The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-06-07
DRY FARM PRINCIPLES
Proper Preparation Of Seed Bed
Has Many Advantages.
System Of Culture Outlined to Favor
Conservation Of Soil Moisture
and Adapted to Regions Of
Limited Rainfall.


CBy PROF. A. M. TEN EYCK, superin-
tendent Western Kansas Experiment
Station.)
In a dry climate the proper prepsra-
ton Of the seed bed has several i'm
portant advantages. The cultivation
Of the land after harvest tends to con-
serve the moisture already stored In
the soil The furrowed land Is In
good condition to catch and store the
rain and the later cultivation clears
the land of weeds and volunteer wheat
and leaves a mellow soil mulch to
conserve the moisture which has been
stored in the subsoil. The early and
continued cultivation Of the soil IA
vors the action OF the bacteria and the
development Of available plant food.
By practicing this method the farm
er may cultivate larger area early In
the season when the soil Is In good
condition to cultivate, when, II 1t had
been necessary to pillow the whole area,
some of the land might become too
dry to pillow we'll. Likewise the later
blowing leaves the soil too lose and
not In good seed bed condition.
In preparing land for corn or other
intertilled crops the listing may be
done late In the fall or during the win
ter or oarly spring. The usual plan
being to split the ridges with the lister
later in the spring, when the corn Is
planted, or the corn or kaffir corn may
be planted by listing in the same fur
row. II is advisable to harrow the
listed field once or twice before plant
ing to destroy weeds, or prevent soil
drifting and to preserve mellow soil
mulch to conserve the water which has
been stored in the subsoiI. In prepar.
ing land for corn, the early listing has
proved equal to early blowing and su-
perior to early disking, as shown by
the experiments at the Kansas sta
ton.
In the drier portions Of the great
plains area, where the annual rainfall
is not sufficient to produce a crop
every year, 1t becomes necessary to
practice a system of summer following
every third or fourth season, or In al
ternate years in localities of least rain
fall, In order to store moisture and de-
velop plant food and thus insure the
production Of a profitable crop each
year.
Deep blowing either In the fall or
spring, and frequent surface cultiva-
ton as described above, is the method
of summer following which has given
the best results at the Montana, west
ern Nebraska and western Kansas ex-
pertinent stations.
Another good method where the soil
Is inclined to blow Is to list the ground
into burrows In the fall, leveling the
ridges early in the spring and blowing
about the first of June, giving sum
Client cultivation during the balance OF
the season to destroy the weeds and
prepare a good seed bed.
The weeder is better adapted for har-
rowing wheat and other small grains
than the common harrow, but the har.
row may be used when the ground is
firm. The writer questions whether 1t
is necessary or advisable as a rule to
harrow wheat If due precautions have
been taken in preparing lhe seed bed
Under certain conditions. where
heavy rains Arm and puddle the soil, II
may be advisable to harrow, but very
young grain may be injured by harrow.
ing, and after the wheat covers the
ground, narrowing is unnecessary. The
narrowing of wheat at regular inter.
walls at the Kansas, Nebraska and
Montana experiment stations has not
resulted favorably. without question,
the proper preparation of the seed bed
is much more important factor in the
growing Of small grains. than the cult.
walton after seeding
While It is a disputed point among