The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1906-09-19
FALL Treatment OF SOILS.
Suggestions By S. A. Knapp of the
Bureau of Plant Industry.

n OF the best means of preparing for
next years crop. Loamy and sandy
soils that are well drained and so sit
uated that they will not wash are. best
broken fiat. This breaking should be
deep and is best done with a disc. In
the absence of a disc a two or three
horse turning pillow will answer.
If the land is inclined to wash this
can often be prevented by terracing.
If impracticable to terrace then break
such lands in good high rows that cir
Gle the hill. Close. sticky land-like
post oak and all lands that need Drain
age--shOuld never lie fat but always
be thrown into ridges. the higher the
ridges the better. Fall blowing allows
the air TO penetrate the soil. breaking
down the inert plant food and convert
ing it into a form available for plants.
Fall blowing allows the cold OF winter
to penetrate the soil, aiding in the
dissolving of plant food and at the
same time the cold of winter kills many
insect enemies and reduces their raw
ages another year.
The subsection of the land to the al
ternate freezing and thawing action of
winter makes close tight lands loose.
thus insuring a better seed bed for the
next crop. Fall blowing enables the
soil to absorb and store up the winter
rains, placing a larger quantity OF
moisture at the disposal of plants the
next year mitigating nus the effect of
drought.
Lands subject to the ravages of the
boil worm and DOLL weevil are espec-
tally benefited by deep fall blowing.
The boil worm hibernates in the soil
and this blowing exposes him to the
cold and wet-conditions he cannot
withstand. By deep blowing we mean
nothing less than eight inches. The
exceptions to this rule are lands that
have been merely scratched over for a
period of years. In this instance there
is some danger of bringing up too
much inert matter. These instances
are rare however and are entirely OBJ
Waited when the disc pillow is used.
Not only should the land be plowed in
the fall. but if it is to lie fallow during
winter the benefit would be eve
greater were this breaking repeated at
least once or twice before the spring
crops are put in. This insures a thor
ough airing of the soil and, better filth.
To get full benefit of fall blowing lands
that are stiff or inclined to run to-
gether should he we'll drained. 9th
erwise water will clog them and pre-
vent free access of air.
WINTER CROPS.
While fall blowing is a great factor
in improving soil conditions yet it is
we'll TO go a step further. The soils of
the south lose more fertilizing from
the teaching action of winter rains
than is taken from them by growing
summer crops. OF these there is prob
ably none more generally known than
the Red Rust proof Oat.
For the best results with oats the
land should be deeply broken and we'll
pulverized. The richer the land the
greater will be the success of the crop.
If there are any doubts of the capacity
of the land it is we'll to use from two
to three hundred pounds per acre of a
commercial fertilizer composed of
equal parts of cotton seed meal and
a twelve to fourteen per cent acid
phosphate. This can be sown with the
oats and covered with them. For oats
it is we'll to break the land early in
September. This breaking together
with the subsequent preparation, will
save moisture, thus insuring a stand.
BY all means get the best seed posi-
BILE and see that they are free from grass
and weed seed. 1t has been the expe-
rience of all that the oat is the surest
grain crop that can be grown in the
south. Especially is this so on the
light sandy soil9. Not only is this SO,
but if planted if lime, they will furnish
an abundance of unsurpassed winter
grazing for stock. 1t is well when
breaking the land in early September
to keep close behind the pillow with a
harrow. Otherwise the clods are apt
to dry Out quickly and give much trou-
BILE in their subsequent pulverization
and the land must be we'll pulverized
To insure a stand. After seeding. a