The Yale expositor., 1903-09-18
The Summer Fallow.

How much value has the summer
tallow? We dnd this n question that
has received the attention OF agricul.
trists for thousands OF years and yet
Is being Gercely contested. at least
in certain parts OF the agricultural
world. As long ago as Bible days
the matter was one claiming attentio,,
aud one Of the prophets chided the
people for not permitting their land 20
rest. The summer fallow was prac.
ticed In those far distant times. This
Is perhaps What has given the sum.
mer fal!Ow such reputation. Until
the last generation the tillers OF soil
on the American continent believed
the falow 90 be a good thing. Later
agricultural scierce. however. has de
clared against Il quite generally. but
not universally
In most OF our humid states the
students OF agriculture and OF agricul.
ural conditions have come 90 believe
hat the summer fallow s. always a
bad thing that leaving the land OK.
posed 20 the sun burns up the humus
Ia the immediate 81 face layer OF
soil. .ui this Is undoubtedly the case.
Cur best cXpcrimcnters declare that
a crop OF weeds Il far better for
land than 10 leave II bare. that the
ao'! ma be preserved In "A loose.
moist. fr.l1ic condition AMI the humus
be- saved. This shading is also favor.
Il,e % tho development Of soluble
...I,Ss in the soil. whicA later are
l5-l b. the c-3rs.
I. was thor-t-.c. WI 4 good deaf
Of surprise that on q visit % Western
Canada The writer found thc summer
fal'3w not only In common and gen
erli use bat enjoy ing e most enylable
reputation al a cause of abundant
@. IL fact summer flilow IS now
r-1-,.cel al The way from Manitoba
vest % tho Rocky Mountains, being In
general use In thr province named
LvsI such a man of reputation as J..
Oh"t Smith. the Commissioner OF I'm.
.n'sgdt.oa az Winnipeg. declared To-
,a, writer that the farmers OF the
Northwest territories did not know
how 20 farm there till they discovered
The great use OF the summer fallow
The land IS permitted 10 lie failow one
third ot the time. a piece OF land
Is plowed In Juno and after the sod
has rottei II is "backset," the last Of
August or the first OF September
Tho next spring II Is sown. TO. say
wheat. A crop Is taken OF that fall
and the next spring a crop OF wheat
rs drilled on the stubble without plow.
ing and A second crop OF wheat is har
vested that fall. The land is summer
fa.!owed the next year
Why this treatment should result
in good crops we were not able to
learn nor were the farmers them.
selves able 90 give a good reason. IL
Is interesting % note that In Man.
toba a few of the most successful
farmers have begun a vigorous war
against .hc simmer fallow. There
arc farmers In that province who re.
Elrd the summer follow as a fallacy
and have raised magnificent crops
without A. Quite a number OF these
men make their voices heard az the
farmers Institutes and through their
local agricultural papers. Il may be
that this practice will be found 20 be
without value II must. however, be
remembered that az the experiment
station az indian Head Assinibola.
the summer fallow idea Is believed IN
and practiced. We saw a magnificent
deid OF wheat there growing entirely
without manure. and 70 was the
tvcatleth crop without manure.