The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1910-10-08
SUMNER FALLOWING VALUE
Conserves Moisture for Next Crop and
Readily Supplies Soils With
Needed Humus.

1t is very important how the worl
OF summer following shall be done
The necessity for the fallow may de
pend on several contingencies. 1t may
arise from the foul condition of the
land, from the necessity that exists
for conserving moisture for the next
crop, or for readily supplying soils
with humus where this has been too
much depleted. This means that the
method to be followed will vary some
what with the object for which the
land is falloWed.
Some take the stand that it is IN
| wise to Summer-falloW. Under some
conditions it Is unwise Tell that to
the grower of winter wheat westward
| from the Missouri river in the Da
| hotaS and he knows that to follow
such instruction wouli in great
measure prevent him from growing
winter wheat. Tell that to the grower
of winter wheat in the Big Bend coun-
try and around Walla WalIa in Wash
ington and he will answer that he can
not farm successfully in any other
way. 1t is true, nevertheless, that the
absolutely bare fallow should be avoid
ed where the necessity does not GER
tainly exist for it, for the reason, first,
that no crop is secured from the land
Tor that season; and second, that it is
wasteful OF the elements of plant food,
especially in d season of much rainfall
When the summer-fallow is resorted
to mainly for the purpose OF destroy
Ing weeds, in very many instances
this may be done about as we'll by
growing crop that will be cultivated,
as Tor instance, corn. When falloW.
Ing the land mainly for such a pur-
pose, the first blowing ought to be |
done before any of the weeds mature. Z
While the subsequent cultivation will 1
depend much on the kind or kinds of !
Tue weeds to be tough , it will usually .
be better not to pillow again, but to
work on the surface subsequently with
the harrow or with some form of cul-
uFator supplemented by the harrow
The plan OF blowing the land but once
and then allowing it to lie untouched
Till many weeds grow up again and
produce seed is simply vicious. 1t
means reseeding of the weeds which
the farmer has set out avowedly to de-
5trOy.
When the object is mainly to con
serve moisture to aid in growing the
crop that follows, it is very impor-
ant that the land shall be ploWed at
season when moisture is most abun-
liant, because Of the ease with which
such blowing may be done. If the
and thus plowed is left lying as
urned by the pillow, it will soon lose
is moisture down to the bottom of
he iurrow slice. 1t will also allow
he escape OF moisture in the subsoil
elow, in proportion to the time that
is thus allowed to lie undisturbed.
here are several ways of doing this,
S by using a heavy roller or a disk,
T a plank smoother, ending in each
Instance with stroke of the harrow.
is greatly important that this shall
e done at once as soon as the land +
J plowed. The frequency of the har-
etermined by the judgment of the !
armer. These should be frequent =
nough to- keep that dust mulch on t
lie land. In this way the double pur- t
ose is served of conserving the mois- G
Ire and of keeping the land perfectly t
can. p
When humus is to be put into the e
Dill quickly, usually the plan that "
1ws winter rye in the autumn is a C
bod one. This may be buried before a
oming into head. Subsequently sur II
ice cultivation may follow or a sec t
nd crop may be grown on the land o
II burial, as buckwheat, rape, millet c
: spring rye. If only one crop is u
lried, and if it has been sown the
'evious autumn, winter wheat may u
be put on such land, but IL
two green crops are buried in one
,asOn, sowing must be deferred IN a
r northwestern conditions until the y
flowing spring.