The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1912-02-08
WHERE PLANTS FEED
Principally in Soil Turned With
the PloW.
Where Deep Flowing Is Practlced
Ground is In Condition to Hold
More Moisture Than That
Which Has Been Loosed.
Ry w. c. PALMER. North Dakota Agri.

By w. c. PALMER, North Dakota Agri-
cultural Colege)
The plant feeds principally In the
soil that is turned with the plow.
This can be determined in any field
by noticing the poor growth that the
plant In the dead furrow makes. the
fair growth made by the plant out
side of II, and the best growth made
by the plant on the back furrow. The
plant in the dead furrow. while It
came from the same kind Of seed as
the others, cannot make the growth,
as II has to feed in the sub-soil--soil
that has not been turned with the
plow-and the plant food that is in II
has not been made available. The
plant on the back furrow has an ex-
ira amount Of soil that has been
turned with the plow. and the result
is that, having more available food,
1t makes a larger growth than the
plant on the regularly plowed land.
This, then, gives an insight into
what is needed by the plant to make
its best growth, and the beauty OF 1t
is that the plant tells us itself. The
surface soil will dry out to the depth
of at least two inches The roots
cannot feed in this. II the plowing
is but five inches deep. that leaves
the plant only three inches OF soil
that is in condition for 1t to feed
from. II the plowing is eight inches
and the same amount dries out on the
surface, the plant then has six
inches, or twice as much soil. that It
can feed on. as compared to three
inches on the fiveinch plowing. This
should make it quite plain. from the
standpoint of the plant getting its
food, that the deeper plowing is
quite important.
Then there is the other fact that
rain soaks into the deep plowing
more readily and quickly, so that
there will be less run-off from It than
from the shallow plowing. The pillow.
ed soil is also in a condition to hold
more moisture than that which has
not been loosened up with the plow
both through the soil grains being
better arranged and through the add
ed organic matter Another matter
that should be considered here Is
that the plant must have the mois
ture where the food is, that 1t is go
ing to take up. Being in the soil
turned with the plow, that is where
the moisture must be to do the plant
much good This is the reason. then
why the soil should be packed and
every means taken to have II in good
contact with the sub-soil so that az
the plant uses up the moisture in the
surface soil. more moisture can trave
up to take its place. The deep plow
ing also makes II necessary that more
organic matter be added to the soil
else. as the soil is worked deeper
and the organic matter distributed
in more soil, there will be a lest
the deep-plowed soil than the shallow
plowed land. The fact that the plan
feeds In the soil turned by the plov
is a reason, too, why corn should no
be cultivated deep after II has mad
good root system. as the main feed
ers being 80 near the surface, som,
OF them will be cut off and the plan
delayed In its growth. as II mus
grow new roots before It can properl!
feed itself Especially is this i'm
portant late in the season. And II
dry farming, corn should be cultivat
= ed late, as two reasons for CROWNS
It in this system OF farming is to saw
moisture and to kill weeds.
These points in regard 10 where tn
plant feeds and the consequent neei
of deep plowing. of adding organ
matter, of shallow cultivation for cul
tivated crops. need to be kept in min,
whethef the farming is being done Il
a dry or humid climate. but more al
tention needs to be given them !,
drv farpnipu