Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-08
DAILY HINTS ON
FARM TOPICS
By K. A. Kirkpatrick


Fail blowing offers one feasible
means OF distributing farm TABOR 70
better advantage. 1t makes the
farmer forehanded with his work 81
season when weather conditions
nay put everything In rush ano
1ubbub. Fall blowing 10 undowoted-
y more desirable on land OF hea.
~ or gummy nature. When plowed
n the fall, such land has an oppoI-
unity to weather over winter and is
made more friable and quick In char.
scter. Fall blowing 10 an excellent
corrective for land that has been
worked too wet. The practice 10
.lso to be recommended In that is
controls weeds and destroys . great
nany OF our worst insect pests.
among the insects that are largely
eliminated by fall blowing are the
xrass hoppers, the white grubs. the
wire worms, the corn root lice and
The chinch bugs.
TiIne For Flowing.
The time to do fall blowing IL =
nooted question. To control cell
ain insects, very late fall blowing 10
% b preferred. But, II one has
,oil which n heavy, early piowing
will give several weeks OF fallow be-
tore the winter comes on. This con-
iition will allow the termination OF
many weed seeds and their tsubse.
,uent killing by frost. On the other
hand, II enc wishes to control white
xrubs, wire worms, grass hoppers
sorn root lice and cut worms, late
tall blowing will be productive OF
setter results. In this event, the
ate fall blowing breaks up the nests
" the pupae cases Of the ilDects and
before the soil can be washed back
yver them the cold weather comes on
md many of them are destroyed.
Depth Of Flowing.
The depth at which to do the plow-
ug Is a question that II to be settle
I'd by local conditions. The prac-
ice will vary with type Of soil. lay
II the land, and crops to be grown.
On very clayey soil deeper plowins
will ba more desirable than on sandy
Dam or light soil. On heavy land
here should be an attempt to deepen
he soil by deep blowing at least once
q every three OF four years. The
lse of the subsoilsr 10 to be recon.
nended where the soil IL very clay.
W and tenacious in character. The
deal time for blowing and subsoil-
ng n IN the fall. Such practice al
ows the furrow slices Of soil to re-
adjust themselves by weathering
turing tho winter and the capillary
movement of moisture re-established.
n case this deep blowing or sub-soil-
Nc is done IN the spring It often
aappens that tho weather turns out
Try and this REIMBURSEMENT does not
,ccur. In such cases the crop pro-
luction is lowered ON the field. Pro-
sably six to eight inches should be
dc general rule for fall blowing. In
.ase one wishes to deepen the soil
10 inch blowing might often be used
10 good advantage. Sandy loan
tolls and those in splendid physical
sondition should not be plowed AZ
leeply Us are the heavier types.
Cover Cropping on Fall Flowing.
II the land IL In excellent tilth and
turns up in a very mellow condition
come sort Of cover crop should un.
loubtedly be placed on the field to
protect It during the winter season
rhis is especially important II the
tall blowing II done early. This co.
ver crop will also prevent tho soil
trom blowing where there IL q windy
exposure and from washing on the
slopes. The cover crop will also
take up available plant food and
prevent IL from being leached down.
ward by fall and winter rains and
lost to tho crop which is to be grown
next year. A great many farmers
hnd 1t desirable to use rye for such
purposes. This may be worked un
der in the spring In the course Of
tho seedbed preparation for the com
ing crop. Another cover crop some
times used Is buckwheat. However,
this does not furnish any root growth
which persists during the winter. II
case one wished to put on crol
which would add nitrogen. winter
vetch might be used to good advan
tAgo.