The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-04-26
WORK YOUR
SOIL WELL
Smaller Acreage Well Titled VIII
Prove More Profitable Than
Large Acreage Poorly
Farmed.

The farmer with it's limited help
will be tempted as usual to sow
wheat on many acres Of ground
which will be but indiferently
prepared to receive the seed.
This is a mistake. Not the numb
er 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 seed-and if some land intend
ed for wheat cannot be seeded in
time, seed flax. barley or corn. 1t
does not pay to SOW again on land
not properly prepared. The weedy
fields and the slender strand of
grain at harvest time proves this
statement. Good, clean, vitable
seed is essential to a profitable
crop Of any kind Of grain. Every
shriveled, imperfect kernel Of seed
grain is Of scrub quality and will
only produce more scrubs. Such
kernels are scrubs because the
mother kernel was scrub-which
only proves that those grains are
not adapted to local soil and
climatic conditions. As W II try TO
grow corn in Greenland as to ex-
pect good crop from scrub seed.
On the other hand, the kernels
were grown under soil and climatic
conditions exactely suited to their
needs. Let the tanning mill de-
termine which kernels should be
used for!seed and which should be
used for chicken feed.
AS soon as the ground is dry
enough to cultivate, drag thorouh-
ly 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 germinate. One dragging may
put the soil in passable condition
to receive the grain, but doubtless
another dragging would prove the
most profitable 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 particlly stooled. Try a few
acres as an experiment, and note
the result at threshing time.
Keep right at your work-]ate
and early-but do not. overwork
yourself or your teams Above all
things, whether rushed or not, do
not slight the job in order to cover
too much territory. It will not pay
to work too hard or to slight the
work.
Get into the habit of being
pains-taking It is a good habit,
and by the way, one that has not
been sufficiently cultivated by
farmers. In the hurry and hustle
of spring work, the shortness of
spring season, is apt to make even
the most painstaking reckless.
The advice to grow less grain in
order not to produce an oversup-
ply, 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
scres and plant the balance to
.other kinds Of grain. This will
tend to distribute the seasons
work and avoid the rush at har-
vest time. f alsowill divide tte
chances Of az an Improbable years
work on account of having all the
':eggs in one basket No farmer
has any business to chaace every
thing upon a single crop.
With reasonable diyersification