The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1886-04-30
SEEDING.
A Paper read before the Traill County
Farmers Convention by d. W.
Sprague, OF tho Middle
Branch Farm

A Paper read before the Traill County
Farmers Convention by d. w.
Sprague, OF tho Middle
Branch Farm.
My experience in growing wheat is limited
as compared with many other members of this
convention.
And yet to the farmer who keeps his eyes
open, reads the papers, talks with his neigh
bors, and Is ambitious to excel in the occupa-
tton he has chosen, nature must have revealed
some Of the secrets of her vast treasure house.
He must have acquired an experience, and
collected mass Of facts, which are, at least,
an Introduction to one Of the most delightful
pursuits-to field Of knowledge so vast that
whole life Is too brief time In which to
master single department. Who has not
noticed the marked difference in the produc-
ton Of two fields Of grain, and who would not
at once conclude that the contrast was owing
to difference in the soil, difference in culti-
vation, or perhaps to both? This is, or should
be, the experience of all farmers.
And why is not one mans experience as val
liable as another's, providing he makes the
same use Of itP We are not willing to concede
that any one man knows it all. Each farmer
present has an experience of his own, and
which to him should be valuable.
The object of these meetings Is to compare
experiences that we may supplement our own
experience with that of others and thereby be
benefited.
have been asked to read a paper on seed
ing. The object Of the paper is simply to bring
the matter before the convention and have
no doubt you will be far more benefited In the
discussion that follows than in the paper itself.
The commissioner of statistics Of tho "Agri-
culture Bureau" at Washington gives the aver
age yield of wheat in this country as about IA
bushels per acre. This is m absurdly small
yield for new country and on lands such Us
ours-while in France and Germany, whose
people were running "wheat-headers'' before
the days Of Charlemagne, the average yield has
been from 28 to 81 bushels per acre. And in
England and Wales from 30 to 81 bushels per
acre.
While our averages in Minnesota and Dakota
are something more than IA bushels per acre,
yet it is far below what 1t should be-in fact
so low that there is llttle il any, profit in grow
ing wheat.
1t costs the average farmer from $S to $40
to raise an acre Of wheat. II he raises 20
bushels per acre at an average cost Of 50 per
acre md gets 70 cents per bushel, bis income
will be about $14, deducting the cost-$9-it
will leave profit Of SIS per acre. The farmer
who has 100 acres in crop would have profit
of $500. With family to support and needed
improvements to make, there is nothing left
and in such years as 1854, 1886, and up to the
present time in 1856, he would hnd himself
sadly in arrears.
Now then, is it not possible to so culvate our
farms that instead Of a profit Of IS per acre, q
profit Of from 81 to $40 per acre may be real
ized.
1st-Drainage. Living between the two
branches Of the Goose river, have observed
this one fact, viz: That the finest crops OF
wheat in our section are invariably raised on
the slopes and broken lands in close proximity
to the river. Why is this? Simply because
the land is drained early in the spring of ita
surplus surface water, thus admitting Of early
tillage, and avoiding one Of the conditions to
which our fiat lands are subject, viz: cold
and wet seed bed for tho grain.
What is to be done? Nine-tenths Of thu
lands In the Red River Valley are low and fiat
They should be drained. I do not believe i
possible to obtain the best results from the sol
of this valley without some system Of draining
It is not expected, nor would it be wise 70
us at present, to 60 to the expense Of unde
draining ourIands with tile and blind ditches-
similar to those in England and in many Of til
older states. But instead-good, broad an,
frequent dead burrows, bitches along the roat
side, one or two burrows plowed along th,
lowest part Of depression, an occasional epeI
ditch-in fact the quickest and easiest way *
get a channel that will take of the surface
watar in the spring.
If the soil is we'll drained, air and moisture
will pass through it freely-the roots Of plants
will run down and spread themselves ou
without hindrance, in search of nourishment.
| 2nd.-Deep Cultivation. This il one of tht
essentials towards securing large crop. 1
makes the soil retain moisture in dry time
and allows the surplus water to pass of readi
| ly in wet season. Geologists claim thatath,
Red River Valley is the bed of an old sea. Th,
fne compact silt which forms our soil, resem
ples deposits found only in the bottoms of rivers
lakes, etc. 1t is so compact and solid tha
when root seeks to penetrate below the plow
line, 1t soen becomes exhausted and hasn't tht
vitality left to furnish to tho plant above
What nourishment is supplied comes from tn,
surface soil, which in few years becomes
exhausted. The subsoil plow has worked mir
acles in the farming Of the eastern states ant
Of England. Why can we not use it to advan
tage here? 1t is not necessary nor desirable
that the subsoil be brought to the surface, bu
let the subsoil plow follow the other plow ant
loosen from two to four inches more of soil
but not bring it to the surface. It can b,
brought to the surface the following year b!
the stubble plows and 1t will make excellen
soil for grain.
Now We cannot subsoii all our wheat land
in one year. Suppose a farmer having 10
acres crop should subsoil 20 acres each yea,
In five years he will have gone over the Who'll
piece. The beneficial effects Of subsolling ar
seen for several years. This is practical an
what we shall have to come to sooner or late
subsoiling will allow the roots Of the plan
to penetrate several inches deeper than in o.
binary blowing, thus bring up more nourisl
ment, besides tiding the crop over in case
drought. Until the subsoil plows are used, "
should make it point to bring an inch Of free
soil to the surface with each pIewing, until
depth Of, at least, eight inches is reached.