The Ordway new era., 1912-12-13

treatment usually given general field
crops and the grower will be we'll re.
paid for the extra labor In thorough
preparation Of the soil. f7
Do not work your land too dry,
neither TOO wet. II too dry 1t will
break up 10 large Jumps and 1t will be
slmost impossible to pulvertze them
during the whole season. II worked
too wet the soil will bake and get
hard and dry out sooner than 1t
should. ...-
About one week before planting
time make your irrigating burrows
not less than six feet apart by using
some good ditching tool. like the ten.
inch single shovel. and then run log
through the burrows SO as to make
them perfectly smooth. After this
work has been finished run water
through all OF the burrows. BY doing
this you not only insure perfect and
uniform stand, but you also make
guage line to plant seed by. Plant
the seed on level with the water line
In the furrUw.
The essential points In planting are
to get the seed planted at uniform
depth and at q uniform distance from
the irrigation furrow, to have the soil
tine and irmed just right, to skillfully
conserve and apply moisture and keep
crust from interfering with the
young plants. s.
In securing a stand the first re.
quisite is 70 have the weather warm,
for warmth and moisture are the two
essentials 10 seed RermiDatiOn. Many
growers make the mistake of plant
Ing while the ground is yet cold. with
freezing temperature occurring every
few nights.
As to cultivation shall not at
tempt to lay down rule as to the
frequency necessary to maintain good
tiltb nor manner In which the work
may be best accomplished.
1t should be borne 10 mind, how.
ever, that the object Of maintenance
Of : illage is to preserve ideal condi-
tI0ns of soil mellowness, hence the
formation OF crust must be pre-
vented.
Some growers get the wrong idea
about hOeing cantaloupes, thinking
the term means thorough .loosening
OF the soil around the plants. This is
very serious mistake; the roots are n
net work OF nbers and don't want to
be disturbed; then hoeing should be
done only for the removal OF weeds
and the loosening OF the top surface
soil around the plants, only necessary
because we can reach the Immediate
space around the plants In our culti.
walton. Every farmer wishes To pro-
duce a banner crop. M one factor
will be more Instrumental in prOduc-
ing such a crop than immediate at
tention to cultivation OF the fields.
This Is absolutely necessary for the
eradication of weeds and the conserva-
tion OF soil moisture. The timely
culture OF cantaloupes not only helps
the crops but also materially aids sue
cecding crops. BY paying proper at
tentiOn to cultivation cantaloupeS
can be easily made to yield so to 100
crates more per acre than they would
yield as a result OF improper methods
OF soil culture.
The initial cultivation should be
quite deep, from three to four inches.
or even deeper. ~ there is no danger
at this time OF injuring the plants by
disturbing the roots. BY rigid atten.
tion tn weed eradication and mOis.
ture conservation a bumper crop will
be assured.
| Worst Pests:-Weeds are every
where in evidence On American farms
and exact toll that Is stupendOus.
Not only do we see them In possession
OF the fence rows and irrigating
bitches and highways, but many cul.
tivated fields support as many weeds
as other plants. Not only is there no
profit In growing weeds, but they re-
duce the profit which the planted
crop might bring. They shade the
ground and steal the plant food which
should go to our crops. thus reducing
both quantity and quality. What is
needed in this matter Is the same as
| in making Il success OF anything else.
a determined effort to pull and cut
all weeds as they appear.
Soil aeration is promoted by efficient
tillage, both preparation and main
tenance, which creates and maintains
a loose, friable condition Of soil per
mitting the circulation of air among
soil grains. also by good drainage, for