. AMI. il well pulverized through
out. will withstand our drOuths the
better. and the better dispose OF the
surface water. Let the first few plOw-
ings be n little deeper. say an inch or
two At plOwing. The action of the
elements and the work Of the imple-
meats in mixing and exposing TO the
air. viii in the course Of the season.
change stscharacter anu develop its fer
tlity. making new soil. and lasting if
care is taken with il. which must done
with all so Is. including the best. OF shere
viii be deterioration.
Thus. by us NJ the means for clean
ing the land. the other equally import
ant benefit of Improving the soil IS also
secured, il is following the land in the
highest degree. which IS Ear in advance
of the usual treatment OF the fallOw.
and which alone will realize the highest
results IL is true that the tax. the in
terest on the land and the labor are lost
for tie time, but the increase yield aft
erward will soon make up the loss. with
promise for the future This promise
can only be realized by keeping the
weeds sub ugated. which Is not difficult.
IL NAV lie done with hoed crops. and "
employing the harrow occasionally on
grain fields. before the grain Is sOwu
and after il IS up and has made some
growth. This work. whether before
the grain is sOwn or after. has the two
fold benefit of improving ths texture of
the surface soil and keeping the land
clean No sensible farmer viii deny
this. and vet how little It Is done,
Then there IS another aiG that IS be-
ginning to be employed; il IS the sOwisg
OF stubble land after the cop has bcen
reno ed. By working the soil. and
keeping il covered with n crop OF some
st~ong-grOwing plant to shade the
gTOgnd. Ike buekwheat or peas. each Of
which is rich in feTtilizing material. and
this crop turned down in the sail or
spring-5y adopting this course :he en-
SrOachment OF weeds is prevented and
the sol made mellowcr and enriched
These various supplementary means 20
far toward keeping the land clean Al
annual weeds may thus be destroyed and /
prevented from Oeeu wing the land but
the rest require more thorough treat
ment- COuHfTg GeniicHllH-