Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-09-20

Il will hold moisture, which win be-
come ice by the winter freezing, and
stay frozen until the frost goes out
in the spring, when II will probably'l
lift the wheat plant out Of the
ground. We were terribly disappoint-
ed in a wheat crop some twenty or
twenty-five years ago. We had turn
ed under about ton of second
growth clover to the acre, and sowed
the field to wheat. We expected
fine crop. and for the reason above
stated had failure.
1t goes without saying that the
blowing should be done as soon as
possible after the oats crop is re-
moved, in case wheat follows oats.
There are various reasons for this:
1t is most admirable way Of killing
weeds. What rubbish Is turned IN
der has more time to decay during
the hot weather in August and early
September. and the ground has time
to settle, particularly 50 II generous
rains come. On accuont Of the delay.
ed threshing, 1t has not been possible
to pillow early this year; but the ear
Tier the land is plowed the better.
The harrow should by all means fol-
low the pillow Just as soon as possible
On our recent trip we saw farmers
blowing their wheat land where the
land was wet, in the lower places too
wet to plow, and II turned over
sleek and greasy. The hot days that
follow at this season Of the year viii
convert such land into clods, which
require great deal Of labor to pub
verize, and even then 1t cannot be
done successfully. This may be avoid
} ed, or the bad results at least mini
mixed, by stopping before unhitchins
for dinner or supper in time to ruI
: good, heavy harrow over the LIANT
} that has been plowed during tn
day. This has two purposes: It vii
{ prevent clod formation on soil in fal
3 condition; and 1t win settle the lam
+. and help compact the under part Q
the turned furrow.
I This Is the ideal to which ever
: farmer should strive in wheat grow
: ing. The means to secure 1t may di
fer each year. On one Of our farm
d this year we harvested forty-five an
b a half bushels per acre on a field tn
e meaured thirty-seven acres. This Ian
n was not plowed at all. 1t was in tn
v drouthiest part of the drouth sectio
e in Iowa. The drouth had done tn
e blowing and the settling and all tn;
n needed to be done was to provide,
i disking, two or three inches of mello
ground on the surface, and then US
h the drill so as to put the seed G
7. the hard surface below. To hay
g plowed this laid would have been
II mistake. To follow the same methC
S. this year would be a mistake. \
h man can tell the farmer how to {
% it. The farmer, If he keeps his ey'
Y. open and has the ideal in his hea
r will know better how to do it thS
" any man can tell him.
Having secured an ideal seed bed
h. and this ideal seed bed is the SAN
X in every part Of the wheat secio
Is north or south-the next point is Il
e. time to SOW. We cannot set the pI
le else date for sowing in any sectio
lie The best directions we can give abo
is 1t is that it should be sown so that
h. will have time to cover the groul
ell before freezing is to be expecte
This will vary with the season al
with the latitude.
VI A man sowing wheat in northe
Iowa or Minnesota should get it
N in the first half Of September,
90 cause the growing season is shortt
IN He is taking some chances II
q waits as late as the first Of Octobe
nc whereas, the man in the southe
no part Of our territory would make
a mistake II he sowed wheat so ear
N, and for two reasons: The season
be longer, and the grain has a long
or time to protect itself against wintt
ne and may even grow too rank. II
,w main reason, however, is that I'll
90 early sowing Is an invitation to b
ri