The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-04-25
EDITORIAL COMMENT
SOME GOOD ADVICE.

SOME GOOD ADVICE.
Pres j. II. Worst of the A. c., in the NORTH
Dakota Farmer: The busy season will soon bt
tempted as usual to SOW wheat on many acres
of ground which will be but indifferently pre-
pared to receive the seed. This is a mistake
Not the number OF acres, but the condition Of
the soil and the preparation Of the seed bed
will determine the profits when the thresher has
told it's story. Better SOW fewer acres-only as
many acres as can be put into proper condition
to receive the scotland if some land intended
for wheat cannot be seeded in time, seed it to
flax, barley or corn. IT does not pay to SOW
grain on land not properly prepared. The
weedy fields and the slender stand Of grain at
harvest time proves this statement.
Good clean, viable seed is essential to pro-
fitable crop of any kind Of grain. Every shriv-
eled, imperfect kernel of seed grain is OF scrub
quality and will only produce more scrubs.
Such kernels are scrubs because the mother kerr
mel was scrub-which only proves that those
grains are not adapted to local soil and climat-
ic conditions AS well try to grow corn in
Greenland as to expect good crop from scrub
seed On the other hand, the sound kernels
were grown under soil and climatic conditions
exactly suited 70 their needs. Let the tanning
mill determine which kernels should be used for
seed and which should be used for chicken seed
AS soon as the ground is dry enough to cu-
tivate drag thoroughly to loosen and warm it
up and also to destroy the young weeds that
generally sprout before the ground is warm
enough for wheat to terminate.
One dragging may put the soil in passable
condition to receive the grain, but doubtless
another dragging would prove the most profit
able work done on the field If the season is
dry and weeds numerous it often pays to drag
the young grain when it is up and partially
stooled. Try few acres as an experiment, and
note the result at threshing tlme
Keep light at your wOrk-late and early
but do not overvork yourself or your teams
Above all things, whether rushed or not, do not
slight the Job in order to cover too much terri
tory. 1t will not pay to work too hard or to
slight the work
Get into the habit OF being painstaking. 1t
is good habit, and by the way, one that has
not been sufficiently cultivated by farmers. In
the hurry and hustle OF spring work, the short
ness OF the spring season is apt to make even
the most palnstaking reckless.
The advice to grow less grain IN OrdernOt to
produce an oversupply, and so depress the price
of wheat, properly interpreted means do not
seed SO many acres, but give the acres seeded
the best Of seed and the best Of cultivation.
Produce an average Of twenty-five or thirty
bushels per acre on fewer acres and plant the
balance to other kinds Of grain. This will tend
to distribute the seasons work and avoid the
rush at harvest time. 1t also will divide the
chances OF an Improbable years work &C
count or having all the eggs IN one basket.
No farmer has any business to chance every
thing upon single crop.
With reasonable Investigation of crops and
energy, the busy season" will be less marked,
the chance OF crop failure less prominent, and
with many sources Of income as the result of
crop rotation the farmers prosperity will be
more certain
The average for wheat in North Dakota is
less than thirteen bushels per acre. 1t shonld
be thirty. Careless methods of cultivating the
soil, poor seed grain continuous cropping to
wheat, absence OF manure, ETC., is the cause of
the small average yield. Such methods offarm-
ing will ruiz the productiveness Of any country.
1t really is not farming. 1t is soil robbery
But really a small percentage Of North Dakota
is actually farmed, We must learn to farm in
the best and highest sense.