The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-02-08
DIVERSIFIED IDEAS ON
DIVERSIFIED FARMING N
CONVENTION TODAY
Continued from Page ~


Continued from Page ~
moisture in the soil will begin to es-
cape. This must be stopped. 1t may
be stopped by running the harrow
over the ground. In this way the
dust mulch Is renewed. This ought
to be done after. every heavy rain or
after every considerable rain during
the season.
In addition TO-, Keeping the dust
mulch on the soil. the ground must
be kept clean, weeds will sap the
moisture out Of the land as we'll as
grain. They will do 90 more quickly
than grain. as they grow faster. They
must not be allowed to do this. The
summer fallow must be kept clean.
The next spring fine but not neces-
sarily deep seed bed should be made
on that land, and if grain is sown on
1t In season, 1t will make fair crop.
When corn is grown 1t may be
grown OH stuhble land. 1t is usually
better II the corn ground is plowed
in the fail. especially If 1t can be
plowed deeply, but 1t may answer
sometimes about as we'll to pillow is
early in the spring. The ground
should be kept clean. The cultivation
given to the corn will tend to con-
serve the moisture in the soil. After
the corn has been harvested. the disk
and the harrow only should be used
In preparing a seed bed for the grain
that will follow. On land thus pre-
pared a fair crop may be looked for
the following year. The same result
will follow potatoes, beans and field
roots, but the work must be carefully
and properly done.
By summer following land one
year, and following with grain, by
following. the grain with corn and
corn with. grain. three crops may thus
be obtained from the land in four
years. BY this system of farming
fewer acres will be sown, but the
grain grown will be more, because OF
the very great Increase in the yield
The chief hazard to grain after
summer fallow is that the grain may
grow too much straw in a season Of
unsual growth, but this will not hap.
pen very often. Because of this haz.
ard 1t is safer to grow grain after
corn, unless where the conditions
are unusually dry.
| When sowing grain in dry areas
the amount Of seed sown must b,
given careful consideration. AS mois.
ture is abundant 1t is in order tx
sow more seed. As moisture become,
scarce it is in order to SOW less seed
Where the rainfall is not more thai
fifteen inches in a year, not NOR
than four pecks Of wheat should b,
sown on we'll prepared land, and ii
some instances even less amour
will prove more satisfactory. Abou
four pecks each Of oats or barley viii
also suffice, and five pecks Of rye. L
larger quantities Of seed are sown
the plants produced will be too mum
erous, that is, there will be NOR,
plants than the moisture will proper
ly sustain. The plants will be dwarf
ed, the heads will be dwarfed ant
the grain in the heads will be dwarf
ed. 1t is not wise to. try and grow
crops Of grain in dry areas by SOW
ing large amounts of seed. The ain
should be to adjust the amount o
seed sown to the conditions as t,
moisture.
Again, in dry land farming atten
ton must, be given to the narrowing
Of the grain after 1t, has appeared
above the surface Of the ground. TIL,
number of the harrowings called for
the kind Of harrow to use, and tn,
way in which it ought to be used
will be influenced by the condition.
Of soil and climate. Usually it viii
be good policy to harrow twice, ant
In a dry season, more frequently. TIL.
first narrowing should be given JUS
when the plants begin to appear. TIL.
harrow teeth should be given mucl
of backward slant. This will sti1
the surface Of the ground, will de
stroy innumerable weeds that are
sprouting, and will aid in preventing
the escape Of soil moisture without
harming the grain. The second har
rowing should not be given until til.
grain is four to five inches high, les
some of the plants should be buried
The third narrowing If given. should
be still later, and If fourth harrow.
ing is given it should be when thu
grain is probably eight to ten inches
high. A light harrow is the best fol
such work. 1t should take a wide
strip in order to get over the grount
quickly. 1t should be driven along
rather than across the rows Of grain
Much judgment, however. must b.
exercised when using the harrow
When properly used 1t will accomp
lish great good. When improperl!
used 1t may do harm.
1t is surprising how much Of {
crop can. be grown under very DIR,
conditions. At the Great Northern rail.
road demonstration farm at Chester
the spring wheat crop went nearl,
thirteen bushels to the acre. Ont
kind of oats went eighteen bushels
At another OF these farms the durum
spring wheat went twenty bushels
per acre and the oats went thirt,
bushels. The rainfall from Septem.
Der to September was less than sever
inches and during the period ol
growth it was trifle over three and
one-half inches. In the localities
where these crops crew. the gras.
never got green through the summer
II crops are to be grown with Ger.
tainty In North Dakota. and especial.
~ west of the Red river valley, they
must be- grown essentially on the dry
land plan. II the season should not
| nrnvA dry the Weld rAau1tinn will he