The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-03-27
TALK TO DRYFARMERS


a short time ago received a
letter containing such "A good set
oi questions about the disk and
roller that | do not thluk that
could do better than to use the
questions as the subject OF this
talk.
Question: desire especially to
know how to use the disk harrow
in preparing a seed bed. VIII It
do as a substitute Tor the drag har-
row or should both be used Ans
Land finished with a disk harrow
a be used Tor a seed bed, but
the best practice IS generally to
use both. A fairly smooth surface
may be made on medium to light
soils with the disk, especially OF
land that rs double disked 10y lap
plng halt each time. These med.
lum 10 light soils would also pull
verne most readily 10y a drag mar.
row. The disk Is especially use-
iul in working heavy, tight, land.
w iilt Nllt hlah 10 hbchN wv bNoh
pulverizing tool it IS apt TO leave
the land ridged. The smoothing
down OF these ridges with the drag
harrow leaves the land with a
smoother surface.
Question. Would you disk
fresh broken land where the
ground is mellow and IN good nth
when turnudt II So, why; Wnl
the disk harrow tend to pack fresh
plowed ground and 50 act as a
substitute Tor sub-sutiacc packer,
where the packer, canhot be had ?
Ans. i would disk fresh broken
land especially where | did not
have a packer. | would scarcely
like to say that the disk will act as
a substitute Tor the packer, but
there is not a doubt but the disk u
set iairly straight, Will pack the
soil and fill up the big spaces
between the iurrow slices to "A con-
siderable extent.
Question. II last years stubble
Ut utsh'u VIII " siitsN tNdpOiaAiON
aud tend TO preserve the moisture
until land can be p,uwcd later.
Ans. Yes. Mr.. Campbell lays
great stress on di,klng stuubie u
sod Tor two reasons, INST, 10 open
up the surface and let IN the water,
and second, tor the production oil a
mulch to retain moisture. some
times a piece oi ground is too dry
at the surface to pillow, while there
may he "A good deal oil moisture
ltsome distance below the surface.
In such case making a mulch by
double disking would allow thr
moisture TO accumulate nearer
the surface, and land could he
plowed later. think that our
New Mexico farmers are making a
great mistake IN Mt using the disk
more iiIely on their stubDle aud
sod land before blowing. In the
] tstancla VALLEY much vi the moist
ure that tell in August could have
been retained, putting the ground
in good condition for tall blowing,
u the land had been dlsked the
last OF August or the first OF Sep.
tember.
Question. w ould YOU ad
wise rolling fresh plowcd ground
Tor the purpose OF packing 1t and
following this with harrow to leave
dust mulch Ans. Yes.
Question. -W What is the value OF
a roller in dry farming? Ans
The roller is a tool winch must he
used with much judgment in dry
farming, as It's possibilities tor
working injury are FULLY as great
as It's possibilities tor good. II
can be used 10 great advantage in
packing down sod which is broken
shallow in the spring. 1t is Yalu-
| able tor crushing clods. Some day
our farmers will he able to dis.
pense with it Tor that purpose,
because they will pay much closer
attention to the moisture condition
OF the soil at the time OF breaking,
> and will find that they will have
, much less need for a clod crusheI
than at present. Another condl.
ton that sometimes arises under
which the use OF the roller is very
essential, is where seed has been
planted in a soil which is quite
moist below, but dry near the sur,
lace. Rolling will compact tn,
surface, thus causing concentratior
oil the moisture there Tor a shorI
I time, and give the seed a chance
to sprout. II the surface remain
packed Tor very long, The soil viii
dry out. The great danger in the
! use oil the roller is that it leave.
the surface fine and compact
which iavors evaporation. Tn,
surface should always be loosened,
best with the drag harrow, after il
has been rolled. The essentia
difference between the roller anc
5 the sub-suriace packer, is that tn,
roller packs the surface OF the soil,
leaving it in a condition which
iavors evaporation, while the
I packer firms the plowed layer
against the pillow sole and leave