The Ordway new era., 1912-06-07

development Of available plant food.
By practicing this method the farm
er may cultivate larger area early In
the season when the soil II IN good
condition to cultivate. when. II II had
been necessary to plow the whole area.
some Of the land might become too
dry to plow we'll. Likewise the later
plowing 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 oarly 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 kafnr corn may
be planted by listing In tho same fur
row. II IL advisable to harrow the
listed field once or twice before plant.
Ing to destroy weeds. or prevent soil
drifting and to preserve . mellow soil
mulch to conserve the water which has
been stored in the subsoil. In prepar.
ing land for corn. tho early listing has
proved equal to early plowing and su-
perior to early disking. as shown by
the experiments at the Kansas sta.
ton.
In the drier portions Of the great
plains area. where the annual rainfall
Is not sufficient to produce crop
every year. It becomes necessary to
practice q 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 plowing either in the fall or
spring. and frequent surface cultiva.
tion as described above, 10 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
Is inclined to blow is to list the ground
into burrows In the fall. leveling the
ridges early In the spring and plowing
about the first Of June. giving sum
Client cultivation during the balance OF
the season 10 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 1t
is necessary or advisable as rule to
harrow wheat II due precautions have
been taken in preparing the seed
bed.
Under certain conditions. where
heavy 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 much more important factor In the
growing of small grains. than the cult
walton after seeding.
The Cultivation Of Intertiiied Crops.
While 1t is a disputed point among
authorities whether it pays to harrow
wheat and other sowed crops. there is
no difference Of opinion regarding the
necessity or value of frequent cultiva-
ton OF corn and of all other crops usu-
ally planted in rows. The main pur-
pose being. as described here. to keep
| down the weeds and maintain a mel
low soil mulch as far as practicable
during 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.
ton Keep the cultivator going In q
dry time" II the soil has been we'll
stirred and the mulch is OF sufl cient
depth, to cultivate again would be
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 ont
lined here is intended to favor the
conservation of soil moisture. and ia
thus especially adapted to regions
where a limited or irregular rainfall
makes the most careful methods OF soil
culture necessary In order to store and
conserve the water in the soil and get
the most use from it in the produc-
tion Of crops. The principles stated
above have been known and practiced