The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-04-15
Farm Notes
DRY FARMING.

Deep breaking is one Of the secrets OF
success in dry farming. 1t opens up q
volume Of soil sufficiently thick to eaten
and hold the heavy showers, and also pro-
vides room for. the development or plant
roots. .
When Ian Is broken early, 1t is safe TO
pillow deeper thar when 1t is broken late,
because the soil will have time to settle
firmly against the bottom Of the furrow
and to establish capillary connection with
the lower part of the soil, before the ume
of planting. The farmer need not rear
that he will turn VI u~nproductiVe SOIL oy
deep blowing. for as a rule there IN no
marked difference in the productiveness
of the upper and lower layers In the SOILS
In dry sections. Twelve inches would not
be too deep on tight land II 1t could Dc
done. Six to eight inches is as shallow as
II should be done to call It deep
The best time for early breaking IL our
ing the summer, as the grass other
vegetation will be full Of moisture ana
this, with the combined influence OF the
heat and moisture in the soil, Will cause
the sod to rot most rapidly. The loosen
ing Of the soil at this time will also aloW
the rain to soak into the soil instead Oh
running off. The loosened surface pro-
vided that 1t is properly fined, Will act as
a mulch and retain the moisture. rms
early loosening OF the soil and the rapio
H decay OIL III NCBCNobAO
changes In the soil which increase us Ter
tility. ......
1t is very important that the Lane be
thoroughly turned and the sod thrown 10
the bottom of the furrow. When the anu
il plowed the surface should De party
fined. It should not be worked down a.
fine as for a seed bed, but the larger cio01
should be broken up. II the surface were
made too fine the land would crust, ana
also might not be sufficiently uneven 10
catch drifting SHOWS. The partial inning OF
the surface should be done at once. Ihe
hest rule Is to work down what has peeh
plowed in the morning before going 10
dinner, and the afternoon plowing peIore
going to supper. Never turn lano ano
leave it rough, to be fined when the eaaa
ing has been finished or to be weathereo
as In the humid region. Observations TOT
the past three winters on land broken ana
left rough nave shown quite concluslYely
that land so treated was as dry In spring
as unbroken sod, II not dryer.
In early deep breaking the subsurface
packer may be run after the plow, but the
soil would probably settle without II anu
its use is not so essential as In the case
OF late breaking. The disk is probably the
best tool for the partial flning, as It Is not
only cuts UP. the clods, but also packs the
soil considerably. If a disk is not avail
able, the ground should be gone over WIN
q spike-toothed drag harrow or with some
form of drag. The land may be allowed 10
stand in this condition until spring, and
then worked to a seed bed. tt method OF
early deep breaking that has been des-
cribed requires heavy teams and consid'
cradle labor, but it will pay.
Where deep breaking is impossible the
sod may be turned three inches or more
and allowed to lie over winter. This VII
be better than not breaking at all provided
the sod is turned fiat. Where for any
reason II is impossible to break the LAM
early, much good may be accomplished by
disking the sod, especially IL 1t be double
disked with the disks set to lap one-halr
In many cases this double disking VIII az
about as much good as shallow breaklng
n partly opens I'D the surface to let IL
water, and produces a partial mulch
L.. Tinsley.