The Grit-advocate., 1905-11-10

arid. To successfully grow crops in
such regions requires careful study
of soil and climatic conditions, with
selection Of crops as nearly adapted to
these conditions as possible. Even
when all requirements are seemingly
met, a failure is sometimes the only re-
suit. Experience, and experiments nj
ready conducted in many parts of our
| Nations semi-arid belt, demonstrate
that the preparation of soil reservoir
of good depth several months before
seeding, the thorough culture of this
ground before and after seeding, the
selection of suitable varieties of crops,
the seed of which is grown under dry
farming conditions. are essentials
which very largely determine success
in farming lands in Colorado where ir-
rigation can not be practiced.
The preparat ton of the soil reservoir
and seed beds calls for careful plowing,
narrowing and sub-surface packing.
1. Plowing-Jethro Tull nearly two
centuries ago said ''Tillage is manure"
Roberts Fertility says that stirring
and mixing the soil is. the one funda-
mental labor of agriculture The object
of plowing should be to pulverize the
soil, making it possible to prepare
good seed bed for the reception of the
various farm seeds. The depth to plow
must depend upon the time of plowing,
| the character of the soil and the crop
to be grown.
Shallow plowing is preferred for
shallow soils underlaid by an inferior
sub-soil lacking in plant food. Spring
ploWlnS for early crops should not be
as deep as fall plowing for the same
crops. Experiments have shown that
deep plowing of stiff or clayey, adobe
land in the spring turns up unworked
or new soil in which most of the plant
food is not availa Bile on account of the
mechanical condition of the ground.
Crops on lands thus plowed often make
an unfavorable growth. 1t is nearly al.
ways desirable to plow sandy and
sandy loan soils deep. since the plant
food contained in these soils is easily
available and the deep plowing brings
more plant food to the surface for the
tender young plant to feed upon, Civ
ing 1t sturdy growth at the start
All deep plowing is best done in the
summer or fall. This permits the
weathering of the soil. through the fall
and winter, making its mechanical tex
ture more desirable and the plant food
available. Deep plowing assists water
to percolate or pass through to lower
depths. Hence it increases the water
holding capacity of the soil most
important element in semi-arid farm
ing. The deeper the ploWing the
greater the soil reservoir. Experiments
conducted at the Cornell Experiment
Station, New York, by DR.. Roberts,
show that an acre of average soil in
good tilth will hold twenty to twenty
f1ve per cent. of moisture and not be
too moist for cultivation. 1t is esti-
mated that an acre of soil twelve
inches deep will weigh 1900 tons if
1t contains twenty per cent. of mois-
ture, 1920 tons if it contains eight per
cent. of mOisture-the amount upon
which plants are able to grow and
maintain themselves. Dr. Roberts says
that an inch of rainfall brings to each
acre III ZIG tons of water If this
could all be retained In average soil
it would mean almost I 3-5 per cent.
moisture, nearly enough to maintain
! plant growth. Well fined soil is ca
pable of taking up two inches of rain
fall in the first foot OF soil and still
be In good condition to cultivate. Sup
| pose that this soil is deeply plowed
and contains fifteen per cent. mOis-
| ture; an inch or a twoinch rain would
| find the soil reservoir able 10 hold it.
| If this ground We're shallow plowed,
| say four inches. an inch rain would sat
urate the reservoir. while a two-inch
, rain would overflow the soil reservoir,
| causing loss of water and severe
washing away of the surface soil. Deep
| plowing, therefore, increases the stor-
| age capacity OF moisture in our soils
| from which the plant draws as it has
need.
Good plowing gives a claan-cut fur
| row on side and bottom. 1t turns the
| inverted furroW slice upon edge in
moderately well pulverized condition
with but few air spaces at the bottom
| edge of the furrow slice. \ good coul-
| ter lessons draft and aids in making
a clean-cut fnrrow. Disking the
ground before blowing is advantageous
but increases the expense of preparing
| the seed bed.
| . A seed bed from one to three inches
deep can be prepared without plowing
| The young plants may grow. sturdy
at first, but if the soil is not in a physi-
cal condition to store the moisture nee
essary to dissolve the plant food and
render it available for the growing
plant. lack of nourishment will bring
it to an untimely end and the crop will
| prove a failure. Very successful crops
are grown this way. when the moisture
is supplied by ditch Or Sub-rriSation,
but it is always hazardous TO attempt
cropping without thorough tillage un.
der semiarid conditions
| A disc plow will often leave the soil
in good condition for the harrow
when the ground is too hard for mold
board plow to do satisfactory work.
| The drier the ground the more narrow
should be the furrow. whether the