Graham guardian., 1911-12-22
SAVE SOIL MOISTURE
Disk as Soon as the Binder Has
Cut the Grain.
Land Plowed When Moist VIII Always
Be In Good Mechanical Condition,
Particularly II Followed
Quickly by Harrow.

How should the average loam soil
be treated to hold the largest amount
of soil moisture? Disk as soon as the
binder has cut the grain. This will con-
serve much soil moisture that would
otherwise be lost by evaporation. The
chief objection to this method Is that
1t takes lot of power In harvest
time and In many cases the extra ex-
penditure of labor will be too great
for the farmer to endure. who has
this years crop to save. Whether
the land has been disked or not 1t
should be plowed as early in the fall
as possible when 1t is as wet as 1t
Is at present. Land plowed when
moist as 1t is now will always be in
good mechanical condition. particular.
ly If followed by the harrow, the
same day 1t is plowed. The soil Is
then broken up and compacted much
better than If the Jumps are allowed
to dry in clods. It is just as essen
tial to harrow the same day you plow
as 1t Is to set concrete the day you
mix 1t. In many cases the subsoil
packer or corrugated iron roller
should follow the plow to compact
the furrow slice down upon the sub
soil; this should always be done the
day the land Is plowed while the fur.
row slice is moist.
Sandy soils that are inclined to blow
should generally be left for spring
plowing Such soils should generally
be disked lightly In the fall as this
puts a mulch on the field. thus pre-
venting evaporation of soil water to
quite an extent 1t also buries many
weed seeds and gets them to germin-
ate in the fall. Should the remainder
OF the season be wet, vast numbers Of
Wild oats, mustard. wild buckwheat
and other seeds will be started and
will be destroyed by frost.
Corn fields should be disked shallow
as soon as the corn Is cut, the disk
should follow the binder or else the
corn should be shocked up in straight
rows and the disk can then be used
to good advantage between the shock
rows.
Remember next year may be anoth-
er dry year. with more or less hot
winds If the subsoil contains plenty
Of water these conditions will not
harm the crop. A small quantity of
water stored in the soil this fall, by
means of the disk or early fall plow.
Ing. together with what falls next
year, may take the crop through three
or four very severe days next July,
where crops not aided by an extra
store Of water in the soil may fail
Last September six inches Of rain
fell at Hazelton. Land plowed after
this and narrowed three times at in
tervals to keep the mulch in good
shape was full of water this spring.
Wheat planted on such land will prob
ably yield over 20 bushels per acre,
although the rainfall for June and
July was but 3.36 inches, 200 inches
OF this fell In one hour, so that much
OF It ran off and the balance was In
light showers that did but little good.
The temperature was from 95 to 100
degrees for five days In succession,
with strong winds blowing from the
south Fields across the road not
treated to conserve the soil moisture
were a total failure because the crops
had no stored water to sustain them
through their hour Of extreme need.
The whole secret Of dry farming is
to save the soil water when you have
lt.-North Dakota Extension Bulletin.