Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-05-21


II has bsen assumed that the culture
Of FAX Is very exhaustive to the land.
This theory has been widely held by
farmers everywhere, yet the insestiga-
tons that have been carried on by the
government for the past few years show
conclusiyely that. like many popular
theories, there is nothing to IL. The
Idea that fax was exhaustive evidently
arose from the fact that II grows bes;
on virgin soil, and because in a few
years the soil on which fax has beer
repeatedly grown will no longer give e
good fax crop without heavy dressing,
The hasty conclusion was formed that
this was the result of soil exhaustion.
The true reason Is that the fax crop
must obtain about all of It's food in
sixty days. and therefore can use only
what plant food Is already prepared in
the soil at time OF heavy growth.
part OF this food is nitrogen, which Is
most abundant in new soils. If the
max be grown on the same soil for a
number OF years the ready prepared nj
trogen is partly exhausted and the fax
crop fails TO that extent.
The facts stated show that fax should
be grown only In rotation; that in that
rotation should be clover. The clover
VIII provide the soil with goodly sup
ply OF nitrogen and may we'll be fol-
lowed In the rotation by fax. This ro-
tation should be somewhat long. say
iiYe, six or seven years. 1t takes that
time for the old fax roots. stubble and
straw. II It be put back on the land.
70 rot, and 1t is necessary that all OF
these be thoroughly rotted before new
crop is attempted For some reason or
other old fax nnrotted In the soil seems
10 produce something that is detrimen-
tai TO new crop of fax. Just what
chemical action this decaying straw
has is not yet determined.
The rotations for fax should be 30
arranged as TO free the soil from weeds.
This would make II necessary to throw
some hoed or cultivated crop between
the clover and the fax, as putting fax
directly on top of the turned clover sod
might make good deal OF trouble with
weeds In the fax. The potato crop Ia
considered good one for this purpose
and is more or less used In that way.
As to soils. loan well supplied with
humus is preferred. Fall blowing is
best, unless the spring blowing can be
done 30 early that there will be no un-
rotted hbres In the soil at time OF the
sowing Of the FAX. Prepare the seed
bed thoroughly, as the short season OF
growth makes II necessary to have the
ground In such fine condition that the
rootlets can work freely and easily. The
time TO SOW is about that OF corn, or a
time when the latter will terminate
easily. The seed Is covered by the har-
row. II the ground is rolled the roller
should be followed by the harrow te
break up the crust formed.
| As to amount of seed sown much
care must be taken. II seed only Ii
wanted. Of course, the sowing should be
light II fibre is wanted, enough seed
must be sown so that the plant viii MOI
branch much, as the more II branches
the less likely Is IL TO have a long, un-
broken fibre. II sown close the stems
run up far without branching and thil
gives nice long fibre. For seed thres
pecks will do, but for fibre II will b.
necessary 10 SOW two or more bushels
to the acre.