Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-05-05
PLO OWING PR Al,R SOD.

itAAuCa UASf1h1A3 ssASA ~ sWA44tsg AIt&SV SS1Vp
until the season Is far adYanced is
ever present with the new settler. He,
is anxious to grow crops that will
bring income and that will furnish
food for his household and such ami
mails as he may own. II the breaking
is done early and deeply, II a good
seed bed is made, If the sowing and
planting are done: early and lie Il the
crops put in include mainly, flax, fod-
dercorn and potatoes, the effort is to
be commended. But If the plow-
ing is shallow and the sowing Is CON
tinued until late in the season the.
process is full Of hazard should the
season prove more than ordinarily dry.
Should the season prove moist, the
results may be fairly satisfactory but
it cannot be known before hand what
the character Of the season will be.
In 1910 many thousand of acres Of
crop we're lost in this fay. A,....
Even though crop should be grown
on all the land thus broken the grain
may be less than is apparent. If a
crop is grown on spring broken sod
there is but little reserve moisture left
in the land. This !. will mean, that
should crop be grown on that land
the following yaer and the. year prove
one of drought, it. would fail. CO
course it would avoid such hazard to
summer fallow the land. If on the
other hand the newly broken sod is
summer fallowed the season when it
is broken, the opportunity is thus fur
nished for getting into the soil re-
serve supply of moisture that will aid
Such a reserve supply will undoubtedly
go down into the soil the first season,
providing the blowing is done not
later than early July, and moisture
and plowed land is properly cared
for subsequently,.
The new settler, therefore, should
aim to be content with a small acre
age sown to crop the first year. He
should rather center his effort on
breaking large amount and prepar-
ing 1t for the next years crop whether
that crop is sown in the fall or the
spring. All diligence should be shown
in breaking until the moisture leaves
the : soil. It may -. probably done
more easily in May or June than dur
ing any other months because of the
precipitation taat is then likely:rto &C.
cur. Every effort should be made to
turn over every furrow that can be
turned over at su CHI a time,gbeeaus tof
tine Influence Which such a course viii
have On the crop of the next$year
The more the land that is thus broken
the larger will be the area that may be
depended on to grow good crop the
following year providing that the land
is properly managed in the interval.
| What is to understood by proper
management? It mean blowing care
fully and deeply, not less deeply as a
rule than six inches and turning the
sod carefully over. When blowing is
thus deeply at the first, it is possible tc
pillow thus deeply subsequently, ever
though the weather should be dry
Those who employ power; plows
should insist on having the soil plowet
thus deeply. :.@. ...
AS soon as the land is plowed i
should be compressed to prevent thu
escape of moisture. This may be done
by using a roller, disk and harrow i,
4 quick succession. In the absence O
the roller and disk and harrow ma,
suffice. When disking the aim shoul'
be not to turn up, the sods to any a1
preciable extent. The dust mulch mad
1 by the harrow which follows; the dis
q should be kept up until winter whea
: is sown in the autmn,. or until tn
end of the season, If spring grain I
. to follow. The frequency of the. r.
newal of the dust mulch will dep,en
somewhat on the frequency, and 6,
tent of the shower that fall. ,Afet
: any considerable rain, the ground i
much liable to crust and to crack ope
i When it shows such indications, tn
harrow should be at once used. d }9s{}::a
= W. Land thus broken and thus manage
q will grow a crop the following yea
: under, normal weather conditions an
correct planting. OF that there nee
: not be any doubt. The same cannt
. lbe said Of land broken and left throug
the summer as the pillow left it. Nc
81 an the same be said Of sod broken
. nesdry fall. It may produce a Gro
81 IN either case but 1t may moi. Tlh
outcome will depend on the seasol
. lWhereas In the former instances i Gro
t lliiss'5 assured. # should be thegendeaLV1o
n therefore, Of every new settler to- e
n all the land broken in May and Jun
that can be broken. Every emo