Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-04-09

the advantage Of economy of fuel and
water where these are scarce and ex.
pensive; hut the former are regarded A.
more reliable and are at present in far
more general use.
Particular emphasis is placed on the
adaptability Of high power motors on
arid farms, where areas and distances are
great. They enable the arid farmer to
spread himself and carry on many time,
greater acreage than is possible under ir-
rigation. This is ii compensation for the
advantages of the latter system.
When to Plow
Days required for plowing ON large
dry land farm are many and long. There
are times when other imperative opera
tions Of seeding. tillage and harvest pre-
clude blowing. There is IL frozen winter
season when plowing is impossible and
also a season when the ground is too dry
to make blowing advisable. Flowing
must therefore he done when other farm
work and the physical condition Of the
soil will permit. There is some elasticity
as to season and the farmers Judgment
must lc his guide These seasons may
be mentioned for blowing:
|. Fall.
:. Spring.
;. Summer.
For spring seeding fall p;owing has
many advantages and is generally rec
commended ana preferred. 1t helps to
conserve the moisture already in the soil.
1t enables the ground to take up and
hold winter precipitation better. 1t ex.
poses the soil to the ,lisintegratiny action
of frost. bringing mineral plant food into
solution. 1t allows the ground to settle
into Il seed bed Of the right degree ut
compartncSs.
Spring blowing is also good practice.
hut is more adapted to later than early
seeding. The strenuous work Of harvest,
thrr>hiny and marketing of the products
Of the farm place limitations upon the
amount Of blowing that it is possible to
do in the fall. Spring includes many
long days when the farmer can pillow to
good advantage. These may well be used
for the purpose for the ground is usually
in splendid physical condition. Spring
plowed land must be carefully handled to
secure the best results:
|. Flowing to IL shallower depth.
,. Forming an earth mulch with the
harrow.
;. Packing the sub-surface to form IL
good seed bed.
Summer blowing may be done after
tine seeding Is over. before the harvest
commences if the ground is in suitable
condition. The rainy season in Montana
commonly makes early to mid summer
favorable time to pillow for summer fall
low and fall grains. 1t is IL particularly
good time for breaking new ground. In
summer breaking care must he used to
lay the burrows down evenly. then roll
or pack them close to the subsoil. follow
ing Immediately with the harrow to fill;
up the spaces and make Il surface mulch.
Sod ground can be plowed with safety
when considerably wetter than old land
How Often 10 Plow.
Some variety of opinion and practice
exists on this question. 1t is common
practice to grow three crops with one
plowing. using the harrow only to pre-
pare the ground for the second and third
crops. If II much larger crop can be Sc
cured by little extra labor in blowing
it is poor economy to withhold it. Where
the system of summer tillagc is practiceh
and fifty bushels Of wheat to the acre is
grown each alternate year it is not be-
licved that one blowing will be too much
for each crop. and for the alternate sys-
tenn with spring grains two plowing,
may be found profitable.
Sub-Surface Packing. .
One of the more recently described OPP
crajon> OF tilla2e. belonging to the
Campbell system of which he was the
originator. is >ub>nrface packing
The object of this operation is to pro-
dnc Il firm and uniform condition in t he
under portion Of the surface soil after
blowing. The action of the packer is
quite different from that Of the roller.
which comlact> the surface soil only. in
that it packs the deeper soil and leaves
the surface loose. BY thus commcting
the snl->urface its connection with the
SUBJ. is established and the movement
OF capillary water is permitted in the
under portion Of the plowed soil. II this
is not done the sub surface will be too
loose for capillary action. will dry on,
and although rich in plant food will be
incapable Of supporting satisfactory crop
growth.