The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-03-07
PREPARE GROUND FOR WHEAT
Desirable to DoubIe-DIsk Immediately
After Wheat or Oats Have Been
Taken of the Field.
(By II NJ. BA1NER)

(By H M. BAINERl
As soon as the oats or wheat have
been taken of the field, it is desirable
to double-disk the ground at once. It
Will pay we'll to disk Immediately be-
hind the binder or header. II after the
binder, the bundles would be thrown
on on disked ground. The sooner this
work is done after harvest the better;
every days delay means that more
moisture is lost.
In case the disking has been done
In time, the ground can be plowed
at any time later Some will say
why not begin blowing at once. In
stead Of wasting time disking?" This
would be all right If we could hold the
moisture long enough. but usually one
or two weeks of hot, dry weather
after harvest will dry out the ground
too much for blowing. The disk will
cover the ground quickly, and will
insure holding the moisture until we
have time to complete the blowing.
There is no question but that wheat
ground should be plowed early. For
this reason summer titled land, near
ly always outyielding land that is
plowed just before seeding time.
Wheat requires firm seed bed. On
account of this early preparation
should be deeper than later work.
Deep blowing just before seeding time
Is not desirable, as the ground will
not have time to become well settled.
Early deep preparation is very ia
70 xryI IrA oil
ly here the ground has had enough
moisture to settle it properly.
The wheat roots penetrate this
packed soil very readily and are not
damaged by gradual settling later, or
from an undue loss Of moisture on &C
count of too loose soil
The following data on results Of
tillage methods on wheat in 1911 on
the Kansas experimental farm, as
quoted in part from Bulletin No. 176
of that station, can be we'll applied to
southern conditions.
Land plowed July Is (the right
time) seven inches deep (the right
depth) gave yield of 38 1-3 bushels
per acre. After paying for the cost
of preparation there was left $25.74
per acre.
Land plowed July 15 three inches
deep tplowed at the right time. but
too shallow produced 33 1-3 bushels
per acre-a net return Of $22.32.
Land plowed August 15. seven
inches deep, not worked until Sep
TENDER 10, showed a yield of % 2-3
bushels per acre and a net return of
1854 per acre, after deducting the
cost of preparation.
Land plowed at proper depth, seven
inches, September 15 (too late) pro-
duced 15% bushels per acre and
gave net return of $9.08 per acre.
Land plowed three inches deep (too
shallow September 10 (too late)
gave a yield of IAN bushels, net
return of $3.50 per acre, after deduct
ing cost of preparation.
Land disked, but not plowed, cost
S195 per acre TO preparation and
produced Az bushels per acre. The
crop when sold returned $1.47 per
acre over the cost of preparation of
ground.
After the seed bed had been pre-
pared, whether before seeding time or
after, the surface should not be al.
lowed to crust The common peg
tooth harrow or weeder should break
this crust as often as 1t forms. I'M
til the wheat gets too large to work.
Do not let the ground get too dry be-
fore narrowing, as it Is likely to work
up too fine and. make it liable to
blow.