The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-06-07

authorities whether II pays to harrow
wheat and other sowed crops. there Is
no difference OF opinion regarding the
necessity or value OF frequent cultiva-
ton Of corn and Of all other crops US l.
ally planted In rows. The main pur-
pose being, as described here, to keep
down the weeds and maintain a mel
low soil mulch as far as practicable
during the growing season of the crop.
There il some disagreement regarding
the depth and frequency of cultivation
desirable. The writer favors rather
deep cultivation in our drier. hotter
climate. and after every hard rain II
possible or at least sufficient to keep
the weeds in check
1t is not necessary or practicable to
attempt to cultivate after every rain.
and there IL no virtue In the admoni-
ton Keep the cultivator going in q
dry time" II the soil has been well
stirred and the mulch Is Of sufficient
depth, to cultivate again would be a
loss Of time and might do actual harm
by drying out the deeper portion OF
the soil mulch and also causing a too
fine and dusty condition OF the surface
soil unfavorable to the absorption of
moisture when the rain comes and IA
vorable to the blowing or drifting OF
the soil in strong winds.
Such a system of culture az out
lined here Is intended 70 favor the
conservation of soil moisture, and is
thus especially adapted to regions
where a limited or irregular rainfall
makes the most careful methods OF soil
culture necessary in order to store and
conserve the water In the soil and get
the most use from IL In the produc-
ton Of crops. The principles stated
above have been known and practiced
morV or less for long time. In fact
dry farming is simply good tillage
and thorough cultivation Of the soil,
at the right time. in the right way, and
in a systematic manner.
Scientific farming pays, everywhere
'.le writer believes in the practicable
ity Of thorough tillage and good culti-
walton on every farm, and the increase
in crops by such farming will more
than pay for the extra labor. But the
great problem in western agriculture
today Is not how to get larger crops
out Of the soil for a few years, but
rather how to produce paying crops
every year and at the same time main
tain the fertility and productiVeness Of
the land.
Simple tillage will not maintain soil
fertility. 1t becomes necessary finally
to replace the plant food, exhausted by
the continuous growing of crops. with
the application Of manure, or chemical
fertilizers, and by green manuring and
the rotation Of crops, in which the le-
gume crops. such as alfalfa or clover
or field peas or vetch. are introduced
In order to restore again the nitrogen
and organic matter, the supply OF
which has become more rapidly re-
duced by intensive cultivation.
The supply of organic matter may be
in part maintained by blowing under
IL stubble and by carefully saving the
straw and manure and returning 1t
again to the soil.
A regular and systematic rotation OF
crops has not yet come into general
practice in the western plains coun-
try. Flax is extensively grown In the
northern states; the sorghums are an
important crop in Kansas and the
states further south; alfalfa is grown
successfully in the eastern edge Of the
dry farming belt and in the more IA
vorable locations farther west. but
wheat is the great western crop. The
great plains region ls particularly
adapted for growing hard red wheat
Of excellent quality, the best bread
making wheat in the world, and II
must continue to be as 1t Is today the
great wheat producing area OF our
country. Any general system OF crop
rotation. therefore. adapted to the
west must include wheat as the great
crop.