The Ordway new era., 1905-11-10

openings Mt the DOttOm cuse VI eacH
furrow slice. Always first harrow
|iengthwise and later cross harrow II
the ground is not In fine enough tilth
for the seed. Ground that is inclined
to be cloddy should be worked with the
disc harrow instead OF the spike tooth.
double disking or half tapping length
wise with the furrows. See that your
disc is the proper size TO do the most
effective work In pulverizing the soil.
A fourteen to sixtcen-inch disc gener-
ally pulverizes better than an eighteen
or twenty-inch disc. and the draft Is
corrcspondingly greater. Experiments
seem to indicate that the smaller
| diameter discs are better adapted for
farming conditions on the Colorado
plains than the larger diameter
discs. Experiments conducted by
experiment stations and by Mr..
II. w. Campbell of Lincoln.
Nebraska, show that disliIng grain
ground after the harvester prevents
| loss OF moisture on stubble ground
through too rapid evaporation. and pre-
pares the ground for the ready absorp-
ton of rain.
| 3.-Sub-Surface Packer.-This tool
consists of series of wedge faced
wheels attached to common axle.
| These wcdgefaced disks are eighteen
inches In diameter and placed vert
ically on the shaft six inches apart.
| This machine is better than a smooth
roller for n roller firms the surface soil
with little or no effect upon the under
or sub surface soil The packer
firms the soil in the lower
portion OF the furrow slice. restoring
the capillariety where plowing had ar
rested II. This firmcd under-surfacc
soil is enabled to draw moisture from
below and give good normal root de-
velopment. In case sub-surface
packer is not obtainable, a corrugated
but not to the depth which the sub
surface packer does. These packers
should be followed by smoothing har-
row TO produce an earth mulch which
shall arrest capillarity and thereby
check evaporation.
a spike toothed harrow with lever
attachments for regulating the angie
OF the teeth is very satisfactory i'm
plement for this purpose.
4.-Summer Culture. Following
Ground-leaving the land without =
crop for one or more seasons-was 4
common practice with the ancieuts.
DIR. Roberts In his work on Fertility
of the Land" says this was n neccs.
sity for them. The imperfect tools
then used made but a small proportion
OF the plant food in the soil available
and the demands OF the crops grown
soon outran the obtainable plant food.
Then the only method for renewal was
TO let the soil weather ont enough
plant food. with the decaycd vegetable
] matter to sustain another crop. Some
centuries later the French found tha,
I ''manoeuverirg' the land-causing
I the PARTICLES OF earth To change place
by ttllage-made lt more productive.
7 Experiments now show that sumer III.
I lage In our scmi-arid lands has an
added valuc-it conscrves the moisture
while II renders more plant food avail
. able. Good results have been obtained
In eastern Washington. eastern Oregon
] Utah and many sections OF Colorado
! from summer culture OF the land every
other season. IL has been found that
\ in this way sufficient moisture can be
stored from the years rainfall to ma
ture crop, In many localities.
After the SHOWS OF winter have
melted in the spring. plow the ground
at least seven to eight inches deep.
Level this down with the harrow and
packer. following this process with n
smoothing harrow. forming an earth
mulch to check evaporation. This
mulch should not be too fine as the
winds of the plains will tend to rift
the soil. or blow the earth mulch en-
tirely away. If possible, stir the sur
fact soil from two 10 four inches every
ten to fifteen days throughout the sum-
mer Allow no crust to form after
summer showers. rs this viii increase
the evaporation of the soil moisture.
Keep the ground clcan-free from
weeds.
II fall grain is to be sown Il is nd.
visable to drill in the grain. as this I'm
sures getting 1t below the earth mulch
which is really dry earth blanket
used all summer to hold the moisture
In the soil below. Get the seed into
ms moist undersoil where IL can have
me moisture so essential for gcrmina.
uon. IL Is advisable TO seed fall grain
not later than the last week I'm Sen.
tember In the lower attitudes and not
iater than the first week In September
In the higher attitudes: better still. the
third or last week In August
Ground that has been well cultivated
ior several years will produce two
crops In succession and can be given
auihincr culture the third year. In this
. three years 80
II farmer expects to cultivate
elghty acres he should divide II into
TWO crop divisions--cropping forty
acres the first year and giving summer
culture TO the other forty acres. This
SNes MIN crop on one half of hi.
iahd each year while he js storing M,
moisture In the soil reservoir Of thc
: other half to make the next year.,,
crop. Farmers In the southern part of
',ariner county. Colorado. have bcen
, aole 10 raise quite satisfactory wheat.
barley and forage crops by following
Z. this method OF cropping.
Mr.. Gen n pn,tn. ii..,.