The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1913-01-17
DISK HAS IMPORTANT. PLACE
When Land 10 Broken In Spring I'm
PIGMENT Should BE Used Rather
Than PioWed for Crop.
Dy PROF. THOMAS SHAW.

pillow. 1t has q place on the summer
fallow Ii also has a place on stubble
land, sometimes In the autumn and
sometimes in the spring
When land Is broken in the spring
In growing areas. the land should be
disked rather than plowed for the
next crop. The reasons for this are
first, that the sod buried by the first
blowing will more effectually decay
when It Is allowed to lie two years
buried than when allowed to lie but
ore. Second, that the sods are thus
kept out of the way of the cultivable
processes that follow. particularly OF
the harrows until they have reason
ably well decayed. Third. on blow
land disking does not completely bury
the stubbles, and this is a decided ad-
vantage in holding soils that might
otherwise blow through the action of
the wind The stubbles thus left in
corporated with the surface soil tend
70 far to prevent blowing. The seed
bed is left firm below and In a very
dry year such a condition is favorable
to the retention OF plant growth. and.
therefore, Is SO far favorable to the
retention Of moisture 1t would prob
ably be more accurate to say that be-
cause the process Is more favorable to
the retention of moisture, 1t is also
more favorable to successful plant
growth.
On the summer fallow the disk may
have place betimes as we'll as the
harrow. First, 1t may have place
when weeds become 80 rooted that the
harrow cannot dislodge them. and, SEQ
pnd, In areas where the rains are tor
rental In the manner in which they
fall in the summer season Weeds fire.
quently become SO deeply rooted that
the harrow will not dislodge them on
summer fallowed land This Is es.
pecially true Of wild oats, and OF near.
ly all perennials. 1t is also true of GER
tain of the volunteer grains in western
areas To dislodge these, 1t Is neces-
sary to use the disk, and In many in
stances the disk will not prove sufH-
GENTLY effective 1t is necessary to use
some kind of an instrument that will
cut off the weeds below the surface Of
the ground. The best implement for
this purpose has yet to be invented,
Notwithstanding the disk on summer
fallow land will destroy many weeds
that cannot be destroyed with the har.
row.
Again, where the rain is much liable
to be torrential in character, that Is.
when 1t is much liable to come in the
torn OF downpours, the disk may be
dsed with much more advantage than
the harrow The harrow when persist.
emily used makes a mulch so fine that
the rains which come in the form OF a
dash do not penetrate it. They run
away over the surface. This may in a
large measure be prevented by disk
Ing the summer fallow land first one
way and then another The disking
Is single rather than double 1t
creates an innumerable number Of lit
tie pockets or basins which catch the
rain OF the downpour, or much Of 1t.
and holds it until 1t sinks into the
soil. No more effective way can be
devised of arresting these downpours
when they occur than by the handling
Of the land as indicated
The place for the disking of stub.
bies in dry areas Is an important one,
AS soon as the crop has been removed
much good may result from the disk
Ing Of the land under many conditions.
In the first place it opens up the com
pacted surface soil, so that the rains
may enter 1t when they fall later In
the second place It destroys weed
growth that would otherwise produce
seeds, and in the third place it makes !
the blowing CT the land subsequently |
much easier than II would otherwise
be. 1t would not be correct to say that
In all instances the disking OF the |
land after harvest is helpful, but it |
is helpful in many instances. 1t is |
not greatly helpful when there is vir
tually no moisture in the soil after
harvest. and when none fall later |
which sometimes happens. But it is
greatly helpful in destroying weeds !
when these are growing numerously |
In the soil. 1t prevents many of them /
from seeding and It destroys many OF |
them outright The effect which it has |
upon the easy blowing Of the land sub |
sequently is very marked.
When soils blow, IT Is usually bet |
ter neither to pillow or to disk the |
land in the autumn. In the spring 1t |
may be disked. The stubbles that are |
mixed with the surface soil will so far |
prevent the land from blowing. The |
use of the disk. however, has often |
times been abused by using 1t when |
preparing the land for sowing when
the pillow should be used instead