The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-07-04
DRY FARM PRINCIPLES
Proper Preparation Of Seed Bed.
Has Many Advantages.
system Of Culture Outlined 20 Favor
Conservation Of Soil Moisture
and Adapted 20 Regions Of
limited Rainfall.
~ 10 a. N - 80. superIa

ton Of the seed bed has several inn
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
che land Of weeds and volunteer wheat
and leaves a mellow soil mulch to
conserve the moisture which has been
stored In the subsoll. The early and
continued cultivation Of the soil "a
vors the action Of the bacteria and the
development Of available plant food.
BY practicing this method the farm
er may cultivate a larger area early In
the season when the soil Is In good
condition to cultivate. when, II It 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 early 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 kafir 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 a mellow soil
mulch to conserve she water which has
been stored In the subsoil. 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
zion.
In the drier portions Of the great
plains area, where the annual rainfall
q not sufficient to produce a crop
every year, It 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-
tion 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
lis inclined to blow is to list the ground
into burrows in the fall, l~eveling the
ridges early in the spring and blowing
about the first Of June. giving sufH-
Gent cultivation during the balance of
the a 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 it
is necessary or advisable as a rule to
harrow wheat If due precautions have
been taken in preparing the seed
bed.
Under certain conditions, where
rains firm and puddle the soil, It
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 a much more important factor in the
growing Of small grains. than the cult
walton after seeding.
The Cultivation Of Intertllled Crops.
While It Is a disputed point among
authorities whether 1t pays to harrow
wheat and other sowed crops, there IS
difference of opinion regarding the
necessity or value Of frequent cultiva-
tion Of ORR and of all other crops usu-
ally planted In rows. The main pur-
being, as described here. to keep
down the weeds and maintain a mel
low soil mulch as far as practicable
the growing season Of the crop.
There is some disagreement regarding
the depth and frequency Of cultivation
desirable. The writer favors rather
deep cultivation IN our drier, hotter
climate, and after every hard rain II
possible or at least sufficient to keep
the weeds IN check.
1t Is not necessary or practicable to
attempt to cultivate after every rain.
and there Is no virtue IN the admoni
tion Keep the c%ultivator going In a
dry time If the soil has been well
and the mulch Is OF SUFFICIENT
to cultivate again would be a
loss of time and might do actual harm
by drying out the deeper portion of
the soil mulch and also causing a too
fine and dusty condition Of the surface
soil %unfavorable to the absorption of
moisture when the rain comes and IA
vorable to the blowing or drifting Of
the soil IN strong winds
Such a system Of culture as out
lined here is intended to favor the
conservation Of soil moisture. and Is
thus especially adapted to regions
a limited or irregular rainfall
makes The most careful methods Of soil
necessary Ia order to store and
conserve the water IN the soil and get
he most use from It In the produc-
ion Of crops. The principles stated