The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1910-01-21

NOTllldH II. HOluoiI, Olo UlS uTy
land farmer of this valley, was in Dill
lon today and gave out some valuable
information relative to that sort Of
farming says special dispatch from
Dillon to the Anaconda Standard.
His ideas are based upon several
years actual experience. and there
are no theories about them. He
said:
"The worst mistake new man
at the business can make is to attempt
to grow a crop the first year. My
advice to the new dry land farmers
who are taking up the bench lands in
this and other parts of Montana and
who have had no experience in grow
ing crops in an arid section without
irrigation is to start plowing as early
as possible in the spring. Take a
roller and harrow to the field with
you, and after plowing new ground
until about IL o'clock in the morning,
hitch to the roller and roll the land
down the same way as you plowed it..
Then hitch to the harrow and go
over it with implements until you
have mulch of fine dirt about three
inches deep.
This treatment puts your soil in
good shape for conserving the mois-
ture you need to do no other work on
it again during the season other than
to go over it with a harrow occasi-
onally, when it needs it. If rain
comes that packs the soil and makes
crust on top, get into the field with
harrow Just as soon as the soil is
dry enough to not stick to the har-
row and break this crust, or your
moisture will all disappear. If
drought comes you must harrow. Go
into the field and scrape up the dry
mulch with your hand to the damp
soil about three inches below. If
you see the dryness is extending
down, then harrow. You should re-
member that three inches of nice dry
mulch on top is the dry farmers
water right.
"The practice of narrowing after a
rain not only breaks the crust and
conserves the moisture, but it also
lets air into the soil.
''There are more crop failures on
dry land farms because the soil does
not get air than for want of moisture.
When one grasps the idea that air is
necessary to successful cropping, he
begins to he dry land farmer.
"There is diversity of opinion on
the depth new land should be ploWed,
but my experience has taught me that
five inches is deep enough. If one
plows deeper and turns up poor soil
to the top it takes the air a long time
to enrich that soil. And then five
inches can be turned up much more
cheaply than eight or nine inches.
The advocates of deep plowing virtu-
ally dispute capilarity, thus showing
a total lack Of knowledge of the prin-
ciples of the movements Of soil mois-
ture.
"Sod land, powed, rolled and har-
rowed in the spring, is ready for win
ter wheat to be SoWed in August.
After the grain is up and there comes
a rain, get out with your harrow and
go over the land crossways of the
nj ho i-t TO tn - lr
winter with as much mulsh over the
grain as possible, for this overcOmes
the evi effects of chinooks during the
winter.
"Red Turkey wheat has been found
the most satisfactory by me. Rye is
a hardy plant and will give an
abundance of fall pasture. If a spring
crop is to be grown, double disc the
land late in the fall and leave it
rough for the winter, and in the
spring harrow the land as soon as the
frost is out of the top. If wheat is
to be sown in the spring, the Kubanka
strain of macaroni will be found the
very best, for it is strong droutf
register If one desires good feed fol
anything on the farm, he cannot dc
better than to plant the Canadian
field peas. 1t does remarkably well
under arid conditions, can be har
vested by the stock and it is a great
nitrogen gathering plant, which
leaves the soil enriched for crop ol
wheat or anything else.
"Alfafa is friend to the dry lanC
farmer. If SoWn on Summer-tille(
soil one need have no fear but tha
hell get good crop the following
year This is one of the few plant
that can be grown without sum
mer's tilling, also, thus saving who'll