The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-01-07
FOR THE FARMERS.
Some Interesting News for the
Ruralist
SPOKEN OF IN THIS COLUMN.
\ Few Sensible Hints to Suit the Busy
decentralization That May
Benefit our Readers.
Summer FaIloMinr.

be, summer tillage for cereals, as till
age means culture and preparing OF
land, and the definition of culture is to
till, tC improve; while fallow means
LETT untitled. To my mind, what is
termed summer following, is one Of
the best ways Of tilliDg and cultivat-
ing. What | will say on this subject
will be from limited experience, as
the farmers Of this valley commenced
with a virgin soil and have not felt till
of late years that any but the old plan
was necessary. But, if there is any
class that needs to be looking about for
some means of making their business
more profitable, it is the grain ranch
ers of Southern California. They are
in about the same condition as the boy
who was breaking a colt The colt
commenced to buck and his father
called to him to jump off. The boys
reply was "How can fellow jump
off when il is all he can do to stick
on No doubt, most of the 1anchers
would he glad to try something else if
they could let go, but, as a general
thing, they have reached the point
where about all they have left is their
farming outfit, and there is no show TO
get rid Of that. but to sell at a great
sacrifice, which would leave them very
little to engage in any other business.
| think the best thing to do is to stay
with it, and try thorough system of
summer following.
| have had experience in small
way, that is with small pieces of
ground. One piece planted to beets,
it was too late, so there was no crop,
but the ground was in the same condi-
ton as summer fallow. The next year
planted the same land to barley, and
got more than double the amount
took from land alongside that had been
in grain the year before.
have. always found that where land
has been planted to potatoes, or some
such crop. and planted to grain the
next year, the yield is much better
than where it is grained year after
year.
There are two ways of summer fall
lowing; one is to pillow early and after
vegetation has started, plow again, and
the growth that is turned under will
help as fertilizer. The other plan is
\ to pillow later in the season and make
one blowing do. One objection to late
blowing is that if you have large
tract to break, the ground is liable to
become dry and hard before it is fin
ished. l think the first way the best
Some advocate narrowing once or twice
during the summer to help retain the
moisture. There are several reasons
why summer fallow will produce a
better crop than where it is put in
grain ever year.
In the first place, it gives the land
a rest and clears it of weeds, and ex-
posing the soil to the sunlight and air
seems to cause kind of chemical
action which revives some of the ele-
ments i'll the soil that are necessary to
plant growth. As | said my expert
ence in this line is rather limited, but
| have seen enough to convince me that
about double the crop will be harvested
from land titled in this way as com.
pared with the old method
If that is the case, it has several
points in its favor. Take tract OF
land and SOW half to grain and summer
fallow the other half; the next yeal
sow your summer fallow and pillow the
other piece and let it stand idle. You
will do the same amount of blowing
but it will take but half the seed anu
there will be but half the land to cut
over: besides, you will have the salts
faction of having a good crop, and il
will be likely to be of better quality
If you will permit little depression
: | will say that | think it is goot
plan to change from wheat to barley
and from barley to wheat, and not SOW
the same kind of grain ON the same
: land every year. l have changed that
way with good results. Where yor
sow barley year after year, on the same
: land, it seems to exact the soil of
certain element necessary to its growth
but not so essential to the growth o.
: wheat; by changing you give the sol
l chance to regain the lost element
Some will object to it ON account o.
getting barley in the heat. Pillow after
the barley is sprouted, and you will
, kill most of it and the difference il
yield will more than make up for it
Most of us know that grain raising hal
been losing game, but it is my opin
ion that summer following or summer
. tillage will prove prominent facto
in solving the problem of how to max,
grain raising profitable in Southern
, California.-Read before the San ia
] cinto Valley horticulture Club, No
> vember Z, 1896, by Samuel Black.
Care of Poultry.
Those who succeed best with poultr,
are those who study carefully the law
, of nature regarding fowls and thei