Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-02-16
THE A. Ii. G. OF FARMING.

lIlIL n - VI
A friend the other day put to US
this blunt and yet important ques-
ton: What is the first thing that
farmers. especially newcomers and !
tenants, need to be taught about
ia rming?' We unheSitatingly
answered: The first thing they
need to be taught is how to grow the
various grains
When a man enters upon the culti-
Walton of a piece of raw prairie he Is
usually i'm debt and has a large
amount Of expense in the way OF put
ting up temporary buildings, break
ing mp his land and getting il into
|c~ufriyation- Therefore he must have
a cash crop just as soon as possible
He should therefore grow the grains
10 which the country is adapted
wheat and cats and fax in countries
where these are known 10 do Well.
and corn where il is known 10 do
well. Grains that are not saleabie are
the raw material out OF which he Will
make finished products: but the first
thing that he wishes to grow Is
grains that have the world for mar
ket.
The prime consideration in growing
these grains is the physical condition
OF the soil. He must know what
kind of a seed bed should be prepared
in order to give opportunity for root
developement: for plants no
grow successfully without proper root
| than a boy can grow without proper
food. Part Of the food of the plant
comes from the air, but it is rooted
in the soil, and there cannot be any
leaf development unless there is root
development.
The physical condition of the soil,
therefore, is the first prime necessity.
The sooner a man gets a definite,
fixed idea as to the kind Of seed bed
required for any kind of grain, the
~greater will his success be. All
plants take their soil food in liquid
form; they can take it in ne other
way. Hence, the supply OF water il
one of the prime necessities, and the
condition OF the seed bed is the main
factor I'm determining the supply Of
water available to the plant. II
makes no difference how much rain
there may be, il the soil is not in
such physical condition that there
can be full root Development and
appropriation Of plant food In liquid
form the plant cannot thrive.
What are the requisites OF a proper
seed bed? A sufficient depth OF pillow
ing is one. In prairie soils this needs
mot be deep. More harm than good
is done by following old Ben Frank
Inns advice "Piow deep while slug
CARDS sleep, and you will have corr
for sale and keep" We are not sur
that this Is Ben Franklin's motta
after all. and have not time to look Il
up. However, II evidently cam
from an old country where the sol
had been impoverished, and does MOI
apply to western conditions
Break your prairie In June just a
shallow as you can and still do a goo
Job. Backset II In the fall, plowinl
just a little deeper than the prairi
was broken. Thoroughly disk ant
! harrow III the spring, and you vii
have a good seed bed.
The seed bed should have a SOLE
/. bottom and a loose surface. Why? 4
. loose surface is absolutely esscntia
| for the proper development Of til
{ Rrst roots, which are to the plan
what : good supply OF milk Is to tn
calf. This once established, in con
nection with the air secured and tn
plant will send It's roots down int
! the unplowed surface, which, in tn
> great northwestern country has bee
msde loose by the frost pillow MOI
edectively than the farmer Is likel
TO loosen It up with his stirring pillow
then, IS the first lesson tina
j farmers need to be taught.
: Agreat many farmers have the ide
s that. the land Is rich and inexhaust
/ ible, and that any sort Of blowing
narrowing and cultivating will Dc