Arizona republican., 1893-05-07
PREPARATION OF SOIL.

Notes from the Diary of success:ui
 Michigan Farmer.
 My experience has been on clay and clay loam mixed with sand, in latitude forty-two. Other attitudes may require different modes, or a different system of farming.
 For spring wheat, oats and barley have the best success by blowing the ground the preceding autumn or early winter, having the surface drainage as perfect as possible, sowing spring wheat or oats as early the following spring as the weather will permit If the seed is to be sowed with drill l 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- When the plants are about two or three inches high prefer using the roller to make the ground firm, making the growing grain stand up better for the harvest.
 Barley SOW after the same prepara- tion of the ground, when the coldest weather of spring is past
 With peas 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. verized 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 tine 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 I Ind can save good deal of time by thoroughly working the ground before planting.
 For potatoes 1 find by experience that deep and careful blowing in the spring, with but little cultivation of the ground to prepare it for the plant CT. leaving it in a loose, mellow or porous condition, gives me the best results; the less potato ground is packed or trampled in its preparat the better for the crop
 For fall wheat thoroughly summer fallowed field has always given me the best yield, to prepare which I begin as soon as my spring planting and seeding is done, by drawing barnyard manure and spreading evenly over the ground on what I consider the poorest places in the field, if have not enough to cover the whole. then blow 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 blow 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. Flow 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. I make sure of having sufficient amount of loose earth on the surface to cover the seeds and retain moisture for germination.- J. M. Halstead, in Farm, Field and Preside.