The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-09-27
Save All Surplus
Water This Fail
Nearly an Inch Of Rain Fell in Two
Days Last Week-Rainfall
Heavy this Fall
Bv Prof. Thos. Shaw.

enal in the states OF the Northwest.
In the aggregate it was doubtless never
equaled. But the conclusion should not
be reached that this result is owing to
the high class character Of the farm
ing. With the same rainfall as in 1910
the results would be little if any inn
provement on the crop of that year.
The bumper crop of the present is ow-
ing almost entirely to the unusual rain
fall of the present season and to the
timeliness with which it fell. This rain
fall, unusual in the length of its contin-
uance, has not only given the farmer
the bumper crop referred to, but it will
also give him at least reasonable crop
in 1913 if it is properly conserved, even
though the season should be dry one.
How shall this moisture be conserved?
First by discing the stubbles; second by
plowing later in the. season; third, by
stirring the soil in the early spring
with disc or harrow or both, and fourth
by narrowing the grain once or after it
has begun to grow.
In an exceedingly dry year discing
the stubbles after harvest may not ac-
complish much by way of conserving
moisture, but it will open up the dry
soil so that rain may penetrate it more
easily should it fall. But in year like
the present there is much moisture
even in stubble land. 1t is greatly i'm
portant that it shall be conserved. AS
soon, therefore, as the crop is removed
the stubble land should be we'll disced.
If the harrow can follow the operation
will be more complete, but this is not
absolutely essential. The discing will
exert very potent influence on the re:
tention of moisture. 1t also allows
moisture that may fall subsequently to
the discing to penetrate more deeply
than it otherwise would.
The land that is thus disced should
be plowed later in the fall. Some
farmers argue that stubble land should
not be plowed or even disced in the fall,
since the undisturbed stubbles may
better hold the snow, but the prepond-
erance of argument is easily in favor
of autumn blowing. The land that has
been disced is easily plowed and the
same power will plow it more deeply
than if. it had not been disced. It is
not SO essential to plow disced land in
the fall if, stubble land thus disced cannot
be plowed in the fall, the plowing of
what is intended for corn can best be
deferred. Much has been written
about packing fall plowed land, but it
is not very often that lands plowed in
the autumn require to be packed.
Stirring the soil in the early spring
with disc or harrow or both as occasion
may call for, is but little practised. It
is, nevertheless, of great moment and
should be done as soon as the ground
can be stirred thus without injury to
its mechanical condition. It stays at
once the loss of moisture from the soil,
atleast for time. Even though the crops
are to be planted late as in the case Of
alfalfa, this stirring Of the soil is very
! important. OF course it can only be
done on summer-fallowed land or corn
or potato land Of the previous year, or
on land that had been autumn plowed.
When grain has been sown on land
thus prepared, the moisture may be
further held by narrowing the. grain.
The best stage for the first narrowing
is when the grain is just beginning to
appear. The best implement for har-
rowing it, all things considered, is Q
light adjustable steele harrow. The
teeth should be slanted backward,with
]; .o,,,.. ,. fau, s,xcsrt;ors Rnt : weeder
sos . - - ,,,ess ~s..h e,,;tah,a for VOW soft
soils. II ! second narrowing is given
the grain h should l De- say -. Or % 9 inches Is