The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-03-20
CULTURE Of NSEnLiHDS.
The Dust Blanket Nuleh Method Explained
By Nebraska Farmer
The Same System Could Be Profitable
PFactieed Here In Sherman County
Under Like Conditions.

when once gained, is very easy to I'M
part to others, as it can be proved to
any intelligent farmer by their own ex-
psrience and observations, writes a
Hastings. Neb., farmer to Western Soil
Culture. find, in talking with them,
that they have all done some parts Of
che work in system which, had it been
followed out complete. would have pre-
vented such a thing as a failure Of
corn crop during the past 20 years, not
even excepting the disastrous one Of
1894. That would, perhaps, have been
small, but still enough for our actual
wants.
will try and tell in detail how the
fell producing limit of our corn lands
could have been reached the past sea
son. In this vicinity all admit that We
had rainfall enough, if it had been dis
tributed at the right time. We had a
good rain in February which left our
land with plenty Of moisture for early
corn blowing. Right here we must
commence our work of saving what we
have, which, had it been done, we would
have not needed any more until after
our generous rains commencing May
81. Our farmers ali know that when
commencing to pillow for corn it was at
first quite moist, buff they had a large
field, before they had been at work
many days it commences to cry out,
aud some have told me they just quit
before finishing the field.
Now, to have an easy blowing all
through and saved the moisture you
had, and which was needed so badly be-
fore it came: First, before commencing
TO pillow, run the disc over the ground,
not necessarily very deep, then go over
with harrow. You now have a mulch
that will retain moisture for timejust
as well as though you had covered the
ground with straw foot deep. It has
been done quickly and at a small ex-
pense Of labor. Now you can go on with
your blowing, and put your mulch on
the ground plOWed every night before
leaving the field. This is of course
done with the harrow. We continue
this for a week, then we know our
mulChing of dust blanket needs renew
ing. Nature has nearly completed her
work of connecting the capillaries We
have broken with the service. When
that is done we will commence to lose
our moisture. We now go over it with
our harrow and break them off again.
We will continue this work both be-
fore and after the pillow, and find when
finished, our field in shape for the seed
with nearly all the moisture, We have
nearly enough to terminate our seed
and keep it growing for some time.
No moisture can escape US if We keep
our mulch on. You can control that
as we'll as the weeds with the harrow.
Keep right on at work with that imple-
ment just as long as you can. Some
Illinois farmers have told me they have
narrowed their corn until it was from
ten to twelve inches in height. have
also found two men who did the same
thing here with good results. One of
them worked IS acres of corn alone,
kept if free from weeds and his yield
was 90 bushels per acre.
Your corn by this time is too large
for the harrow. Now commence with
the surface cultivator. You have had
good supply of rain and have plenty
of moisture which lasts until you come
to lay the corn by. Now comes the
critical time. The hot sun of July and
August drinks up the moisture Won
derfully fast unless checked. I have
failed to find a farmer who did not say
that at this time he had all the moist
ure that he needed.
We now have the corn stalks all right.
We have been careful Of the roots none
Of which have been eut. They are
spread all over the ground and are in
shape and willing to carry all the moist
ure needed to protect the plant, even
with a remarkably hot wind to contend
with. But you must save the moisture
for the roots to carry. This is easily
done. You know it is there, with only
one way to escape, except what goes to
make the corn. You know that as soon
as those little capillaries connect with
The surface out goes your moisture.
You must break them again. Take any
kind Of tool that will stir the surface
and 60 through the rows. It is light
work but perhaps a little warm. No
matter, it must be done. You are now
putting on The ears, and good, big ones.
There would have been no enubbins"
in that field. You have found out ma
lures laws and followed them faith
fulfy. There could have been but one
result. There is no part of this work
but what can be done by any farmer in
.ha vast No ma hos an.,o III IL