The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1911-02-24

does not germinate readily, or if there
happens to be moisture enough in the
soil to germinate it when sown, as
soon as that moisture escapes the
crop suffers
Flowing Under Stubbie.
Work into your soil all the humus
possible because of the fact that it
adds to the moisture holding capa-
city of the SOIL if distributed in proper
form. In an early day in the history
of the drier areas the use of manure
was condemned because of the fact
tf at the crop dried out quicker over
a cake that had been plowed under,
than it did elsewhere in the field.
This was for the sole reason that the
crop dries out more quickly where
heavy layer of stubble has been plow-
ed under and the seed sown before
the turrow slice was connected with
the subsoil. The manure spreader has
largely eliminated the prejudice that
once existed against the use of ma
nure for the reason that it distributes
that material in fine from. There are
no cakes left TO plow under and cut
off this movement of the moisture
toward the roots of the plant.
Stubble, weeds, manure or anything
of that character should be disced in.
to the soil-mixed with it-before it is
turned under. BY discing field ahead
of the plow all of this humus can be
properly mixed with the soil, and the
soil itself put in condition that it will
much more RAPIDLY connect with the
bottom of the furrow. The most inn
portant place to use the disc is ahead
of the plow, and we say this almost
regardless of the amount of rainfall
we can depend upon. We will treat of
the importance of this little more
fully in an article on 1.-The Seed Bed, 1"
in later issue.
When the soil we turn under is
thoroughly pulverized, it is not diff
I ficult matter to compact in sufficiently
/ that moisture will come into it from
below within very short time. This
compsctlng can be done either by the
use of sub-surface packer. which is
probobly the most approved and best
tool to use, or if that is not available,
by the use of the corrugated roller,
aud If this is not available by the use
of the disc and the drag repeatedly.
! The use of these tools should not be
limited, nor the WORK discontinued I'M
til thorough connection has been
made between the furrow slice and
the soil below, and the furrow slice it
self compao ted so that moisture will
come up to where the seed is planted
1t is a mighty uncertain proposition
in much of our territory to plant val
liable seed in dry soil. 1t may rair
in a few days, and it may not rain foI
a good many days. 1t is the bust
ness of the dry farmer, and OF ever.
J farmer, to so handle his soil that h,
can always plant his seed where ther,
will be moisture furnished by capil
larity whether it rains or not. An'
from some of the things we have seel
in farmers fields during the past few
years, we are thoroughly conyjnce'
that this can be done almost an.
place in Dakota Farmer territory I'm
less the particular field happens to b
underlaid with coarse gravel.
Different Processes.
There are three steps in the process
of dry farming.
The first is to store the moistur
when it comes-have the field in
condition that whether half an inc
or two inches of water falls in a
{ hour, when the rain is oyer the mois
, ture is ir the field for use during tn
D rest of the season, and If necessary
: some of it to be carried over to star
D the next crop.
The next step Is to compact tn
+ particles of soil 80 that they come
close enough contact with each othe
: that the stored moisture below wi
D come back in natures effort to mois
D ten the surface, or the dry particle
above, and the plants will use thi
I moisture il 1t is held there for them.
, The importance Of this compactio