Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-02-23
PREPARATION OF SOIL.
Notes from the Diary of Successful
Michigan Farmer.

NoteS from the Diary OF q successful
Michigan Farmer.
My experience has been on CLAW and
clay loan mixed with sand. in latitude
forty-two. Other latitudes may require
different modes. or different system
of farming.
For spring wheat, oats and barley 1
have the best success by blowing Che
ground the preceding autumn or eeriy
winter, having the surface drainage as
perfect as possible, sowing spring
wheat or oats as early the follow ing
spring as the weather will permit. IF
the seed is to be sowed with q drill 1
thoroughly work the surface OF the
ground about two inches deep. making
it as fine and loose as can but leaving
the bottom part of the plowed ground
solid. the two inches of loose earth be-
ing sufficient to fall over the seed be-
hind the drill tubes and cover the seed.
When the plants are about two ,or
three inches high 1 prefer using the
roller to make the ground firm, making
the growing grain stand up better for
the harvest.
Barley L sow after the same prepare
ton of the ground, when the coolest
weather of spring is past.
With peas L have the best success by
blowing the ground in the spring a
short time before / wish to SOW, pre-
ferring sod turned under or down, pull
verified thoroughly with disk harrow,
following disk harrow with cultivator
and common floating harrow, and drill
as soon after blowing as possible in
order to prevent grass or weeds getting
the start of the peas. When the plants
are about one or two inches high, roll.
L have the best success with corn
planted on sod plowed down in the
spring, thoroughly pulverized with disk
harrow, and repeatedly cultivated and
narrowed with spring-toothed cultiva-
tor and common floating harrow, as 1
lind can save a good deal of time by
thoroughly working the ground before
planting.
For potatoes L find by experience
that deep and careful blowing in the
spring, with but little cultivation of
the ground to prepare it for the plant
er. leaving it in loose. mellow or
porous condition, gives me the best
results: the less potato ground is
packed or trampled in its preparation
the better for the crop.
For fall wheat a thoroughly summer
fallowed field has always given me the
best yield, to prepare which 1 begin as
soon as my spring planting and seeding
is done, by drawing barnyard manure
and spreading evenly over the ground
on what 1 consider the poorest places
in the field. if I have not enough to
cover the whole. I then plow as soon
as possible after spreading, trying to
cut and turn every inch OF the ground,
then roll, harrow and cultivate, letting
no weeds or grass grow. Repeat the
cultivating and working the surface
until two or three weeks before seed
ing, then plow again, laying the field
out in beds or lands in such manner as
to secure the best drainage, but not
raise the middle of the bed or lands,
keeping them as level as possible.
Plow carefully, turning all of the
ground, then roll, cultivate shallow,
and endeavor to get the bottom of the
plowed ground as solid as possible; this
prevents the freezing and thawing
during the winter, throwing the plants
out of the ground. 1 make sure of
having a sufficient amount of loose
earth on the surface to cover the seeds
and retain moisture for gernin atom
j. NJ. Halstead, in Farm, Field and
Fireside.