The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-04-23

| be deposited in the dry surface mulch
it will lie there until a shower comes
or until the moisture from below is
| brought UP to it by rolling or other
similar treatment.
Fall Seeding OF Cereals.
Flowing is a rather slow operation
much slower than disci1g, and there
fore. as soon as the crop is removed
from the field (the removal of the
| crop should be expedited as much as
possible) double disc the land by lap.
| ping one-half. BY discing an excel
lent mulch is formed up on the surface
thus preventing the loss of large quar-
titles of moisture during the time re
quired to complete the plowflg of the
land and any rain that may fall sinks
| quickly into the soil. Furthermore,
discing puts the soil in very much bel
ter condition for blowing for the rea-
son that the soil will come up in We
ry much better condition after being
disced. The blowing should be of
such a depth as seems consistent with
the character of the soil. 9See pillow
ing). 1t may be found advisable to
subsoil.
Seed with a hoe drill rather deeply,
say, one inch in moist soil which may
make three or our inches below the
surface if the dry dust mulch is in
cluded in the measurement. The hoe
drill covers b seed with a loost lay
er of soil which prevents the drying
out of tnat portion of the soil surroun-
ding the kernels. Should it happeI,
hat the surface soil in which the
iced must be sown is too dry for the
proper termination of the seed. if it
is too late to wait for a shower, there
are two methods of procedure that
may prove successful. Either SOW
with a pressure drill, which leaves the
soil over the seed firmed and in turf
will increase ~capillarity from below,
possibly supplying the needed mois-
ture to the seed; or Immediately after
seeding roll the field. Rolling will
firm the whole surface and by dimin-
ishing the size of the capillary tubes
will increase capilarity from below
thus increasing the moisture content
of the soil surrounding the seed, which
may be expected to cause a normal
termination. In most sections the
seed should be sown not later than
September 18th for the reason that
by so doing all of the fall rains are
rendered available to the crop. As
soon as the plants are up, the surface
mulch Should be Immediately formed
again by cultivation with the harrow.
Every time the surface mulch is de
stroyed by rain, it should be reestab.
lished by surface culture with the har
row. or better the weeder,, just as
soon as it is possible to go upon the
land. In the spring surface cultiva-
ton should follow each rain or as of
ten aus the surface becomes compacted
b. the settling If the soil particles to-
gether, at least until the crop begins
to stool or tiller.
Under very trying conditions inter
tillage has been practiced with &c
real crops. 1t is doubtful if such a
system would prove practicable, al
though a test of it's feasibility on a
small scale would be commendable.
When the crop is six or eight inches
high it shades the surface of the soil
SO effectually that thereafter the sur
face loss by evaporation is minimized,
In a dry climate harvesting should
begin when h crop is rather green
so as to avoid loss by \e lshattering
of over ripe grain.
Spring Seeding of Cereals.
Spring seeding requires the same
careful preparation of the field the
previous season as fall seeding. The
treatment of the soil should be iden-
teal with that described under fall
seeding with the possible exception
lIdl l1Ie sui ol1Oulo IN Su4IA' c''N 80
assidiously wnea there is no crop as
when there is a crop growing upon it.
Nc weeds should he allowed to grow
as they pump water out of the soil,
and therefore, rob the coming crop of
a portion of it's moisture. However,
if cultivation is sufficiently frequent
and thorough to keep UP a perfect
lust mulch there will likely be very
little trouble from weeds.
In the spring cultivate with the
weeder as early as possible. A little
later when the soil has dried out some
what give it a deeper surface cult
walton either with the acme harrow
or the disc. Sow as early as the con-
ditions are favorable. Seed with the
hoe drill as in the fall. Cultivate fire.
u~uently with the weeder in order to
maintain a loose mulch and continue
the cultivation at least until the grain
stools.
Fall VS.. Spring Seeding of Cereals.
The time of seeding will depend We
ry muoh upon the time of the rainy
season and the distribution of the
snow or rainfaIl. Whether to seed in
the fall or spring must be determined
after a study of the local conditions
Under a condition where the princi-
pal rainfall occurs in midsummer it
may not be practicable to seed in the
fall. If there is not sufficient moisture
at all times between the time of seed
ing and the rainy season, to carry the
crop properly, spring seeding must
be substituted. 1t may even be aeces-
sary to seed rather late in the spring
on occasion when the early spring is
usually dry. But wherever there is
sufficient moisture to properly carry
the CROP along or under a condition
where a large portion of the total pre-
cipitation occurs il the fall, winter
and early spring, fall seeding is al
ways preferable. Seeding, of course,
must always be done at a time when
the crop will make the best use of the
available soil moisture.
Fall seeding assists materially in
the retention of the soil in place about
the plant oots because there is a con-
siderable growth bov ground before
the usual windy a sets in. Here