The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-08-21

~ 80 80
No sooner are the small spring grains,
barIy and oats, harvested thar It is
time 10 commence preparations for fall
seeding. No sooner, after the barly
has bess hauled from the Geld, blowing
TIE stuhble is commenced, the better;
an tle same is trne OF oats, provided
r whsss IS 70 follow those crops.
- It sa little unfortunate that the
preparation Of saed-beds for wheat
mast eommence in the hottest and IN
usually the driest time Of the year.
when teams must suffer most from heat
and flies and the ground IS so dry that
e it is very difficult blowing it the proper
depth, and when it is very likely to
break into hard Jumps. But there
seems to be no alternative. If the stub.
bic is left until near seeding time it
may be still harder and insufficient time
is left to complete the proper comminu-
tion and compaetion OF the soil before
seeding.
If proper preparation of the ground
was made for spring seeding IT viii be.
less difficult preparing it for wheat II
the ground. when well dried out, was
plowed deep ard finely pulveriZed it
will neither be 80 hard nor so lumpy
as If plowed while too wet, plowed shall
low and left in clods. Slovenly, negr-
gent preparation for one crop increases
the labor OF preparation for subsequent
crops. No farmer can afford to slight
the preparation for any crop, for the
crop sighted will fail to pay the cost Of
indifferent culture and the cost of fol-
lowing crops is increased. If a farmer
cannot properly prepare the ground for
the seasonable sowing nor planting of
one crop, he had better omit the crop
entirely and let the ground lie in fall
low until it is time to prepare for the
next crop.
II the ground was plowed deep for
barley OF oats, it will not be necessary
TO plow the stubble very deep; because
If has:been decided by the best practical
farmers. from long experience, that it
is not best to make the lower soil mel
low for seed-bed for wheat, but if the
upper two OF three inches is fine and
mellow it is better to have that below
pretty firmly cOmpacted. 1t is best to
have the wheat roots collect their food
near the surface in autumn. 4 mass
of fine roots, near the surface will rise
and fall with the expansion and con
traction of the soil in freezing and
thawing, without being hoven out upon
the surface. whereas, if the wheat roots
deep in autumn, the roots will be broken
of by the expansion and the crowns
viii die. And here, we think, may be
found an explanation of the wonderful
effects of phosphatcs, some seasons, in
preventing winter killing. The phOs-
Phate, drilled in with the seed. causes
the growth of a mat of roots near the
surface.
In view Of these considerations. the
stubble should be turned under as soon
as possible after the harvest is gathered.
and then time viii be afforded TO con-
pact the lower strata of the soil and pull
verize the upper, by means Of roller, bar
row, gang-plow, cultIvator. &c, before
seeding time arrives.
In regard to the area il viii be advis
able for farmers to SOW to wheat, this
fall, we would say that we think they
had better SOW that which comes in III,
regular rotation, provided it eau be
well prepared. Wheat has not paid
very well for the last two or three years.
nor haye other crops as for that, but
next year may bring a change. We do
not believe it best to abandon any staple
crop because it has not done we'll for
two OF three years, unless conditions
nave so changed that there is little
probability Of its paying in the future
prepare the seed bed well, SOW in sea
son, good, plump, clean wheat of the
most profitable varieties; SOW with phOs-
pilates if experience has shown that they
will pay on your soil, or top-dress With
fine barnyard manure; do the best you
possibly can, and await patiently the
action Of Natures forces to accomplish
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