East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-24
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OOOO . 80
Among the concentrated addresses
on farm subjects given by the instruc-
tors on the farming demonstration
train over the O.. II. & N. lines in the
Palouse country last March, was one
by Prof. Geo. Severance, agronomist
OF the state college at Pullman. Pro-
fessor Severance said:
The previous speakers have been
urging the Importance Of growing a
crop on our land every year, but with
the majority of farmers the rainfall
is not sufficient to grow a crop an
nually. Careful experimentation has
shown that we have enough to grow
abundant crops every year is a fair
proportion can be caught and held
in the soil to feed the growing crop,
and am going to suggest a few prac-
tices that will help TO save this mois-
ture
First, the precipitation of fall and
winter must be caught and allowed
TO percolate deep into the soil. Land
that has been fall disked or fall
plowed will catch much more mois-
ture than land left hard at the sur
face.
In one investigation on the College
Farm soil, soil with a loose surface
was found to have taken up three
times as much moisture as soil six
rods away on the sand slope, but with
fine surface. We suggest, therefore,
fact II land is to be summer fallow- !
II be disked In the fall. II the land
is to be put in corn, potatoes or other |
spring crop, fall plaw instead of disk !
ing and leave rough The water will /
be caught more completely, the rush !
of work the following spring will be |
relieved, the weathering of the soil !
VIII improve its physical condition, |
the forming OF the furrow. which
should be done on spring plowing to
prevent drying out and must be done
at considerable expense for labor is
done, in case of fall plowing by the
packing effect of fall and winter rains
at no expense to the farmers.
Loose Earth on Surface.
Second, after spring opens up the
moisture of the soil evaporates very
rapidly from the surface and pumps
up from below as fast as II evabo-
rates from the surface as oil moves
up lamp wick. Experiments have
shown that II we work up three
inches of loose. dry and moderately
fine earth on the surface, this loss
may be quite largely overcome be-
cause moisture will not draw upward
through moist soil, nor coarse soil as
fast as through fine, nor through
loose soil as fast as compact.
Stubble land that is to he plowed
during late spring or summer should
be disked as early as the soil is fit
to work In spring. to form the de-
sired soil mulch. II the disk breaks
the surface into chunks II should be
narrowed to break up the chunks.
Farmers who have tried this find I
that the soil will plow up moist and c
mellow in July, while adjoining land
not so disked will begin 30 plow quite
cloddy in May. Besides holding the I
the early disklng will in I
luce the termination of considerable [
foul seeds before plowing. Chop the a
;tubble in so the furrow will work |
lown better and lessen the danger of 7
burning" and keep the soil in better
physical condition. Fall plowed land
hat will not be seeded for three or
our weeks after spring work opens f
should receive a narrowing as soon v
Is fit to work. Il
Narrowing Fall-Sown Wheat. v
Fall-sown wheat should be, har- s
owed when 1t becomes crusted in Il
he spring before the wheat covers 7
he ground, If the wheat has gotten c
veil established the narrowing will Il
10 it little harm and will do many r
lines as much good. Alfalfa that has
tood two years or more should be
thoroughly dicked in the spring or
worked with some tool that will b
oosen the surface thoroughly. In ID
hort, wherever the moisture prob F
EN- is SERIOUS one the FARMER II
hould aim to come as near to form V
ng a good mulch over his entire Il
arm in the early spring as his crops il
ools and force Of teams will permit. q
Glow the Soil Down. &
Third, in all spring and summer
flowing the soil should be worked
own as fast as plowed to prevent the
urrow drying out. The desired re- II
ult should be to pack the bottom Of d
he furrow down tight onto the fine e.
oil underneath without pulverizing p
he surface too much. In nearly all d
'arts OF the inland empire thorough ri
of the summer fallow is W
aid to aggravate the pudding Of the te
oil in the winter, because 1t becomes
90 fine. In certain places this ex-
essive pulverizlng of the surface ag- n
'ravates drifting. This necessitates b,
he substitution of more appropriate h
ools than the smooth roller and the v
pike harrow. q,