The Springfield herald., 1907-04-05
PREPARATION
OF SEED BED
HINTS FOR THE PLAINS
BY w. H. OLIN, Agronomist Colorado
Experiment Station, Ft. Collins.

Experiment Station, FIT. Collins.
Crop conditions in eastern Colorado
are so different from crop conditions il
the humid region that special attention
should be called to them for the benefit
of the new settler.
The very best system of tillage may
fail to produce crop some years, but
proper soil management and use of ac.
climated seed adapted to prevailing
conditions tend to render crop failures
less frequent and harvests therefore
more remunerative.
In the farming operations of many
parts of eastern Colorado, where irri
gation cannot be practiced, the amount
of water available to plants is the "lim
iting condition of success" as Prof.
Failyer calls it. Here is found abund
ance of cheap land, quite fertile, anc
water is the element that must be most
carefully conserved to insure a crop
No rain water must be allowed to rur
to waste if possible to store it in the
soil. Rains on the plains are usually
quick, dashing rains and the seed bee
should be in such tilth that both upper
soil and subsoil will readily absorb the
water which falls during the crop seas.
on.
The preparation of the seed bed calls
for careful plowing, narrowing and sub
surface packing.
Experience demonstrates that the
preparation of the soil reservoir (seet
bed) of good depth several months be
fore seeding, the thorough culture o.
this ground before and after seeding
are essentials that very largely deter
mine success in eastern Colorado. Sum
mer tillage conserves moisture while i
renders more plant food available
keeps down weeds, and keeps soil il
good tilth.
Preparing New Ground for Spring
Seeding. 1t is always questionable
practice to crop newly broken sod in /;
dry year. The sod usually contains bu
little moisture and the process of break
ing causes one to lose an appreciate
portion of it. Suggestive plan: Plow
sod land not less than three nor mort
than five inches deep, turning sod dow
as fiat as possible, and thus prevent it!
drying out too soon. Follow as closel,
with disc harrow as practicable, ant
this with some form Of packer, eithe
single or double roll This will leve
the sod land above, and firm the soil il
the lower portion of the furrow slice
restoring the capillarity where plowint
has arrested it. This frmed under-sur
face soil is thus enabled to draw moist
ure from below, and give good norma
root development. Follow up the pack
er with either an acme or a goot
smoothing harrow to produce a goot
earth mulch to arrest surface capillari
ty and check evaporation of soil mois
ture. Follow with the seeder AL
small grain must be drilled in with
, press wheeled drill, followed up with
good spike-tooth or smoothing harrow
1t is almost necessary that all tillag
operations on sod be with the furrow
rather than across them to avoid tear
ing up the sod and drying out your see'
| bed. Do not seed broadcast, Max
each tillage operation thorough-plow
. ing, discing, firming, narrowing, ant
seeding.
When the new crop is up, cross har
row to prevent the formation of crus
and giving the young crop cultivation
Follow up each rain with good har
rowing as long as character of crop will
permit.
Early in June prepare seed bed fo
the fall and following springs seeding
Try to hereafter seed only on grounc
! which has been given Summer cul
ture" treatment.
Remember that roots of all cultivated
crops make their best growth when yol
provide:
A firm mellow
A warm mellow Soil well suppliec
A ventilated with plant food.
A moist
Methods of farming which conserv,
the moisture, prepare good seed bed
reduce the evaporation to as near the
minimum as possible, use good vital ac
climated seed, employ crop rotation
which has stock foods prominent, con
tain at least one money crop, and prac
tice thorough tillage of the ground, of
ten tide the farmer over bad years anc
insure his success in good years.