The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-26
SAVE MOISTURE
FOR CROP OF 1912
suPT. w r. POTTER or THE
DEMONSTRATION FARMS AGAIN
URGES THE FARMERS or THE
STATE TO BE CAREFUL or THE
MOISTURE NOW In THE SOIL.

MOISTURE NOW. in THE SOIL.
The following bulletin has Just been
issued by w r Porter, superintendent
Of the demonstration farms in North
Dakota:
During the latter part OF July and
the early part OF August copious gen.
eral rains have fallen all over North
Dakota, Since then several heavy
showers have fallen In different sec
tons OF the state This rain will do
much to make the crop of 1912, If ii
Is properly conserved. First: 1t viii
help to make large amounts Of plant
food available this fall drought the ac-
ton Of soil bacteria which cannot act
in dry SOIL Second: 1T will make
fall blowing easy and at the same time
the blowing can be done in such a
manner that 1t will put the soil in
good mechanical condition Third:
Water can be stored up for the use Of
next years crop, in many instances in
large enough quantities to insure the
success Of the crop of 1912. Fourth:
Vast quantities of weed seeds will be
made TO terminate and they will later
be destroyed by frost.
How should the average loan soil
be treated to hold the largest amount
or SOIL moisture? Disc as soon as the
binder has cut the grain. This will
conserve much soil moisture that
would otherwise be lost by evapora-
ton. The chief objection to this
method is that it takes lot of power
in harvest time and in many cases
the extra expenditure of labor viii be
too great for the farmer to endure,
who has this years crop to save.
Whether the land has been disced or
not 1t should be plowed as early in the
fall as possible when 1t is wet as it
ds az present. Land 'plowed when
moist as it 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 bet
ter than IL the Jumps are allowed to-
dry into clods. 1t is just as essen
tial to harrow the same day you pillow
as IL is to set concrete the day you
mix It, In many cases the subsoil
packer or corrugated iron roller
should follow the pillow to compact the
furrow slice down upon the subsoil;
this should always be done the day
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
blowing. Such soils should generally
be disced 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
weeds and gets them to terminate i'm
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 field should be disced shallow
as soon as the corn is cut, the disc
should fellow the binder or else the
corn should be shocked UP in straight
rows and the disc can then be used to
good advantage between the shock
rows.
Remember next year may be another
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 disc or early fall blowing, to-
gether 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 pro-
badly yield over twenty bushels per
acre although the rain fall 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 degrees to 100 degrees for
five days in succession with strong
winds blowing from the south. Fields
across the road not treated to con-
serve the soil moisture were a total
failure because the crops had no stor-
ed 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 1t.