The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1912-12-14
DISK HAS IMPORTANT PLACE
When Land 10 Broken In Spring I'm
plement Should Be Used Rather
Than Plowed for Crop.
By PROF. THOMAS SHAWL

place in dry than in other areas. 1t
may be u "@times in preparing
land fer Sc. me absence of the
pillow. 1t has d place on the summer
fallow. 1t also has a place on stubble
land, sometimes in the autumn and
sometimes in the spring.
When land is broken in the spring
In growing areas the land should be
disked rather than plowed for the
next crop. The reasons for this are
first, that the sod buried by the first
blowing will more effectually decay
when it is allowed to lie two years
buried than when allowed to lie but
one. Second, that the sods are thus
kept out of the way of the cultivable
processes that follow. particularly OF
the harrows until they have reason
ably well decayed. Third, on blow
land disking does not completely bury
the stubbles, and this is decided ad-
vantage in holding soils that might
otherwise blow through the action OF
the wind. The stubbles thus left in.
corporated with the surface soil tend
so far to prevent blowing. The seed
bed is left firm below and in a very
dry year such a condition Is favorable
to the retention of plant growth, and.
therefore. is so fay favorable to the
retention Of moisture. 1t would prob
ably be more accurate to say that be-
cause the process is more favorable to
the retention of moisture. IL Is also
more favorable to successful plant
growth.
On the summer fallow the disk may
have a place betimes as well as the
harrow. First, it may have place
when weeds become SO rooted that the
harrow cannot dislodge them. and. sec
ond, in areas where the rains are tor
rental In the manner In which they
fall in the summer season Weeds fire.
quently become SO deeply rooted that
the harrow will not dislodge them on
summer fallowed land This Is es
pecially true of wild oats, and of near
ly all perennials. 1t is also true of Ger
tain of the volunteer grains in western
areas. To dislodge these, 1t Is neces
sary to use the disk, and in many in
stances the disk will not prove suff
GENTLY effective. 1t is necessary to use
cut off the weeds below the surface Of
the ground. The best implement fol
this purpose has yet to be invented
Notwithstanding the disk on summer
fallow land will destroy many weeds
that cannot be destroyed with the har
row.
Again, where the rain is much liable
to be torrential in character, that is
when 1t is much liable to come In thu
form Of downpours, the disk may b
used with much more advantage thai
the harrow. The harrow when persist
emily used makes mulch SO fine tina
the rains which come in the form of
dash do not penetrate 1t. They rul
away over the surface. This may in
large measure be prevented by dish
ing the summer fallow land first on
way and then another. The diskin
is single rather than double. I
creates an innumerable number of III
tie pockets or basins which catch tn
rain of the downpour. or much of II
and holds 1t until 1t sinks into tn
soil. No more effective way can b
devised of arresting these downpour
when they occur than by the handlin
Of the land as indicated.
The place for the disking of stul
bles In dry areas is an important ont
AS soon as the crop has been remove
much good may result from the disl
Ing of the land under many condition.
In the first place it opens up the con
pacted surface soil, so that the rain
may enter 1t when they fall later.
: the second place 1t destroys wee
growth that would otherwise produC
seeds, and in the third place 1t make
the blowing Of the land subsequent
much easier than It would otherwis
be. 1t would not be correct to say tn;
4 in all instances the disking of II
land after harvest Is helpful, but
Is helpful in many instances. 1t
not greatly helpful when there is vi
tually no moisture in the soil aft
7 harvest, and when none fall late
which sometimes happens. But 1t
greatly helpful in destroying wee'
when these are growing numerous
g In the soil. It prevents many of the
from seeding and 1t destroys many
them outright. The effect which it HI
upon the easy blowing of the land su
3 seuuently is very marked.
T When soils blow, it Is usually b
ter neither to pillow or to disk Il
land in the autumn. In the spring
may be disked The stubbles that a
o mixed with the surface soil will so
prevent the land from blowing. t
$ use Of the disk. however, has ofte
/ times been abused by using 1t VIII
preparing the land for sowing. VIII
O. the pillow should be used instead.