The Dickinson press., 1913-05-10
LATE PLANTED CROPS
IN NORTH DAKOTA

In North Dakota the season for SOW
ing is abnornlally late. owing in part to
the late coming of spring, in part to
the wet condition of much of the land
when spring opened, and in part to the
very. small percentage of the land that
was plowed last autumn. Even with
favorable weather throughout May,
therefore. the sowing of grain will be
unusually late. which means that such
sowing will be attended with more or
less of hazard to the grain crop. '
though the season should prove favor.
able. If the season should prove unfav-
orable, which is a possibility the SOW
ing of grain late would be attended
with great loss.
Why should the farmers incur such
hazard? While there is q time in BOW
ing and planting beyond which hazard
comes to the crop. fortunately that time
varies much with different crops. Why
then would it not be a wise plan to les
sen the area of these crops that cannot
be sown or planted in %seasonable time,
and increase the area of those crops
that come later and therefore may be
sown in season? OF the crops that must
usually be so~n early, if they are to
do we'll. are wheat, spring rye, peas.
and speltz: of those that come a little
later are oats and barley. Those which
come still later include fax, corn,
beans and millet. Would it not be the
part of wisdom. therefore, to restrict the
area sown to wheat and the other early
crops named, and to increase the :. area
of the late sown crops?
Flax may be sown much later than
wheat and yet be in season. While it
is usually hazardous to SOW wheat much
after the end of April, flax may be
sown with safety up t. the end of May.
The sowing may even extend a few
days into June. but not beyond that
lest the grain may not ripen. Why
then should no this be a flax year?
The seed in not dear. 1t is when seed
is very dear that men should 60 slow
with reference to the acreage that they
will SOW.
Barley also may be sown quite late,
even into the first days of June. The
yield will usually be less than from
early sown barley. but. still it may be
at least fair. Sowing it thus late will
render substantial aid in the battle
against weeds. Why should not this be
a barley year?
Corn may be safely planted up to the
end of May. Seed is easily obtainable
the present season and the quality is
much ahead Of what it was in 1912.
Why not make this a corn year in North
Dakota? Why not plant large acres of
corn to provide fodder and large areas
also of small growing varieties on
which to fatten swine in the autumn.
the swine harvesting the corn. In this
way large areas of the land would ..be
cleaned as a result of the cultivation
given to the corn. The moisture also
would be conserved that a good crop of
grain would be obtained from the corn
land the next year. Beans may be
planted up to June 1st. Of course
there are areas in North Dakota where
the extensive growing of beans would
not be safe, owing to the early coming
of autumn frosts. But there are other
areas in which this hazard seldom &C.
ours. Where beans can be safely and
successfully grown they are a profitable
crop. and 6ne Yields of grain may be
obtained from bean land the following
year. Why not make this a bean year
in such localities2
Millet may be sown safely in nearly
all parts of North Dakota, as late as
June 10. The conditions in the state
are quite favorable to Its successful
growth. This is true Of it whether grown
on the broadcast plan OF in rows and
cultivated. The latter plan is some
times adopted when growing broom corn
or hog millet for seed. Better crops of
wheat will be obtained after millet
than when wheat follows grain. Why
not make this a millet year in North
Dakota?
PROF. THOMAS SHAW.
St. Paul. May 1, 1918.