The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-01-03
DRY FLOWING HELPS
There Is Nothing That MeIIoWs a
Clay Soil Any Better.
plak Implement 10 Best But Should
Not 30 Used Continuously on
Same Land Because II
Doesn't Turn Soil.

Agriculturists generally advise
against dry blowing. but they do not
know everything about dry farming.
Dry blowing is often necessary and
for clay soils. adobe as we call them.
Is very beneficial. writes r. r. Par
sons in Ranch and Range. There Is
nothing mellows a clay soil any better
than dry blowing and then following
until In condition for planting. TO
plant a crop on field dry plowed
without any following. however. Is to
take desperate chances. ground plowed
without moisture becomes Over-aer-
ated, for air has already taken the
place OF the water which has evapO-
rated, and the process OF blowing In
PRODUCES still more air This large
percentage OF air gradually mellows
and reduces the clay. especially In the
winter months. but the soil is not fit
for crops until SUFFICIENT moisture has
fallen to drive out the surplus air and
rendered the field compact enough for
seeding.
Dry farming In the fall and immedi-
ately planting winter wheat will usu-
ally result In failure except In wet
autumn.
At the time Of blowing the condi-
ton OF the land matters little as long
~ you can pillow deep. that Is the point
and II 1t Is in good tilth by planting
time. that II all that IL necessary.
Plow In the spring for fall planting.
and In the fall for spring planting
should be the rule. and no packing is
necessary for the soil settles from top
to bottom, which u much better than
artificial packing from the surface.
The disk pillow Is the best for dry
blowing. but should not be used con-
tinuously on the same land for the
reason that It does not completely
turn over the soil and when this ia
the case It soon becomes impover.
lshed. therefore. II land II plowed dry
ono year with the disk. ire next sea
son 1t should be plowed wet with the
moldboard.
The effect Of aeratton on the soil IL
to give the gases Of the atmosphere
chance to combine with different
substances In the ground to form
plant food, % q matter Of fact. ouI
western soils are naturally we'll aer
ated. for when water goes out of the
soil, cir comes In. There are no vac
uums In nature. at least not in oul
part OF the universe. but In humid eli
mates the water sometimes blocks tbs
air from getting into the soil and the
effect Of this 10 to sour the land. al
farmer would say. This sourness
~ we call It. 10 really caused by micro
organisms. millions of bacteria ant
bacilli, some Of these are helpful tt
the soil and sometimes are PERM
cious; In water logged soils the lattel
abound, for they live and flourish
without air and without oxygen
Nearly all the benehcent bacteria. OIL
the contrary. cannot live without tn
oxygen contained in the air. There
fore. II IL evident that in order to de
strOy noxious bacteria In the soil tn
best thing to do 10 to turn 1t over Will
the pillow and aerAte II. Farmers VIII
come from the east often think GU
cod land needs aerating before GRO
can be grown on 1t. but this Is mis-
take, as our lands are we'll aerated t
almost any de- pth and the first GRO
on the sod. II It IL plowed deep.
often the best ever taken OF give
piece Of land. After the great waite
period millions of years ago when tn
vghr1n
western lands commenced to dry ou
Al the water evapOrated and lei
Joints. cracks and crevices. these b,
came filled with air. and today whe
We dig clay even a hundred feet vi
foreground. 1t all falls to pieces on a.
count OF these cracks and we call
Joint clay. The frost we let into on
winter fallow is sometimes Of NOR
value than the air. In raising Gro
al we have to worry about Is tn
moisture. was reading the othe
day that we should get the rigi
amount Of air and water into the sol
but Of course, this Ia nonsense, Il
II We got 1t there It would not sta
The amount Of air and moisture
the soil changes every hour of tn
day. The best rule Is to get all tn
moisture you can and let the air tai
care of itself. When the crop
growing the more moisture we ha,
to keep the air out of the ground Il
better. but would not by any meal
say this In humid climate, whel
there Is danger Of water loggn
There is considerable difference b
tween dry farming and wet farmin
and rules which apply to one are We
unlikely to apply to the other. TIL
we often notice great confusion
Ideas among our agriculturists, maj
OF whom are turning from wet far
Ing to dry farming with very little {
perience of the latter.
Cure for Cow.