The Dickinson press., 1899-05-13

hence allows water to evaporate from
It rapidly. It also increases the sur
face exposed to the air by throwing
the ground into ridges, and by this
means increases the rate Of .evapora.
ton of the moisture from it. The soil
should be loosened as soon as 1t is dry
enough to work without baking after
each rain which falls during the time
for corn cultivation. A rain causes
the surface of the soil to run together
and re-establishes capillarity, and thus
allows it to lose not only the moisture
which came in that rain, but much Of
the deeper water which has been
stored for later use. Agricultural stu
dents at the college spend much time
in a study Of the laws governing the
movement of the water in soil, and Ire
usually surprised to learn that during
q dry time, a light rainfall may cause
a loss Of not only the water which the
rain brought, but also that from the
soil which was stored in it before the
rain fell.
Austrian Bronze Grass, also called
Hungarian Bronze Grass and Arrow.
less Bronze Grass, Is a native Of Rus
sia. This grass was introduced into
the United States from Russia by the
government experimental stations, and
Is proving q most excellent grass fer
this state. 1t produces good crops OF
hay for three and four years, and also
yields an abundant supply Of after.
math, or second growth. At the end q
its period of usefulness for hay, four
Of five years after sowing, 1t yields Q
good supply for pasture. The hay 10 Of
good quality, perhaps about equallinS
timothy. The seed is expensive at the
present time, but must, when the u
try is once stocked, become cheap, az Il
yields 200 to 300 pounds Of seed pe1
acre. 1t requires twenty pounds of the
seed for an acre of ground. The plant
resists drouth we'll, and at the same
time does well on moist land. 1t With
stands the rigors Of our winters, and
has not been killed even by dry, severe,
snowless winters, such as North Dako-
ia experienced in 1897 and 1898. 1t 10
native to the Interior region of Russia,
where it is grown in an extensive way
and very successfully. That region 10
a plain, similar in many ways to our
own. The climate is dry and the aiH
carries a small percentage Of moisture.
as does our own. Their winters are
more rigid than our own, and their soil
: not diSsimilar, NIL of which points prob
. ably favor the acclimatization and sue.
t cess of the grass here. From the most
I practical and conclusive Of all argu-
: ~ments-actual trial in almost every
! district Of the state, with universal
good reports, we have the strongest
z testimony in its favor. Our Canadian
friends on the north have given it an
e even longer and more extensive trial
4 than we have, and report it the most
successful grass which they have found
for the provinces of Manitoba and Al.
sinaboine. The Minnesota and South
Dakota experimental stations, and, In
fact, the experimental stations of the
Western states, agree in giving this
grass first place for semi-arid regions
of the West, where Irrigation Is not
practicable. Seed it without a nurss
crop. Sow 1t broadcast and harrow II
in thoroughly. The universal testimo'
ny is that 1t does not succeed well with
nurse crop. Now the weeds off aboul
four or five inches high once during tho
frst season. If the stand looks very
poor the first fall, do not plow 1t under
as 1t will thicken up surprisingly thu
next spring. No crop will be obtained
the first season, although a little pastur
ing the fall of that year will not injurs
1t. 1t can be seeded as early in thu
spring as wheat is sown.
! The common practice of Westerl
farmers has been to break prairie LIANT
as shallow as the plow will run-abou
three to four inches deeI-in June, af
ter the grasses have started well AM
before they have approached maturity
That stage seems to be the most tende
one for grasses. In the fall, /. e., afte
September, it Is usually back-sct, Q
plowed again, the burrows being rul
4 In the same direction as before. q
I which time the grass which has bee
d plowed over when in a succulcnt form
d the previous June, is well rottcd, an
y the soil, while still tough, has PARTIAL
II disintegrated and decayed. The follow
Il ing spring will find the soil still we,
III tied together with the undccaycd root
III Of the prairie grasses. The liberal ua
a Of the disc or acme harrow, followe
81 by the peg-toothed harrow, will put th
81 land into very fair shape. The Ian
vi will produce n good crop Of wheat Q
4 ether small grain the first season ate
vi = 40 law " "SSuS, al
VI will yield a good crop of clean flax, an
III IS often proftably used for that pul
VI pose. The following season finds th
u soil in splendid condition for a whea
q or. in fact, any crop which it is desire
to grow. The practice of breaking til
"a land in the EARLY spring can be 70
lowed If desired. When that is don
1t can be seeded to flax at once, an
will produce a fair yield Of very clea
y, Eeed. The crop of flax is expected
e cover the cost of breaking the Ian,
When the flax crop is taken off til
is land is back-set, and Is ready for whet
the following spring. The liberal lis
a of the disc, followed by the pcg-toothe
ed harrow, is a great assistance in pr
m pairing the sod for a crop of grail
It. Prairie sod which has bccn pasture
close until 1t is nearly killed out.
NO much more raadi1y suhdupd and WI