Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-06-10

of manure in the ground mixed into
the soil for the reason that it retards
evaporation and supports bacterial
life in the soil. The office of the bac.
terra is to make plant food available.
The more plant food their is avilable
the less moisture is required to nour-
ish the crop, on the same theory that
half a gallon of pure milk fed to a
calf is just as nutritious as whole
gallon that is half water. Dairying
and live stock on the farm furnish
this manure.
Get Rid Of Weeds.
"The next important fact in the
conservation of moisture is to get rid
of weeds. In an average field Of
grain the water that is required to
support the weeds Is sufficient to pro-
duce more than 10 bushels of wheat
to the acre. This IS on general av-
erage, it has been demonstrated in
some cases that it has run even as
high as fourteen bushels.
Plow Ceep.
"The next step is to Flow deep.
Pack the furrow slice firmly against
the subsoil and keep the top two or
three inches granulated as the result
of frequent cultivation. AS a rule,
taking average soil, a wheat field
should be dragged with light drag
about the time the grain is showing
above the ground and drag again
when it is about four inches high,
with the teeth slanting, tilted back.
This is perfectly safe where the seed
bed is properly firmed.
Farmers Advised to Experiment
II am advising the farmers to do
this-take five or ten acres year to
experiment with. Disc the ground
thoroughly behind the binder with a
double disc. You can shock the grain
on the disced ground. This not only
destroys the small young weeds,
which soon take the remaining mois.
ture out of the ground, leaving it
bone dry; but grinds up the stubble
and weeds, and the surface SOIL so
that in addition to making a mulch
when the ground is plowed in the
fall, 1t packs down snuggly without
any large air space between the fur
row slice and the subsoil. The wheat
plant must have moisture. The idea
of making good seed bed is to form
a connecting link between the fur
row slice and the subsoil. Where
deep blowing has been done the
ground will take in all of the water
that falls and not permit 1t to run
off, While in shallow blowing, when
any rain falls great deal Of the wat.
err will run off and is lost.
North Dakota Has Few Drawbacks.
II think that the greatest blessing
this country enjoys is the fact that
1t doesn't get too much rain. think
that when we once come to thorough
ly understand the science of agricul-
ture that North Dakota will have few
er drawbacks than any other coun-
try in the world. For five months
in the year it is so cold that evapor-
alton is arrested. The water remains
In the ground and becomes highly |
charged with plant food in solution.
During the other seven months in the
year it does not rain enough to leach |
out and wash away the voluble miner.
al salts in the soil. II the farmers
would only do enough work in the
form of extra cultivation, there would |
always be enough reserve moisture
in the subsoil to tide ober any dry
period that might occur between seed !
time and harvest. ~
Lands Should Double in Value
II am confident that our lands will |
double in value within the next ten |
years, and I predicate that fact on
he belief that our improved methods |
If agriculture will warrant that in
crease by the larger profits that will
be obtained.
"Tle principles Of better farming
are readily explained and
costly understood, but the thing now
IS to get the farmers to do enough
work themselves. We will have the
finest kind Of conditions here when
we have adapted our methods to those
I am satisfied that the
application of 81 worth of work per
acre in addition to what we now give
It would double our profits.
Agriculture in the Schools.
IF this is true-which it is-why
should We not pay larger attention
in all our schools, and especially in
our rural and high schools, to the fun
demental principles relating to sue
cessful agriculture, since the prosper
lty of the state. as well as of the en-
tire nation, depends upon agriculture,
and the products of the FARM"