The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-08-10
PREPARE FOR DR0UTH
Farmer Must Pay Particular At
tention TO Soil and Crop.
Perhaps Most important censioers-
tlon IN Connection with Moisture
Conservation is Pio~ing-
Use pisk and Harrow.

CBy r. y. PATTERSON. MOntsna EH-
pertinent Etati0nJ
II is at possible for anyone TO
foretell the season and II Is not the
purpose Of this article 10 Try 70 pre-
diet the amount Of rainfall during the
coming spring and sumner months.
The season Of 1910 was very dry IN
nearly all parts Of the United States;
previous to 1910 we had a number Of
very wet years. A good many au-
thoritiea are Of the opinion that the
wet and the dry seasons alternate.
Il Is not the purpose Of this article
u leave this impression. for the
writer has not access 10 the precipi-
tatlOn tables over a long enough pc
Rod He does not know whether the
coming season viii be dry or vet.
but. in the event that II is dry. II Is
well 10 be prepared for g. Then. II
It should turn OF wet. the extra labor
would still bring one 10 good returns.
To protect himself against a dry
season the farmer must pay pariicu-
lar attention TO the method Of hand
lag the soil and 10 the crops that
are planted. II has been stated that
the equivalent Of about seven inches
Of rainfall can be stored In the soil
by proper methods Of cultivation. II
this amount OF water is saved and II
then there is any rainfall during the
growing season, one is quite sure to
have good yields. II. however, the
soil IL not properly prepared and
moisture has not been saved. and II
then Il turns of dry. there is moth
ing 70 do but to fail.
Perhaps the most important con
sideration IN connection with mois-
ture preservation 10 the plowing. The
land should be plowed as early In
the spring as possible. II should be
plowed to a good depth and the pillow
should be followed Immediately with
the disk and the harrow. The disk
will pack down the land. dll up the
air spaces. aid in decaying the or
ganic matter, and the harrow will
place a dust mulch over the surface.
This dust mulch viii act as a cover
and prevent the evaporation OF mois-
ture
Whether or not Il will pay to seed
crop upon this newly plowed land
is difficult TO say. In some instances
quick-groWing crop would give a
yield and in many Instances II would
not In order TO be on the safe side
/ II is suggested that the land should
I be summer fallowed the FIRST season
and seeded the next fall or the next
I spring BY summer following Is
meant that the land should be cult
I waited or narrowed after each rain
| throughout the summer. A good way
I 10 tell whether the land needs TO be
narrowed or not is to study the phys
I ical condition OF the surface soil. II
I a crust has been formed do not delay
| the narrowing II a large number Of
weeds have germinated and are grow
ing. the quicker the land Is narrowed
the better. The object Of this sum
mer following is to prevent the
evaporation OF moisture
The second consideration that
means success or failure in a dry re-
gon is the crop that is grown. Crops
that are especially well adapted TO
the dry land areas should be used.
The quick-growing varieties seem TO
give the best results. There are both
winter and spring varieties of quick
ly maturing grains. The Turkey Red
wheat seems TO be very desirable for
fall seeding. The seed should be
sown quite early in the fall. This
win give opportunity for a good root
development Then again. the fall
sowing permits the grain to start
very early the next spring. Because
OF these characteristics Turkey Red
wheat will mature before the dry
weather OF July and August. II one
IS 10 SOW a spring grown crop he
should also secure a variety that will
mature In as short a time as possible
and one that has a hardy root
growth. These characteristics will
tide the plant over a dry spell ana
no doubt will mature a crop.
Too much emphasis cannot be
placed upon the method OF handling
the land and in choosing the yarie
ties Of grain that are used.
Humus In Orchard Soil.