The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-30
THE DISK HARROW
IS INVALUABLE

George NJ. Logan, Indianapolis, Ind.
If properly understood and used, no
better implement can be used on the
, farm than good disk harrow. This
information has been gained by actual
experience in the field and from ex-
perience of the best farmers.
For sowing oats broadcast there Is
no better way than to disk the ground,
then SOW the oats and disk the ground
again. 1.-The better the seed bed. the
better the crop" is an old adage and
that is why it pays any farmer to disk
his ground before sowing the oats.
All good farmers know that if they
properly prepare their corn ground
before planting, they not only raise
better crop but less cultivation is re-
quired after the crop is planted. Disk
the ground before blowing, is good
plan to follow with any condition Of
soil. Suppose the ground Is corn stub
BILE: the disk successfully cuts the
stalks, leaving them on the ground
as a fertilizer as well as serving the
purpose of keeping the ground loose.
When plowed, this loose dirt is turn
ed under, and when dsked again,
good seed bed az deep as the furrow
is procured.
Suppose the ground Is heavy blue
grass or timothy sod; if disked well
before blowing, 1t will pillow better, the
sod will lie fiat and not stand up on
edge causing dry spots on which the
corn will not grow or be a bother in
differentiation A meadow of blue
grass, timothy or alfalfa that has
become sod bound can be placed in
proper condition better by the use Of
the disk harrow than by the use of any
other implement.
Very often the ground is dry enough
TO allow the top to be worked one or
two inches. but is too wet to be plow-
ed: by dsking this ground can be put
in proper condition for blowing much
sooner and the seed bed will also be
improved. seed bed which has
been prepared, but which has since
been packed down by heavy rains,
can be put in better condition, with
less expense and time, with the disk
harrow than with any other imple-
ment.
The question of size is important.
Whether it should be a four five, six,
seven, or an eight-foot harrow depends
entirely upon the condition of the soil
and the amount of horse power at the
farmers command. Whether the disk
blades should be sixteen, eighteen, or
twenty inches in diameter is another
matter. OF these three, the 16-inch is
the proper size. for it will disk the
ground five and one-half or six inches,
which is as deep as practical, and it
will cut the ground better and easier
and has less draught than the larger
sizes disk is not wheel running
over the ground and carrying load
like a wagon; 1t is plow or spade,
cutting and turning the soil
To better illustrate, draw three cir
cles one sixteen inches. one eighteen,
and one twenty inches In diameter;
then draw a straight line across each
of them.-say four inches from the
edge; which one of these three circles
will require the most weight to put it
in the ground up to the line? Which
one will have the largest body of dirt
to move at one revolution? Which one
will stir the ground best on account Of
speed? Then consider that on the disk
harrow there are eight, ten, twelve,
fourteen or sixteen of these circles.
Look at it from another standpoint.
Does not the front wheel of wagon,
when loaded equally, cue depper in the
ground than the Aind wheel, and does
it not break or cut rail in two that
the hind wheel will almost jump over
without marking?
The 20-inch disk harrow is some
times unsatisfactory and the farmer
who has made the mistake of investing
in harrow not adapted to his soil gets
an entirely wrong opinion of its use
fulness. The owner of a good disk
! harrow finds it the best implement
that can be used on the farm.