The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1913-11-26
SCIENTIFIC FARMERS IDEA
Government Farmer Confirms Con-
tended Points and Tells How To
Improve the Crop Yields.

Prof. F. X. Knorr who has charge
of the large demonstration farm on
the North Platte project in Nebras-
ka, furnishes the following helpful
hints to irrigators which may prove
valuable to farmers upon all pro-
jects
1t is common falacy among far
mers that grains should well shade
the ground before the first irriga-
ton IS attempted in order to pre-
vent baking of the soil. Prof.
Knorrs experiments have shown that
whenever the soil shows that 1t is
getting dry the crop should be ir-
rigated regardless of it's stage
of growth Whenever the
soil will not adhere together In a
lump when pressed in the hand. irri-
cation should be applied.
The growth of corn should not be
forced by an early irrigation. Corn
should be planted in moist ground.
which can be accomplished by irri-
eating before planting. Thus plan
ted IT will generally carry through
without further irrigation until 1t
tassels and silks. After that one or
two irrigations is usually sufficient
TO mature the crop in good shape.
Barley should never be allowed
10 Get dry because 1t is a crop which
lhowz the effect of drouth more
quickly and, because 1t has less
power TO recover than any of the
small grains. it should be carefully
watched for indications of lack of
moisture
While wheat and oats will stand
more drouth than barley, both
should be watered when needed
Oats will recover more from drouth
than any other crop. Care should
be exercised to prevent leaving wa
ter on the same ground for any con-
siderable length of time. Expert
ments show that after water has
run in a furrow one and one-half
hours 1t VIII soak to the subsoil.
Running water for six hours in the
sane furrow usually does no more
Sod than a run OF oa5 and one-half
hours but increases the subsoil
Uoi5ture, augmenting the seepage
supply and the damages resulting
lhefefrom.
Potatoes grow best In soil which
L kept moist. An interesting ex-
pertinent with early Ohio potatoes
gas al follows: One plot OF ground
was watered three ti.aes during The
reason at such intervals that the
land needed water badly each time
before irrigation was applied. The
second plot was kept continually In
: moist condition. On plot No. l
the yield was 40 bushels per acre
OF marketable potatoes and so per
cent of the crop was marketable. |
Plot No. gave t75 bushels per acre !
and IL per cent were culls.
For sugar beets excessive irriga-
ton Is certain to produce large tops
and small beets. Careful and reg
ular irrigation produced two tons
per acre more than was grown on ,
over irrigated land.
In alfalfa gowing Prof Knorr ex- +
perimented on different plots with !,
3. 1, and irrlgations. The last
two plots yielded 21Oths tons per
acre less alfalfa than the others.
a comparison of yields cut and
times showed that the latter yielded |
40 tons per acre while three cut
tings produced SO tons per acre.
He concludes that three cuttings
biye not only more tonnage but also
:. better quality of hay.
He finds that 1t is not advisable
TO crop alfalfa beyond four year
period as the roots become so heavy
they will not rot upon the ground,
making the cultivation more diff
cult and causing a loss OF fertility
TO the soil In turning over alfalfa
he recommends shallow plowing