The Daily Missoulian., 1912-07-01
BIG YIELD DEPENDS
ON T|[LACE
ATKINSON OF MONTANA EXPERT.
MENT STATION SAYS ATTEND
TO THE FAlloW.

The following advice To dry land
farmers is offered by Alfred Atkinson
of the Montana experiment station:
The practice of leaving the por-
ton of the farm which liz to produce
next years crop uncroppcd during the
present season is now very generally
followed byialrs LAND farmers. Since
these fields Yield no returns while fall
low, 1t is important to so handle this
land that the full advantage may come
with the succeeding crop.
The chief advantages which result
from fallowing are: The accumulation
of moisture. the bringing into "A usabie
state of a certain amount Of plant food
In the soil. and the opportunity 10 kill
weeds which .mny lac present. II the
method of falloW management on any
farm does not improve conditions
along these three lines, the practice
ought to be revised IN some of Its
particulars.
The first and most important bene-
fit To be sought is the accumulation
OF the seasons rainfall, On the dry
farm, the moisture reservoir is the
lower soil layers, and this reservoir
ought to be stored to furnish the water
needed for "A large yield the following
year. In clay and loan soils. IL IL cas-
lily possible to store seven or eight
inches of rainfall In. the first eight or
10 feet of the soil. This moisture.
along with the early summer RAINFALL
practically insures II good yield.
In order TO prevent the loss of
moisture from natures reservoir, Il
dam has been provided I'm the soil
mulch. A loose. dry layer on the sur
face prevents the water from evaporat-
Ing into the atmosphere. When the
land has been cultivated and a mulch
established. rain packs down the sur
face and establishes this contact
with the lower layers and the loss Of
water III made possible as soon AS
drying begins. After each rainy period,
and as soon as the soil In dry enough,
To pnlveriZe properly, the falIow should
be given careful surface tillagc. This
stops the loss of moisture. as IL pre-
vents II from getting 10 the surface
where II can eyaporate into the at-
mosphere. Tillage ought To be prompt
ly given. When the dam breaks. al
lowing the water to escape from the
storage reservoir. It is promptly re-
paired. Tho surface mulch liz the
dry farmers dam, and when It's use
fulness has been destroyed by being
packed by rains. IL ought To he re-
paired by cultivation as soon as II liz
In condition. BY all means. carefully
cultivate the fallow al tho close of the
rainy season.
The fallow condition In ideal for
making available the plant food In tn.
soil. With ample moisture present,
we have all of the necessary condl-
tlons-heat. air and moisture and the
organisms which make plant food
available are. active. Conserve the
moisture In the fallow and so insure
the presence OF ample available food
10 build next season's crop.
The question Of weeds IL rapidly
coming to be a serious one on many
recently farms. These pests
Tall to get started ON the native sod,
but Increase rapidly on cultivated
land. Frequent and thorough culti-
vatlon Is the most economic method Of
killing the weeds. The young plants
arc easily destroyed and where they
are Killed when small, there can be no
increase from seed formation. Keep
the weeds down on tho fields and look
out for the weeds around the ditches
and fences"