Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-01-28


ry attachments. BY using them all the
trash can be turned under completely.
This not only hastens the decay Of
such matter, but also adds greatly to
the looks of the field. Too many farm
ers do not pay enough attention to
looks. 4 ragged looking field may
raise just as large d crop as q smooth
one, it is true, but the farmer who is
careless In his blowing is likely to be
careless in everything else.
If the blowing is done in the fail it
does not matter so much whether it
turns up cloddy or not. The hare
freezes of winter are the best Dulver.
izers that ever tore a clOd to pieces.
This is one Of the advantages of fall
blowing. One Of the disadvantages is
that in an open winter the soil is liza.
BILE to wash badly, This can be pre-.
vented to some extent, however, by
planting a catch crop, such as oats or
mtllet, on the field after blowing.
The depth of blowing will vary with
the conditions. \ light, sandy soil
does not need to be plowed as deeply
as q heavier one. If the ground is
plowed the same depth every year the
bottom of the furrOw will become hard
and the roots will have difficulty III
getting through it readily. A good plan
is to begin at, say four inches, and
pI0w One-haIf inch deeper each year
until a depth OF seven or eight inches
is reached. Then go back to four
inches and begin over again. In this
way a little new soil is turned up
every season and the layer of surface
soil gradually deepened.
Spring blowing should be shallOWer
than that done in the fall. The soil is
full Of TRY pores, it's structure being
much the same as that Of light bread.
If you viii put one corner Of a slice
of bread. in a dish Of water you will
notice that it becomes wet for a con-
siderable distance above the surface
of the water. This is caused by the
moisture flowing upward through the
little holes in the bread. The force
| that causes water to rise in a small
tube is called capillarity. 1t is this
capillartty that makes the water rise
! from the subsOil UP to the surface
where the roots can use it. The
| smaller the capillary tubes the faster
and higher the water viii rise.
When the ground is pIoWed these
| capillary tubes are broken up, and the
rise Of water is checked. To start it
again the soil must be allowed to settle
! for long time or else be worked down
with the disk, harrow or roller. In the
| fall the depth of blowing does not mat
| ter. since the furrOw slice will have all
| winter in which to settle. But in the
spring this capilIarity must be restored
| almost at once or the surface layer
! will become so dry that termination
and later growth will be checked.
Hence the Importance Of shallow plow-
| ing, so as to reduce the labor Of disk
| ing and narrowing. If the surface Of
| the ground is crusted or If there is
much trash to be turned under the
| Geld should be disked before it is
slowed. This will provide for layer
of fine dirt in the bottom Of the fur
row, which will pack down closely
and help to restore capillarity.
4
shows any tendency to bake into clods
It should be narrowed every half day,
or every day at least This seems like
q great deal Of extra work, but if
harrow is kept in the field it does not
| take long TO hitch on TO it and go over
the newly plowed strip just before'
suitting for noon or night. a few
minutes spent In narrowing at such
times will pulverize the ground more
than hours of work after it has be
| come dry and baked
The. fall blowing viii usually need TO
! be gone over with the disk to get 1t IN
| shape for planting. The superior con-
| dition obtained by double disking-
| that is. letting the disk LAP half'-Wiil
more than pay for the extra labor
| There is en- additional advantage in
that the surface is left smooth. Disk
ing spring blowing is seldom neces-
sary.
In cases where improper blowing has
left a field cloddy the roller may often
| be used to advantage. A corrugated
roller is better for this. purpose than