The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-04-03
PREPARING THE SEED BED.

PREPARING THE SEED BED.
Proper Methods Necessary to Pro-
duce Satisfactory Results.
Some valuable hints to farmers and
horticulturists are given by Dr..
Taylor, director of the coil culture de-
partment of Deere & Co., who remarks
that crops CORES pond closely to the
character of the bed or home In which
the seed is planted. The reason why,
is explained in part as follows:
First, the seed bed should be deep.
But why? You know that the roots
OF the plant are very numerous and
grow to great length. They are at
their best when an abund ance OF room
is provided. II the seed bed is shal-
low they, seeking the cours OF least
resistance, which is not downward,
except until they reach the hard bot
tom of the furrow, but outward, and
necessarily near the surface. In case
of even a slight drought they suffer for
moisture and plant food, for it must
be remembered that where moisture
does not exist plant food is not avail
able. If the seed-bed is deep, the
roots take their natural course, which
Is downward, and when they have
resch of an eight Dr. nine inch bed,
they have strength and stability to
penetrate the more compact subsoil,
where, as a rule, IN abundance of
moisture exists.
Again, the plant needs water. A
deep well-made seed-b bed is like a thick
sponge in the matter of absorbing
water. In the event of a very heavy
rainfall, such q seed.bed receives and
holds several inches of water until II
percolates into the deeper soil. If,
however, the seed. bed Is shallow anl
a hard pan exists, and where shallow
blowing is practiced, the bottom Of
the furrow is usually very compact
and often impervious to water, only 8
small amount is absorbed, the most Of
it running away carrying with it soil
and fertility.
Plants require food. Available
plant food exists in the seed bed or ir
that part of the soil rich in humus
hence, it stands to reason that If the
seed bed is deep, a greater amount O
plant food is available.
Water is stored in the subsoil to b.
used during the growing season, bu
, If NATURES requirements are not pro
vided, the stored water will fall tt
rise; hence, in making the seed-b be-
the surface ground should b.
!, thoroughly disced before it is plowet
In order that all Jumps are %pulverizet
and all trash worked into the ground
! This operation insures q compac
, contact between the bottom of the fur
row and the furrow slice. If the oper
: alton 10 neglected, air spaces neces
sarily exist at the break where th'
turned soil meets the more compac
layer, and capillary will rise no high
+ err than that point. Many trials hav
1 proven conclusively that discing be
! fore blowing increases the crop fror
t 25 to so per cent, the greatest increas
being made where protracted drouth
occurred during the growing seaso
recognize the fact that the seedin
. period is short and that all extr
labor put on an acre lessons the nun
e Der of acres that the farmer IL able t.
v plant, bat a two or three years. tria
8 will convince the most sceptical tina
is is far more profitable to plant te
acres where the seed bed is made RICH
e than to plant double that number Q
# acres when the seed-be is not so mad
e that 1t furnishes the requirements Q
4 the plant.