Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-17

of course, varies with its proximity
to transportation facilities, with the
character of the land, with the amount
of rainfall in the region, and with the
availability of all the land for cult
walton. In the more sparsely settled
districts good farming land practic'
ally without improvements, can still
be purchased for SO to $25 an acre.
In the more desirable locations un-
improved sod land frequently brings
$25 to $50 per acre, while in the old
or settled districts good farming land
at moderate distance from towns
and railroad facilities is not consid-
cred expensive at $50 to $50 per acre,
depending upon location and improve
ments.
Rainfall Sufficient.
The annual rainfall, except during
years of extremely low precipitation,
is ample for the needs of all the crops
produced, but it is necessary to store
carefully for the use of the crop all
of the moisture which does fall upon
the soil. The failures to farm sue
cessfully upon the lands of this Sec
ton, have been chiefly due to the
employment of methods suited only
to. more humid regions, while the
greatest successes in agriculture
have been attended by a careful ad-
justment of the methods of cultiva-
ton, involving systematic rotation of
crops, the use of drouth resistant va
rites of seed, and the practice of such
methods of tillage as tend to increase
the capacity of the soils for absorb.
ing and storing water for crop use.
Dry land flaming under conditions
OF minimum rainfall differs so ma
terially from the methods ordinarily
employed in humid regions, that the
new settler should familiarize himself
with the very best methods for the
tillage of lands and for the preser-
walton of moisture. He should hold
in mind that the moisture stored in
the soil prior to the planting of the
to the growing crop than the hard
driving rains of the summer show.
ers. For this reason the stubble
land of the previous year should be
thoroughly stirred and loosened by
the use Of the disc harrow. This
can be rapidly and cheaply done and
1t serves as an efficient check upon
the loss of soil moisture from the sur
face and at the same time furnish.
ing a loose, poros layer which greed
lily absorbs the winter rainfall. Thru
this action the land is also more cas-.
lily plowed in the preparation for the
crop at later date.
Fall Flowing.
Fall blowing is generally recon.
mended, since it leaves the ground
rough during the winter, in a condi-
ton better suited to catch and retain
the rain and snowfall. Not frequent.
ly, however,, the ground does not be.
come sufficiently softened in the fall
to permit of blowing it at that time,
and then, of course, spring blowing !
is necessary. The shallow blowing
of heavy sod land at first breaking,
seems to be most generally success.
full when new lands are being broken. |
The sod is turned over to only u |
shallow depth and the tough roots and !
stems of the prairie grass are left ex.
posed to the weather, resulting in the !
decomposition Of the organic matter. |
The best practice usually follows with !
deeper blowing year by year, until a |
desirable depth of breaking is final |!
ly obtained.
intertiiied Crops.
The use of intertilled crops also
has many things to recommend it. |
Where the cultivator is ceaselessly |
run q dry surface mulch is interpos- !
ed between the moist soil surround. |
Ing the plant roots, and the dry at
Then, too, the intertilled !
crops frequently provide more shade |
to the surface of the ground than do
the cerial grains. Both of these con-
ditions tend to check the surface
In extreme cases the |
practice Of summer following, If con-
sistently carried out, serves to store
q sufficient quantity of moisture to !
produce an excellent crop in the sue
ceeding year, but merely leaving the !
land uncropped without cultivation, |
is productive of little, If any, benefi- |
cial result. Summer following can
scarcely be afforded by the beginner
In agriculture in the plains region. |
He must grow crop the first year |
and he must keep at it in order to |!
meet his payments and his annual ex-
penses. Therefore, the intertilled |
crop, at least over a considerable por-
ton of his acreage, is the most de- |
and for such crops potatoes
and corn are the best suited to the
region.
The North Dakota experiment sta
ton at Fargo has produced practically
as much wheat during the four year
period when three crops of wheat
were produced in rotation with one
crop Of corn as could be secured
when the land was consecutively
cropped to wheat for the entire four
years.
For the trial an experimentation in
the best methods of securing q stand
together with the use of only north.
ern grown seed, will undoubtedly en-
able North Dakota farmers to intro
duce and successfully extend the cul-
tivation of alfalfa. inefficient prep
aration of the land, and the lack Of
the best seed, together with slow pro-