The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-09-05
DRY FARM ESSENTIAL
Ideas of Practical Farmer on
Need of Deep Flowing.
Very First Requisite In the Conserva.
ton Of Northumberland Forma-
ton of What Might Be Called
PloW-Pan.

ton of What Might Be Called
a Plow-Pan.
| (By ]. s. MURPHY, Practical North Da-
kota Dry Farmer)
| IL were asked what is the one thing
| above all other things necessary in dry
farming would say deep blowing. For
purposes of dry farming all of the sub
| soil In this state lying west of Red
river Is practically the same, and is
composed of drift brought here during
the glacial period, one of the most stu,
pendous events this old earth ever OK.
perienced. Now, this subsoil or drift
Ia chiefly decomposed or disintegrated
rock, and has all the crop-producing
properties, such as nitrogen, lime, pot
ash and phosphorus, which are the
elements especially needed in cereal
production. Deep blowing is the very
first essential In moisture conserva-
ton, as the thing 1t does Is to increase
the absorbing storage capacity of the
soil; and the first step In dry farming
Is to get water into the soil, and deep
blowing is the first aid in this par
ticular.
Then, too, deep blowing prevents
the formation of what might be called,
for the want of a better name, a
plow-pan have examined literally
hundreds of fields, and never yet ex-
m Rn11 IN
cially, that this plow-pan would not
be in evidence when the blowing was
less than seven inches This plow-
pan is caused chiefly from the pressure
of the subsoil, producing sort of a
glazed surface, and this prevents any
proper contact between the furrow-
slice and the subsoil. In dry farming
the blowing should be so deep that you
would find 1t quite impossible to find
where the furrow-slice ends and the
subsoil begins. When that condition
is present there Is always proper
contact between the furrow-slice and,
without even thinking, you can see
that this Is necessary, when you are
depending chiefly on the water stored
in the soil, which you get by capil-
larry and not on free water, to mature
your crop. Furthermore, when this
plow-pan exists, the average rainfall,
up to one inch, never penetrates the
subsoil at all, any more than 1t did
the sod, and for the same reason.
The subsoil is the farmers reser-
voir for the storage water that sup
plies the moisture during the season.
After you have once plowed your land
to, say, depth of ten inches, 1t Is
not necessary, of course, to plow so
deep each year. When l summer-till
piece of land pillow deep, for this
is the time to bring up new soil SO
as to give it plenty of time to become
weathered Now, as soon as the crop
is harvested on this land the next
season | disk it Immediately; and
when | pillow it for the next crop, and
it should be done that fall is possible,
l only pillow it about six inches deep.
Some four years ago | acquired a
piece of land that had been titled ESQ
CALI for twelve years. No part Of
this land was ever plowed five inches
deep, and | determined to get down
into it, and I did. Now / estimate,
and my men thought by estimate con-
sentative, that it took full third
more power to break up this hardpan
formed by twelve years plow pressure
than it would TO break the original
prairie sod. l find that the average
farmer-and the average farmer is al
ways attempting to do more than his
power justifies doing-rarely plows
more than five inches deep, and he
will come nearer blowing four inches.
Turning four or five inches of the top
soil over this year and Topping it back
next year, is not dry farming; 1t isn't
farming at all; and the man who fol
lows that slip-shod system, whether
he is handling 100 acres or 1900 acres,
Is going to lose out.
Now you might properly ask right
here: "How deep do you advocate
blowing in beginning this SYSTEM" ]
answer: Not less than eight inches,
and nine would be better" You can
always pillow deeper in the spring and
early summer than you can in the
summer proper or fall and the land
should never be plowed when dry
want to say right here, If you have
a piece of land that is full Of weeds
and that has been farmed indifferently,
like the average in the western part Of
the state, just double-disk that land the
first thing in the spring. This disking
will break the crust, establish mulch,
conserve the moisture in the soil and
enable the spring rains to penetrate;
also 1t will help to terminate millions
Of weeds seeds. Then about June !,
or as soon thereafter as possible, pillow
that land eight inches deep, follow the
pillow promptly, with a harrow-and
when say promptly, I mean the day
you plow, and the hour you pillow would