The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-10-24
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The Summer FaIIow,

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The Summer FalIow.
How much value has the summer
tallow? We find this question that
has received the attention of agricul-
trlsts for thousands of years and yet
is being fercely contested, at least
IN certain parts of the agricultural
world. AS long ago as Bible days
the matter was one claiming attention
and one Of the prophets chided the
people for not permitting their land to
rest. The summer fallow was prac-
tlced in those far distant times. This
IS perhaps what has given the sum-
mer talloW such reputation. Until
the last generation the tillers of soil
on the American continent believed
the tallow to be good thing. Later
agricultural science, however, has de-
clared against it quite generally, but
not universally.
In most Of our humid states the
students of agriculture and of agricul-
tural conditions have come to believe
that the summer fallow is always a
bad thing; that leaving the land ex-
posed to the sun burns up the humus
IN the immediate surface layer Of
SOIL, and this is undoubtedly the case.
Our best experimenters declare that
a crop of weeds is far better for
land than to leave it bare, that the
SOIL may DO preserved in a loose,
moist, friable condition and the humus
be saved. This shading is also favor.
able to the development Of soluble
nitrates in the soil, which later are
used by the crops.
1t was, therefore, with a good deal
OF surprise that on visit to Western
Canada the writer found the summer
fallow not only in common and gen
eral use but enjoying most enviable
reputation as a cause of abundant
crops. In fact, summer fallow is now
practiced all the way from Manitoba
west to the Rocky Mountains, being in
general use in the province named.
Even such man Of reputation as J.
Obed Smith, the Commissioner of I'M
migration at Winnipeg, declared to
the writer that the farmers Of the
Northwest territories did not know
how to farm there till they discovered
the great use of the summer fallow.
The land is permitted to lie fallow one.
third OF the time. A piece of land
is plowed in June and after the sod
has rotted it Is "backset," the last of
August or the first of September.
The next spring it is sown, to, say
wheat. A crop is taken off that fall
and the next spring crop Of wheat
is drilled on the stubble without plow-
ing and second crop of wheat is har-
vested that fall. The land is summer
fallowed the next year.
Why this treatment should result
IN good crops we were not able to
learn, nor were the farmers them.
selves able to give a good reason. It
is interesting to note that in Mani
toba few of the most successful
FARMERS have begun vigorous war
against the summer fallow. There
are farmers in that province who re-
gard the summer follow as a fallacy
and have raised magnificent crops
without it. Quite number of these
men make their voices heard at the
farmers Institutes and through their
local agricultural papers. 1t may be
that this practice will be found to be
without value. It must, however, be
remembered that at the experiment
station at Indian Head, Assiniboia,
the summer fallow idea is believed in
and practiced. We saw magnificent
field of wheat there growing entirely
without manure, and it was the
twentieth crop without manure.