Bismarck daily tribune., 1911-12-08

1oO u'AAO 1
yard manure and good tillage win
preserve its fertility. No farmer is
worthy the name who does not aim to
give back to the soil an equivalent of
what the crops take from it, or who
does not give his fields thoro cul-
tivation.
Moreover, the larger and surer pro-
fits always realized from the formal
denyde treatment of the seed grain,
from the application of manure and
| and deed blowing and thorough tillage
should commend themselves to ev-
cry progressive farmer without per-
suasion or argument.
A lack of system in q comparative
ly new country, it requires time to
perfect general and somewhat uni
form system of farm management.
This lack of system is distressingly
apparent in every section Of the state.
Many farmers still persist in fol-
lowing the single crop fallacy; of
growing wheat continuously on their
farms. In the long run-and not so
very long at that-the soil becomes
Impoverished of humus and other
forms Of plant food. It also becomes
foul with weeds and infected with
fungi. When these conditions prevail
the crops are subject to punishment
they cannot withstand except under
climatic conditions thai happen to
be almost perfect, which seldom
occurs. Small grain should be given
the best possible chance for develop
ment and not unnecessarily sub
jected to hardship and disease.
With good seed bed to start with
seed properly treated for the purpose
of destroying disease spores and that
Is otherwise clean, sound, and of good
termination strength, and with suff1.
cient moisture to nourish the growing
plants from seed time to harvest, no
country can excel western North
Dakota for productiveness. But all
these conditions are seldom present.
There's the rub. Then what is the
remedy?
Effect Of Drought.
Unquestionably the greatest foe to
agriculture in western North Dakota
is lack Of sufficient rainfall between
seed and harvest. This is equally
true of all parts of the state and for
that matter OF states 'ithin the humid
belt. But whose fault is It? why
should any farmer permit an element
co necessary and essential as water
to run to waste or needlessly evap.
crate when it ia the determining fac
tor that regulates the harvest? If
sufficient rain does not fall during
the growing period, then what falls
out of the growing period must be
conserved as we'll. This is the key
to successful agriculture in every re-
gion of limited precipitation and farm.
ers who ignore 1t, ignore It at their
peril.
Why This Fertility?
The very fact that your soil is ex.
cedingly fertile is owing to- limited
rainfall. Excessively humid countries
are not fertile, except the swamps
which receive their incessant toll OF
soluble plant food, carried thither
by the run-off from the uplands. The
sea also receives a large share of
soluble fertility, but never gives it up
again. We, of the Dakotas, therefore,
should be thankful for our fertile
prairies and for the fact that by con-
serving the natural precipitation,
there will al. ays be moisture in
abundance. This will require work.
1t will require large amount OF ex-
ira work, but the results will more
then justify the labor required.
The Effect Of Weeds.
Weeds sap the earth of moisture.
They are a nuisance in every way.
AS we'll attempt to feed pig and a
lamb out of the same trough. with
just enough milk for the pig, and
expect a good crop Of wool and NUT
ton. The weed is a pig after moisture
and being wild degenerate thing,
manifests neither mercy nor courtesy
to other plants.
Get rid Of them. It is easier to rid
the fields OF weeds than to conserve
moisture to nourish a crop of weeds
and have enough moisture left to |
mature q decent crop of grain. The
farmer who goes into partnersh1p
with weeds must expect to give them
the cream of the moisture and the
fertility without either thanks or pro-
fit from them.
Keep the Soil Fertile.
Where the soil is kept highly fertile
but little more than half as much wa
ter is required to make crop as
where fha coil Ia worn out and tdin