Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-08-26
HAIRS WING OUT DOLLARS.

Articles Published in the different
western farm journals edited by the
leading advocates OF scientific farm
ing. are constantly agitating the
necessity of carefully tilling the soil
in order to produce the best results.
winch we take pleasure in reproduce
ing, was published in the Dakota
Farmer, and reads as though from
the pen Of Prof. Thomas Shaw. who
has devoted his life's work to make
farming more profitable, interesting
and enjoyable. The article follows:
"a friend writes us: SIN riding
over the country this spring and sum
mer, have noticed that very little
narrowing or discing is done directly
after blowing. Some Of the big trac-
ton outfits draw harrows behind the
plows and occasionally a man draws
Il small harrow or pulveriZer directly
behind his Sulky pillow. 1t is my I'M
derstanding that this is the approved
way Of handling the ground and
have been surprised to see so little of
it done in this vicinity
And we are surprised, constantly
surprised to see farmers turning over
their moist sod and soil, and leaving
it exposed to wind and sun, when
every particle of moisture i'm it means
money if only they would keep it in
the ground for the benefit of follow
ing crops. In an ut all dry country.
this is the greatest possible mistake
q farmer, or would-be farmer, can
possibly make. In no other way can
lie so surely insure a failure for lack
of moisture the coming year. \ leak
in his pocket in which he carries his
money could not be a more fatal one:
and still. as our friend writes, only
now and then do we see a farmer
careful in this matter.
''TEera i many field of grain to-
day that is withered and worthless,
when if the man who ploweu tile
ground had done SO Just as early as
possible after harvest last season.
and lhen never, under amy circnm-
stances, gone to dinner or supper
without quitting III time to pass
tine widesweeping drag or harrow
over the freshly plowed strip. it
might have made fair crop.
at is hard to believe this. isn't it.
Well then, if the experiment stations
of the whole United States and Cana
tla cannot be believed. With the most
successful farmers of Ii z whole
northwest thrown in. try a little strip
yourself, and see how that does
1--WE have been shown wheat on
summer-falloW that had been treated
that way and then narrowed again
after the heavier rains, that grew
over forty bushels Of No. l spring
wheat to the acre. Right beside it
we saw grain OH land that had hee,
turned over Oh exactly the same day
but left unharrowe,l. SO that il driet
down as deep as the ploW Went. thai
did not go twelve bushels. But OH
it is SO mnch easier ia make light Of
these scientific fellows, and to jus
turn over the furrow in the good ok
way and not bother. and let it dry
rs it surely will-down as deep as TIL
pillow goes, and then if the seed viii
not sprOut. or no rains come t
moisten the ground clear down. an,
the wheat won't ill, why just blam
the country, or providence, or botll
1--WE have seen land narrowed clos
behind the pillow, moist from an inc
and a half below the surface to tn
bottom of the eight-inch furroM
while the same land, ten days aftt