The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-09-27
FLOWING IN sEMrARrD REGIONS.
Care Farmer Should Take fol PrOeur-
ing Conservation Of Moisture.

Care Farmer Should Take fol Proeur
ing Conservation Of Moisture,
Perhaps there is no other one thing
that means 20 much to the farmer ii
the semi-arid region as the proper con
serYation Of moisture, says II. +. Pat
terson in Farm, Stock and Home This
is only accomplished by the blowing Of
the soil. The method Of blowing varies
slightly with the different type Of soil
However, the main object Of blowing is
to bury the organic matter SO that il
will quickly decay and 70 prevent tao
moisture from leaving the soil by cap
illary attraction.
How deep TO pillow Is a question that
coufronts the farmers in all parts Of the
country, and it il almost impossible
to give any definite answer to this ques.
ton. Circumstances and conditions
vary with the locality, with the type Of
soil and with the season. This is also
a question that the farmers il each To-
cality must determine for themselves
but If we understand the object OF plow-
ing land aud the effect that i has up
on the soil, we can better understand
how the soil should be handled The
method Of blowing land 10 the fall and
IN the spring will 81 course vary some
what Most OF the sod land in the
semi-arid region Is plowed early in the
spring or summer Plowed at this sea.
son OF the year, there is sufficient mois.
ture to make the blowing quite easy,
and also the green vegetation when
turned under az this time, more quick
IL decays.
Perhaps the best results have been
obtained on dry land by blowing the
soil during the months Of May, june
and July. II the sod Is very still, il
i not possible TO pillow as deep as It
is If tile sod IS less compact A good
rule 20 keep in mind is that the deeper
the farmer plows the more moisture be
win save Il is also found that the
length Of time between blowing and
seeding will have marked effect on
the type of blowing. The land should
ie piowcd long enough before seeding
that II will have some time to settle
and exclude the ugne zee p9l ia em9ginss +
& question that is Of vital Importance
70 the dry farmer.
Sod land that Is plowed IN the spring
for the purpose Of raising a winter crop
Is usually plowed to depth Of about
five on six inches The pillow is then
BIZ disk and harrow The
disk is for the purpose Of packing down
the soil and excluding the excess air
4 soil mulch Is made over the surface I
by the action OF the harrow. Some
farmers disk and harrow their blowing
two or three times ais soon as possible +
after the land has been plowed They
claim that by 50 doing they are bet
ter able to secure a good seed bed. Ex-
perience teaches that better results have /
been obtained BY blowing deep because
il gives the roots and other organic /
matter better chance TO decay, also |
Il makes it possible to place the seeds /
into the moist soil.
Land that mas been plowed in the |
spring must receive care during the I
summer. If we have a good soil mulch /
upon our soil It is possible to save great /
deal Of moisture. This means that aft /
" each rain we should get on and disc
n harrow in order to stir up the sur
face soil and form the much needed /
mulch II the land is to Be plowed late
IN tine fall the method will not differ /
We usually pillow to a
itpth Of from five to seven inches, and 4
then If there IS considerable time be-
fore winter, it Is a good plan to follow +
.he pillow with the disc or harrow Soil \
That has been plowed late enough will E
not lose very much moisture. and ii I
t is allowed to remain open during
The winter season, il viii catch and K
ioId the rains and SHOWS. The action
ii the weather win also tend to pull
rerize the land If land that Is ploved
ssrly il the fall Is not properly cared
ior, it viii become very lumpy and
,loddy. II is almost impossible to work
ihese cIods down in the fall or in tho
ipring. For that reason they should be
lroken up as soon as the land is turned
,yer.
Early in the spring land is not plowed
IS deeply ais it is if handled later In the
ipring or in the fall. This is true be-
ause It Is not possible for the soil 10
settle and for capillary action to be
'ome established IN sufficient time to
PERMIT Of the proper growth Of plants
and plowed in this season should not
e allowed to remain for any length Of
inc after 1t is turnd over, that is,
[ should be disced or narrowed in order
o prevent the rapid evaporation Of
moisture. II this is not done, the land
sill become cloddy and will, therefore,
e very difficult to work
We pillow shallow in the spring, deep
+ IN the summer and still deeper in the
all; also the land should be disced and
after blowing. This, however
) not 50 important in the late spring
flowing as it is at other times The
hing to be remembered is to pillow as
eep as possible, pack the soil down
nd to cover the surface with a dust
mulch