The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-11-25
SAVE SOIL MOISTURE
Disk as Soon as the Binder Has
Cut the Grain.
Land PIowed When Moist VIII Always
Be In Good Mechanical Condition.
Particularly II Followed
Quickly by Harrow.

How should the average loan soil
be treated to hold the largest amount
of soil moisture? Disk as soon as the
binder has cut the grain This will con-
serve much soil moisture that would
otherwise be lost by evaporation. The
chief objection to this method Is that
1t takes a lot OF power in harvest
time and IN many cases the extra ex-
penditure of labor will be too great
for the farmer to endure. who has
this years crop to save. Whether
the land has been disked or not II
should be plowed as early in the fall
as possible when 1t is as wet as 1t
is at present Land plowed when
moist as it is now will always be In
good mechanical condition, particular
ly II followed by the harrow, the
same day 1t Is plowed. The soil is
then broken up and compacted much
better than II the Jumps are allowed
to dry in clods. It is just as essen
tial to harrow the same day you pillow
as It is to set concrete the day you
mix 1t. In many cases the subsoil
packer or corrugated iron roller
should follow the pillow to compact
the furrow slice down upon the sub
soil: this should always be done the
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 disked lightly in the fall as this
puts mulch on the field, thus pre-
venting evaporation of soil water tc
| quite an extent. II also buries many
weed seeds and gets them to germin
ate In the fall. Should the remainder
OF the season be wet, vast numbers o.
wild oats. mustard. wild buckwhea
and other seeds will be started ant
will be destroyed by frost
Corn fields should be disked shallov
as soon as the corn Is cut. the disl
should follow the binder or else thu
corn should be shocked up In straigh
rows and the disk can then be use,
tc good advantage between the shocl
rows.
Remember next year may be anotf
er dry year, with more or less he
winds. If the subsoil contains plent
Of water these conditions will nc
, harm the crop. A small quantity c
| water stored In the soil this fall, b
means Of the disk or early fall pillow
Ing, together with what falls ne,
: year. may take the crop through tire
or four very severe days next Jul
where crops not aided by an extr
store of water In the soil may fail.
Last September six inches of raj
tell at Hazelton. Land plowed afte
this and narrowed three times at II
tervals to keep the mulch in goo
shape was full of water this sprin,
!. Wheat planted on such land will prol
ably yield over 20 bushels per acr
although the rainfall for June an
July was but 1886 inches, ZOO inchs
Of this fell in one hour, so that muc
Of 1t ran off and the balance was
light showers that did but little goo
The temperature was from 95 to II
degrees for five days in succession
with strong winds blowing from Il
south. Fields across the road n,
treated to conserve the soil moistul
were total failure because the crol
had no stored water to sustain the
through their hour of extreme nee
The whole secret of dry farming
TO save the soil water when you ha'
lt-North Dakota Extension Bullet