The Ordway new era., 1912-08-16
LESSONS FROM DRY.FARMlNG
Farmers In Humid Regions Of East
Can Gain Suggestions Regarding
Conservation Of Moisture.

Farmers In Humid Regions OF East
Can Gain Suggestions Regarding
Conservation Of Moisture.
From the dry-farming methods
which are SO necesasry to success
throughout the west. farmers In the
more humid districts OF the east can
often gain valuable suggestions with
regard TO the proper conservation OF
moisture. One lesson which may be
ment Of the small grains. The east.
ern farmer usually considers wheat.
oats and barley AZ crops which cannot
be cultivated. Consequently no atten.
ton Ia paid to them from the time
they are sown until they are ready
to harvest. Not 80 with the up.to-
date farmer. He cuitivates his grain
fields after every rain from tho time
they are we'll started In the spring un.
til they are too high to allow OF furth.
cr cultivation. says tho Country Gen.
tleman. Tho spike.tooth harrow II
used for the earlier workings: as tho
grain grows larger the weeder IL sub.
stituted. BY means Of tho latter i'm
plement grain may be cultivated al
most up to the time when It begins to
head.
The advantages Of this cultivation
are two.fold. In tho FIRST place 1t
serves to break tho crust which In 80
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
It until It Is most needed by tho grow
Ing crop. The advantage Of this pre-
caution Is most apparent In tho semi
arid districts. but In dry seasons It Is
noticeable everywhere.
In the east rolling winter wheat As
soon rs It 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. Tho
rolling covers the clover seed and
also firms the soil about the roots Of
tho wheat plants where It has been
loosened by heaving. The other effect
OF cultivation 10 In the keeping down
OF weeds. and for this purpose It 10
just rs useful and Just as necessary in
the east MS In the west. Small weeds
are very easily killed with the harrow
or weeder. and II the work Is properly
done tho grain will not be injured.
Three precautions are necessary in
handling small grain. Drilled grain
ton 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 MS are the weeds. Meme
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 dlsking
Of land which Is to be plowed later in
order to keep the soil from baking un-
til the plowing can be completed.
This practice was begun in the west
on grain stubble after harvest in Or
der to hold whatever moisture was in
the soil. for usually little rain falls
after that time. Since the disking can
be done much more rapidly than the
plowing. there is less chance for evap-
grafton. and the land then remains
for some time in good condition for
plowing.
In addition to remaining in condi
tion to plow for 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 for
planting. The loose earth which is
thrown to the bottom Of the furrow
unites much more readily with the
furrow slice. and no larger air spaces
are left.
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