Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-01
Flowing for Fall Wheat

In a test made in Oklahoma the
ground was Dlowed ON or about July 10,
August 10 and September 10. of each
year designated early, medium and late,
respectively Duplicate plats were used
in each case The soil was turned to
depth of ! or : incAes and worked down.
Immediately. Subsequently the ground
was given light cultiva ION after each
shower or heavy rain. The plats were
all drilled NJ the same time To t'ucastcr
wheat at the rate of one and one-half
bushels To the acre. The time of seed
ing for the five years through which this
experiment was carried ranged from
September 10 TO October /.
In five years the early plowcd plat
produced a total of 1865 bushels of
grain and 500 tons of straw 20 the
acre, the medium blowing produced
l2O.1 bushels of grain, with 5.96 tons
of straw, while the late blowing pro-
duced total of l101 bushels of grain
and 5.1S tons of straw. This makes a
total difference in five years of las
bushels of grain and 1903 tons of straw
in favor of the early blowing, as com
pared with medium blowing and q total
difference of 25.4 bushels of grain and
LII tons Of straw in favor of early
blowing as compared with late blowing.
These results lead TO the conclusion that
htlleE NltluH can ne OnluINtu by piOWluE
the land which is 10 be seeded to wheat
early in the summer aud this means
from July to August 10.
1t should be observed that these re
suits were obtained on ground given
good cultivation after early blowing
Early blowing alone will not suffice
The seeded must be thoroughly pre-
pared. On great many farms the
blowing is done nj an early date but
Sol all
broken condition until few days before
seeding begins, when the surface of the
field is given stroke with the harrow
and the grain is drilled Immediately. In
the interval between the time Of blowing
and seeding the mechanical conditions
of the soil has not been improved. II is
covered with weeds and moisture has
been cvaporating rapidly: consequently
n poor seeded and an imperfect ger
mination are the result Of such treat
ment. The field should receive surface
cultivation as soon as the soil is turned
and thorough mulch should be pre-
served during the remaining part Of the
summer by frequent narrowing.
This viii mean Il little extra WurE
after each shower, for with each rain
the mulch becomes firmly packed capt.
larity rs restored and the moisture comes
rapidly to the surface. where il passc>
on ny evaporation. cumming the khl}
breaks this crGSt and restores the mulch,
and while the evaporation OF moisture
docs not take place 10 any appreciate
extent. many weeds are destroyed Al
small expense. Early blowing and thor
ough cultivation should 20 hand in hand
But the difference in yield does not ~"p-
resent all that was gained by the early
blowing. MS the labor required for the
different ploWngs varied widely and was
quite an item Usually the ground was
moist and mellow at the time Of the
July blowing ana turned with ease, was
left in mellow condition and was easily
worked down with one stroke OF the
harrow.
On the other hand, with an exception
or two. at the time Of the August pillow
ing the ground was dry and hard aad
turned NJ in large humps, the work was
very difficult and could be done most
of the time only with disc pillow These
plats usually had quite n growth oi
weeds on them. some Of which had gone
TO seed. This dry, lumpy soil was gone
over once with n disc Immediately after
the pillow, but little was accomplished
other than reducing the size OF the
clods. BY Immediately following every
light shower or heavy one with the die
or drag and frequently the harrow also.
the soil was gradually pulycrized. aud by
seeding time was In as good condition
as the July blowing. except as Il rule
It did not contain as much moisture