Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-10-09

absorb and hold the rain which
falls during the time when there
is no crop on the land.
Shallow blowing has been
the cause of loss to many farmers,
and it is still practiced to a great
extent. Good results are some
times obtained in spite of shall
low blowing, and this has caused
many to continue the practice.
On the other hand there is often
to be found a farmer who has
tried deep blowing late in the
season of dry year, and failed
to get good results on account of
the drying out of the soil. U.s.
ually this is due to improper
treatment of the soil after plow-
ing, and the lateness of the sea-
son in which the blowing was
done.
1T is not possible to tell the
exact depth to which blowing
should always be done. This
varies with the locality, the crops
to be grown. soil conditions, time
of blowing, etc. The lighter and
more uncertain the railfall, the
deeper the seed bed should be and
the earlier it should be made.
Where the soil is thin, the deep
ening process should be gradual
and vegetable matter should be
added to the soil from time to
time so that the plant food in the
newly turned land may become
available.
IF the soil is a hard stiff clay
and it is turned early in the sea-
son, it may be allowed to remain
without additional treatment un-
til the winter frost has had a
chance to act on it. 1t is never
advisable, however, to permit
the land to remain in that condi-
ton until spring, for it loses
moisture very rapidly when the
weather gets warm. Cover crops
of some kind should be sown
wherever the rainfall is ample,
but in no case should they be
used where the moisture will be
reeded for the regular crop.
For grain crops like wheat or
rye, early piowing to depth of
six or seven inches seems to give
about as good results on most
soils as deeper blowing. Tests
show that anything less than six
inches usually causes a decrease
in the yield. In most sections of
Oklahoma, the practice of thor
oughly discing the land immed-
lately after wheat harvest and
following with pillow later gen.
orally conserves enough moisture
to permit of blowing long after
land receiving no treatment would
become too dry to work. Such
crops as corn, kafir corn, milo
maize and peanuts profit by deep
blowing, usually the deeper the
better if done early. 1t should
be remembered however, that,
thoroughly pulverization and set
Ting of the soil before blowing
is necessary for these crops. The
depth of blowing makes but lit
tie difference if the seed is placed
in dry, hard and cloddy ground.
THE working of the surface
soil after blowing should not be
delayed unless it is thought de-
sirable to leave the land rough
in order to mellowit. The plowed
soil should be fined as much as
possible and firmed down so that
no large air spaces or loose I'M
decayed vegetable matter is left
at the bottom of the furrow to
prevent the moisture from COM
ing up or permitting it to escape
into the air. There is nothing
better than a disc harrow to put
plowed land into the proper shape
to absorb and hold the rainfall.
cit is a commonly accepted be-
lief on the part of a great many
farmers that cotton does not do
we'll on land that has beenplowed
deep. Just the reverse is true,
however, as practically every
farmer who has tried it will tes-
tify. The cotton plant needs a
firm seed bed, but this does not
mean that it will thrive best when
placed on a ridge made by throw
ing a small amount of loose dirt !
over the hard packed soil, then
planting the seed so that the ten !
Ter roots will come in contact
with this unturned soil as soon :
rs they begin to grow. q
IF it is necessary for any rea- :
,o, IN de1av O1owi1 o. until Snriu o.