The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-03-07
CORN As A DRY
FARMING CROP
S U ERINTEN EMIT PORTER
TELLS HOW TO HANDLE THIS
CROP TO GET GOOD RESULTS
FIRST ESSENTIAL is LIVE
STOCK.

I'm all the dry farming areas the
conservation of the rainfall in the soil
where it becomes available to growing
crops is the keystone of successful
agricultural operations" says Superin-
tendent Porter Of North Dakota dem
onstration farms.
This is generally done by the Guilt
walton of the soil during the 'entire
growing season. If no crop is pro-
duced on the land this operation is
called summer falloW or summer cul-
ture. Over most of the dry farming
area nearly if not as good grain crops
can be grown following a cultivated
crop as on summer fallowed land.
When the bare fallow system is
used whole year elapses without any
returns either on the investment or for
the labor performed. If a cultivated
crop can be grown with as good crops
following should more than pay it's
expense which will consist of the cost
of the seed, planting and harvesting;
the cultivation would have to be done
anyway so this should not be counted
against the cost of production of a crop
of corn. Corn is pre- eminently this
crop-first-because it produces an
abundance of cheap feed; second it
shades the soil during the excessively
hot days of July and August, thereby
preventing loss of soil fertility and
third, corn field has a cooling rather
than heating influence on the winds
that blow across it. This may have a
very beneficial effect on surrounding
crops when the temperature is near
the 100 degree mark.
"C.n. most farms in the dry farming
area enough live stock should be kept
to pay most of the running expenses
Of the farm. Hay and pasturage are
very short in such areas and conse-
quently too dear for cheap live tsock
production. Enough corn should be
grown to supply-First, the work
horses with roughage during the win
ter, if not the working season; Sec
ond, to supplement the pastures of the
summer and fall as soiling crop or
in the form of ensilage and to form the
bulk of their winter ration; fourth, to
supply the sheep and hogs cheap fat
tening food for finishing them off in
the fall
THE first essential to corn culture
on the dry farms is live stock, for
without such there is no way of utiliz
ing the corn crop, but if live stock are
kept. feed must be had; the corn crop
can be converted Into beef, pork, NUT
| ton, wool, butter and eggs; commodi-
ties that can always be converted into
cash or it's equivalent. The by-pro-
ducts of live stock (manure) should GO
| back onto the land to replenish the
| diminishing supply Of humus and fer
tilizing elements so essential to large
| yields.
1.-THE second essential to corn Gull
ture is a conviction that 1t will pay
to grow live stock on the corn cror
produced and a determination to grow
corn as their chief feed in spite of adj
verse circumstances. In order to be
successful in growing corn on a dry
| farm tn selection of the proper VARIETY
| is essential. In western North Dakota
and eastern Montana. Squaw, Gehu
Mercer, King Philip and Triumph will
probably prove the best flint varieties
while Golden Dent and Northwestern
Dent will probably prove the best dem
varieties. Good seed is very impor.
tant 1t should always germinatt
strong and IS per cent or better.
THE time to seed is from May 10 t.
I Is in a well prepared seed bed which
has been MANFRED and plowed the fal
before and which has been narrowed
at intervals from the time the sol
had thawed out in the spring until tn,
time Of seeding. Thorough cultivation
| is very important as it warns the soil
/ decreases evaporation of soil water
| and forces the corn ahead very rap
4 idly. On the dry farms the corn shoult
be cultivated after every rain as sooi
as possible in order to bottle all waite
possible in the soil AS soon as tn
corn is cut the land should be disco,
lightly, but it should not be plowed
Should any heavy soaking rains com
after this in the fall the land shout
again be narrowed. In the sprin
wheat should be sown as early as pos
sible, but very rarely should the cor
land be plowed before seeding wheat.
Chen @uav M RmkhskalIAP Moor1aeaf