The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1912-03-21
PROF. SHAW ON
RIGHT FARMING
Advice to Help the 1912 Yield
Which Every Man Who
Farms Should Read.
How and When to Conserve
the Moisture and Proper
Rotation of Crops.

frOI. lhOmaS onaW, agricultural
Expert of the Northern Pacific Rail-
way, has put into writing few points
in regard to dry land farming that will
materially help the man who seeks to
recover this year some of t:is los es Of
last season. Prof. Shaw has laid out
the plain facts of the farmers guild
ance. If our farmers will follow his
suggestions, it is confidently believed
that the yield will not only be satisfy
ing bat in many cases astonishing. 1t
is sincerely hoped that every one of our
farmers will not only carefully read
the following but clip it out and paste
it where it will be referred to suffi-
GENTLY often to be constant reminder.
Prof. Shaw states that it is his con-
viction that in the semi-arid country,
where the annual precipitation is IL to
Is inches, it is easily possible t. farm
land so as to eliminate the element
of uncertainty or hazard in growing
crops. Where the rainfall is not more
than IL inches in year, it may be
necessary in many instances to grow
but one crop on the land in two years
but where the precipitation is not less
than Is inches on the average, it is
quite possible togrow at least three
crops in four years.
The element of hazard that is, the
element of failure-may be practically
eliminated by growing small grains on
summer faliow, or on land that has
produced cultivated crop the previous
year. This presupposes that the land
has been properly summer fallowed and
that the cultivated crop has been prop
erly grown. e.,
When land is summer fallowed in the
plains country where the bulk of the
precipitation falls in the growing
period, the ground should be plowed
when it has the largest amount of
moisture in it. That usually occurs in
late May, in June, and sometimes in
early July when it has NAHUM of
moisture in it, and because much of that
moisture may be retained for the grow
ing of the crop that will follow. 1t
should be plowed deeply for many rea-
sons. One of the chief of these is that
at such time deep plowing is most
easily done.
The day that it is plowed it should
be gone over with roller, planker,
a sub-surface packer, or a disc. The
conditions must determine which of
these will be best. 1t must then be
narrowed as soon as at all possible.
The dust blanket thus made must be
maintained throughout the season.
After every considerable rain the
ground must be narrowed when in
proper condition for narrowing. The
frequent harrowings given will aid in
keeping the land clean. It ought to
be kept clean, for weeds will soon sap
all the moisture out of the soil if al
lowed to grow unchecked.
When the fallow is managed thus, in
a normal season there will be moisture
enough in the land to germinate winter
wheat or winter rye sown on it, even
in dry year, though sown as early as
August. If wheat is not sown, the
mulch must be maintained till the close
of the season. Small grain Of any kind
may be sown the following spring.
When cultivated crop is grown, the
ground for it should be plowed, prefer
ably, in the autumn. 1t may be stubble
ground. Early autumn blowing puts
the soil in condition to admit precipita-
tion that subsequently fails. In the
spring the moisture should not be
allowed to escape from the soil.
Corn will be the chief crop grown as
cultivated crop in dry land areas. 1t
will be grown more as fodder crop
than for the grain. If the proper
kinds are chosen and if the work is well
done, not less than two tons of cured
fodder can be obtained from an acre.
It will not only repay the outlay for
10 hor b,,t should o1co rot,,rv, - ,,o6%