The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-04-17
Utilization of the SummerfaIIow.
BY George s Severance, Agronomist
State College.

The present practice of farmers in
the wheat growing districts of the
Pacific northwest, in allowing their
fertile fields to lie idle for from one
third to half of the time, is very bad
for several reasons. In the first
place, a bare fallow is extremely
wasteful to soil fertility. Our soil
is recognized as sufficiently rich in
the essential mineral elements but
is not particularly rich in humus.
Humus is the source of nitrogen,
and through the acids formed in it's
decomposition, is one of the lead
ing factors in making mineral ele
ments available to plants. Soil
usually becomes run down just to
the extent that it becomes depleted
in humus.
Careful investigations have shown
that bare fallow will result in the
burning out of as much humus as
will be used up in the production of
four or five wheat crops. The OBJ
served fertility of soil under a period
OF bare fallow is due to the fact that
so much of this humus has decayed,
producing great surplus of plant
food. Hence this enriching effect
is at the expense of later fertility.
The main purposes of summer
following should be to clear the soil
of weeds, conserve moisture, and
improve the physical condition of
the soil through tillage. Losing the
use of this land while it is in state
of unoccupied summerfallow, is
certainly poor economy, as it re-
presents idle capital. And it should
not be forgotten that a utilization
of the summerfallow by cultivated
crops will permit the keeping of con-
siderable live stock, and will result
in better utilization of the teams,
and tools, throughout the season, as
well as more constant employment
of labor. A better distribution of
labor throughout the season would
ultimately insure a more intelligent
and reliable class of help, and low
er unit cost of production.
Making use Of the summerfallow
for the growing of cultivated crops
will mean the introduction of more
livestock, and to the extent that
such introduction is necessary for
the using up of such crops, it is ex-
tremely desirable. The introduc.
tion of livestock, however, necessi-
tates such arrangement of crops as
to keep the stock in good feed thru
out the season. Regarding this
arrangement, have the following to
say:
In a former discussion, it was
suggested by me that keeping land
in alfalfa one-ffth of the time would
renew the nitrogen and humus
supply of the soil. This was for a
800 acre field, so at one time there
would be 60 acres of alfalfa. The
alfalfa could be divided equally be-
tween hay and pasture. l should
Judge it would produce from 50 to
GO tons of alfalfa in all, besides con-
siderable pasture. If the farmer
wishes to keep cattle, the hay may
be used to furnish part of the win
ter roughage for Is head of COWS,
and as much young stock as would
naturally be raised in connection.
1he young stock would be able to
to use up considerable of the straw
that in most cases goes to waste.
During the spring, when alfalfa
grows rapidly, 80 acres would fur
nish good pasture for the cattle. On
such farm, as now managed, there
would be 100 acres or more, OF sum-
merfallow. If 80 acres of this were
seeded to peas, they would furnish
feed for the cattle in July and Aug
ust. Peas makes good summer
fallow crop. Although they are not
a cultivated crop, they are nitrogen
gatherers, and have very beneficial
effect upon the soil. Forty acres
of the remaining summerfallow
could be planted to corn' part Of
which should be put into the sllo to
f,rn;sb succulent food for the COWS