Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1909-08-24
Preparations for Winter Wheat

FARMERS tribune HldN prove Oh IN
terest to many of our readers:
The sooner you start the plow
to turning over the soil in which
you expect to SOW winter wheat
this fall the better. If YOU want
to get an extra good seed bed
double disc the land before plow-
ing. Set the disc going tomorrow
if you can, and then plow a few
days later or Immediately after
the discing has been done. Why
disc before plOwing! To conserve
moisture. True we have had a
good deal of that commodity so
far this summer, Int we may not
be overburdened with it between
now and wheat seeding time.
In case we should get dry
spell from now on. your soil will
bake more or less: it will begin to
get lumpy. and the best prevent
ative for lumpiness consists in
keeping the surface loose. The
more you disc the less trouble will
you have when the plow is started.
This is easily understood. So long
as you maintain loose mulch on
top, water from below cannot es-
cape through it. 1t must stay be-
low the surface. just when you
want it to keep the soil particles
in a friable condition-to keep the
physical condition right. as the
soil physicist would say. Early
plowing followed by narrowing
and subsequent discing will do the
same thing. The latter method is
to be preferred to discing and then
pIowing, provided the blowing
can be done early enough. We
like it better because it cOnserves
moisture equally well, and it in
sures IA cleaner and tirmer seed
bed.
1t is a matter of great impor-
tance to provide a firm seedbed for
wheat. A firm, as compared with
loose seed he'd, may mean the
difference between a profitable
crop and one that barely pays eX-
penses. We realize that it is
easier to recommend early plow-
ing than it is to get it done. Labor
is usually scarce at this time of
the year. On the other hand there
are many who can manage to do
some discing on the stubble ground
even if they cannot get the land
plowed right away. just bear in
mind that work spent in in double
discing stubble ground now, may
save lot Of pulling and power
when the time for plowing can be
found. This at least will be true
should we have much dry weather
from now on. And it is certain
that any work done with the disc
will benefit the soil, regardless of
the season.
The more the soil is stirred at
this season of the year, the better
the circulation of the air i'm it will
be, while at the same time weeds
will be destroyed. There are two
principal benefits accruing from
air circulating freely through the
soil during the growing season:
First. the air or rather the oxygen
it contains, acts directly on the
mineral constituents in the soil,
causing them to become soluable
in water, and hence available tc
plants. Second. a free circulation
of air causes bactical life in the
soil to become more active. and
bacteria are the principal agents
causing the decay of vegetable
matter, or the formation of humus,
so necessary to the retention of
water and the maintainance of a
good physical condition of the soil.
The more the soil is stirred at this
of the year, the more insoluble
plant food is changed into soluble
forms, ready for the young wheat
as soon as its roots begin to ramify
in the soil. Wheat is not what is
known as gross feeder; it is q
rather delicate plant, especially in
it's stages of growth. 1t cannot
make use of the mineral elements
in coarse condition, SO to speak
like corn or oats or rye; and hence
the Importance of thorough cult