The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1912-09-20
LESSONS FROM WARNING
Farmers In Humid Regions Of East
Can Gain Suggestions Regarding
Conservation OF Moisture.

From the dryfarming methods
which are 30 necessary to success
throughout the west. farmers In the
more humid districts OF the asst can
often gain valuable suggestions with
regard to the proper conservation OF
moisture. One lesson which may BE-
learned Ia in reference TO the treat
ment OF the small grains. The east
ern farmer usually considers wheat.
oats and barley as crops which cannot
be cultivated. Consequently no atten-
ton is paid to them from the TIM
they are sown until they are ready
TO harvest. Not so with the up-to-
date farmer. He cultivates his grain
fields after every rain from the time
they are we'll started in the spring I'M
I'll they are too high to allow of furth-
or cultivation, says the Country Gen
tleman. The spike-tooth harrow is
used for the earlier workings; as the
grain grows larger the weeder is sub
stituted. BY means of the latter i'm
plement grain may be cultivated al
most up to the time when 1t begins to
head.
The advantages Of this cultivation
are twofold. In the first place 1t
serves to break the crust which is 30
likely to form after the spring rains.
and to close the cracks which the
frost has made In the winter grain
fields. This lessons the evaporation
Of moisture, which is most rapid from
crusted or cracked SOIL and conserves
1t until II is most needed by the grow
Ing crop The advantage OF this pre-
caution is most apparent in the semi
arid districts, but in dry seasons it is
noticeable everywhere
In the east rolling winter wheat as
soon as 1T is safe to go on the ground
In the spring is perhaps to be pre-
ferred to narrowing. II clover is
planted with the wheat 1t should be
sown before the rolling is done. The
rolling covers the clover seed and
the wheat plants where It has been
loosened by heaving. The other effect
Of cultivation is in the keeping down
Of weeds, and for this purpose It is
Just as useful and just as necessary in
the east as In the west. Small weeds
are very easily killed with the harrow
or weeder, and II the work Is properly
done the grain will not be injured.
Three precautions are necessary in
handling small grain. Drilled grain
only should be narrowed, for cultiva-
tion destroys a portion OF the stand
Of that which has been sown broad
cast and SO. lessons the yield. For the
same reason the narrowing should be
done In the direction of the drill rows
rather than across them. Fields on
! which grass or clover seed has been
sown should not be narrowed, for the
young plants are as easily killed by
this treatment as are the weeds None
Of these precautions need be observed
II the roller Is used on winter grain
but the roller is of little or no use in
killing weeds. In the east, except In
the driest seasons. It will not usually
be profitable to harrow grain fields
more than once
Another lesson which may be learn
ed from the dry-farmer is the disking
of land which is to be plowed later in
order to keep the soil from baking un-
til the blowing can be completed
This practice was begun In the west
on grain sbIbble after harvest in or.
der to hold whatever moisture was in
the soil, for usually little rain falls
after that time. Since the disking car
be done much more rapidly than the
blowing there is less chance for evan
grafton, and the land then remains
for some time in good condition fol
blowing.
In addition to remaining in condi
ton to plow for a much longer period
land which has been disked is much
less inclined to break up in clods and
Jumps than undisked soil, and hence
is more easily put in condition fol
planting. The loose earth which Is
thrown to the bottom Of the furrow
unites much more readily with the