The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-04
HOW TO MAKE A
GOOD SEED BED
PRESIDENT WORST DISCUSSES
THIS MOST IMPORTANT PHASE
or FARM WoRK-ALso DIS.
cUssEs THE AFTER cuLTIvA.
TON OF THE CROP.

"A proper seed bed is of prime inn
portance and under no circumstances
should it be neglected. said Pres. T. III.
Worst of the A. C. today. without
perfect seed-bed, good crops can
scarcely be realized, save. perhaps.
during seasons when weather condi-
tons are exceptionally favorable. Even
during the most favorable season. a
good seed bed should materially in
crease the yield of small grains Too
many farmers till the ground, appar-
entity for the sole purpose of obtain
ing loose dirt to cover the seed. This
IS mistake. A good seed bed con-
slsts of firm earth. That is, the fur
row slice must be packed down firmly
against the subsoil so that no clods
or trash shall cause or admit of open
ings or large air spaces below the sur
face.
The fact that much of the land was
quite dry when plowed last fall makes
1t all the more necessary to give IL
ample cultivation this spring before
the land is seeded. The large humps
turned under by the pillow, should be
thoroughly crushed with disc or SUBJ
sou packer before seeding. Going over
t once with either Of the implements
Just named may not be sufficient.
NO work on the farm the coming
season promises larger returns for the
labor employed than what may be
necessary to thoroughly crush the
Jumps and pack the furrow slice ARMY
against the soil below, regardless of
the number of times the ground must
be worked in order to secure This re-
suit. This Is one reason why corn
stuoble land is so sure to produce a
good crop. The frequent cultivation of
the corn the year previous not only
conserves moisture, but firms the soil
down against the subsoil, thus MAX
ing perfect seed-bed.
After Cultivation.
After the perfect seed-bed is pro
vided and the seed drilled inland
only clean, plump, tested and formal
dehyde-treated seed, under any cir
cumstances, should be planted-the
next and important thing is to insure
moisture for the growing grain. or
course, If timely and abundant show
SSS @S~AeS LAC AuCSllOAl III need
not worry the farmer. But will time
ly and abundant showers fall? They
did not fall last year. They may not
fall this season. All this optimistic
rot about 'the coming crop being prac-
tically assured on account of the past
winters snowfall or the beautiful and
beneficial snow of Monday morning
should not fool a single farmer. The
winter and spring SHOWS help but do
not insure crop by any means. Never
mind the real estate boomers prophe-
CIV, but save ali the moisture YOU pos
sibly can for the growing crop. Don't
trust anything to providence. in the
matter of timely and abundant show
ers until you have done your best In
the way Of conserving what moisture
there is in the ground, as we'll as stor.
ing UP what may fall during the grow.
ing season. This storing up of mofs-
ture is accomplished by cultivation
Some seasons require more cultiva-
ton than others, but all seasons
nearly all-require a plenty.
Whenever a crust forms on the sur
face of the field, usually the result oil
beating rainstorm, break it up with
harrow or weeder. Good judgment
must be used, of course, not to har-
row or weed the ground when 1t is
too wet or when the grain is small anC
easily covered up, but the fields may
be dragged with safety just as the
grain is peeping through the ground;
then once or twice after it is up sew
eral inches high. Even when half.
grown, should conditions warrant, the
weeder may be used to good advant-
age. When the grain is heading and
filling. 1t needs plenty of moisture AM
the last wedding, or breaking up of the
crust. may retard evaporation SUM-
ciently to insure a much larger WELD
than would be realized under the dry
err conditions that would prevail should
the frequent civilizations above allud-
ed to, be neglected.
1.-THE farmer that takes no stock In
this sort of seed-bed nor In this after
cultivation is, nevertheless. invited to
try 1t thoroughly on small tract-sa5
five or ten acres--and note the result
Try the experiment annually for five
years and, IL possible, on the same
tract.
THE fact that last season was ex.
ceptionally dry and the sub-soil has
already been drawn upon for most oil
its moisture content, Cat least this Il
true of many sections) makes it all the
more necessary for farmers to USE
every precaution against insufficiency
of precipitation; to not only conserve
what there is but to save up as much
as possible of what falls during the
spring and early summer. If the sea.
son should prove to be one of abundant
rainfall, all the better. The cultiva.
ton alluded to will store up moisture
for next year. BY following this plar
there never need be any fear d
drought, once a sufficiency of moisture
Is stored up to reach into the succeed.
ing year. The time to store up mois.
ture, however, is when we have 1t
The time to begin is now"
Nearly fifty acres of ground near
Paris are devoted to raising young
trees OF peculiar shape for umbrella