The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-03-18
CLEARING NEW LAND
Don III. Bark Gives Some Valuable
Suggestions For the Clearing of
New Land

Now that spring is near at hand a
few suggestions in regard to the clear
ing and leveling of land, and the
planting of crops might be of help
to our new farmers in order that
they may not make costly mistakes,
but be able to profit by the expert
ence and observation of others.
1t is never deemed advisable to
plow under sage brush, but it should
be removed before the land is ploW-
ed, either by hand, machine grubbing
or railing with a railroad iron. This
insures a good clean field after plow-
ing and is cheaper and more econo-
mical in the end than blowing under
the sage brush as they cannot be
gotten rid of for years in this way,
no matter how carefully the field may
be gone over with harrow some
are bound to remain and these will
seriously interfere with cultivation
for years to come. For this reason
it is always better and cheaper in
the end if the brush are carefully
removed before blowing.
Leveling Is feature which always
puzzles the beginner on an irrigated
farm but few make the mistake OF
levelling too thoroughly at the out
set, especially If permanent crop,
such as alfalfa, is to be planted. The
cost of good leveling and proper
preparation of the land is saved by
the decreased cost of irrigation, some
times in the first year, and many
times over where permanent crop
that is left for series of years is
planted.
The lay of the land should be
studied and the kind of irrigation
system, whether furrow or flooding
should be determined and then the
main ditch should be laid out so that
the water can be delivered to the
highest corner of the farm. The
proper grade for this main ditch in
soils of average texture on the ordi.
nary farm should be fall of about
n to the rod, although slightly more
or less than this will not be harm.
full. Heavy soils will permit of more
fall in the ditch than the lighter
sandy soils. As a rule the water
should be flooded or run in the di.
rection of the greatest slope If it is
not excessive, as this is the direction
the water will naturally run with
the least attention. If this slope Is
great enough so that serious washing
will occur when the water is run in
this direction, it should be run in
the direction of lesser slope, but all
high spots should be removed and
depressions filled SO that the water
will run uninterruptedly from one
end of the field to the other. II
these knobs and depressIons are ex-
cessive it will be necessary to use a
pillow and scraper after which the or
binary plank leveller shoulI be used.
In some cases on the more even land
the use Of this tool alone will be
found sufficient, but in any case it is
always found best to level the land
thoroughly at the beginning even il
the use of the pillow and scraper are
found necessary. Where depressions
are filled with loose dirt they should
be filled little higher than the sur
rounding undisturbed soil to allow
for the slight settling that will oc-
cur after the water is turned on.
BY using little care and judgment
in this, one will soon become accus-
toned to the levelling and thereafter
1t will be easy to level the land
thoroughly at the beginning.