The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-16

sumo the roughage and make manure
to both conserve moisture and fertt-
ity and freedom from weeds.
The End Is Sure.
IT will venture the assertion that
every farmer that attempts to make
money without livestock and prac-
ticing crop rotation, which must in
clude leguminous and cultivated crops
will in the end-have succeeded bet
ter at something else. What right,
moral or legal, has a man to expect
to enjoy success continually while
violating every law of nature? With
strong constitution a man may over
work, dissipate, get drunk, carouse,
but the end of his career is only the
sooner reached.
"Just so much strength did nature
give him, which he can conserve or
waste. The same is true of the soil.
While in it's virgin richness, loaded
with nitrogen and humus, the accum-
ulation of untold centuries, IL seems.
like dog, to lick the hand that
smites it; but not for long. Nature
is both generous ana exacting. The
lavish crops yielded by virgin soils
while plant food was abundant stiH
should spell conservation to the
thoughtful farmer, though 1t is bound
to spell disappointment to those who
take more than they are willing to
give whether Of fertility or Of mois-
ture. 4s
Drag Should Follow PIow.
Many fields are now blowing but
drn cycrn1 b,,e +rIy
next year. The drag should follow the
pillow, and after every considerable wet
spell the ground should be dragged
again, until winter sets in.
"'Too much bother do you say? Can
you tell what a farmer gets pay for
except for his bother?
Land should be MANFRED at regular
intervals TO maintain it's fertility. for
the physical effect it has upon the soil
and to conserve moisture Virgin soils
produce good crops under dry condi-
tons because Of the humus they con-
tain. Exhaust the humus by cropping
and more moisture is required, but
manure replenishes the humus and less
precipitation is demanded.
Many observing farmers remember
that but little more than half the rain
fall was needed to produce a crop
when the soil was new than is required
now after twenty or twenty-five years
Of steady cropping. Why? Lack Of
humus chiefly.
The Remedy.
Remedy: Manure, or green crop
plowed under.
Plenty of humus and the diligent
use of the drag, where the ground has
been plowed six 'or seven inches deep.
will ward off the evil effects of almost
any drought the country will ever have
to endure. The pillow should follow
the binder and the drag should follow
the pillow, as we'll as follow every con-
siderable rainstorm until winter sets
in, to secure the best results. And I
am not sure but the wheat should be
dragged repeatedly while 1t is growing.
"Of course this makes the farmer a
lot Of additional work, but the profit of
farming is measured by the work that
brings the results. A farmer is always
at liberty to exercise his own judg-
ment, however.
Don't blame the country, therefore.
when the fault Is all your own. If YOU
must farm in a 20 or % inch rainfall
country as you farmed formerly in a
40 inch rainfall country and suffer from
drought, don't blame the country. A
farmer should conform to natures de-
mands and not expect nature to yield
to his whims.
II know that this Is good country
for God made it. am only trying
TO find out how He intended for US to
use it,"