Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1913-02-06
FARMING OPERATIONS
MUST ASSIST NATURE
IMPORTANCE OF FLOWING IN
YIELD OF CROPS.
(By J. G. Haney of I. H. CO. :


reduced soil fertility, and after
pointing out that the soil still con-
tains elements for a hundred large
crops, the problem to make the lat
ent fertility of the soil available is
discussed by the above writer, Mr..
j. G.. Haney of the North Dakota ex-
tension work being done by the In
ternational Harvester company. The
Importance of plowing is thus re-
ferred to by him:
"The primary operation of farm
ing is plowing. This is for the pur-
pose of breaking up the soil particles
so that the plant roots may easily
penetrate the soil, so that moisture
and air can enter it more readily and
be retained in the sol, ,etc. Also the
straw, stubble and manure which
may have been applied are turned
under and incorporated with the soil
so as to be utilized to the greatest
advantage.
"From the observation of many
fields in various parts of the north
west, it is probable that no other sim
gle operation is more responsible for
the decrease in yields than the way
in which plowing is dones 1t will
be recalled that the amount of fer
tility in the soils of the Red river
valley were computed for practically
seven inches, and it is doubtful if
the average depth of plowing is over
five inches. The surface 2-3 inch
es of soil weighs approximately two
million pounds per acre, TO practi-
cally 100000 per inch of depth. On
many of the fields observed, it was
found that the plowing had been done
at practically the same depth year
after year, until the soil beneath the
fifrfow slice of about 4 11a inches
was almost as hard as travelled
road.
There is no question but that plow-
ing these soils an inch deeper than
they have formerly been plowed
would add wonderfully to their pro-
ductiveness. This plowing deeper
OF course, should be done as early in
the fall or late summer as possible
to as to give this new Soil an oppor-
tunity to be watered and acted on
by the elements before crop is
planted on it. 1t has also been OBJ
served that plowing is often done
when the soil is not in a condition to
plow. One farmer gave an instance
of where he plowed a field of heavy
land when it was too wet, and he
noticed that it took several years to
overcome the bad conditions that re-
suited. The subsequent treatment
of plowed land is also matter that
deserves careful consideration, es-
pecially when there has been any
considerable amount of vegetable
matter turned under.
The plowing under of manure is
often accused of being responsible
for a decrease in yield the year fol-
lowing. The reason for this usually
is that the application was too heavy
and the soil was not compacted after
it was plowed; which admitted of the
circulation of air to such an extent
that the soil dried out. Also the
rotting of an excessive amount OF
vegetable matter consumes a large
amount of moisture, and in case
there is deficiency this will, of
course, be noticeable in dts effect on
the crop. The application of manure
should be light, very even, and thor
oughly disced into the soil before
plowing. The use of barn yard ma
nure, blowing under straw, stubble,
stalks, growths of clover, ETC., not
only adds to the soil value Of the
fertility which they contain, and fur
nish material on which bacteria work
and liberate the mineral elements
of fertility, but this partially decay
ed vegetable matter in the soil also
adds very greatly to the moisture
holding capacity. This fact is par
ticularly important in the regions OF
light soils and light rainfall. 1t is
probable that the liberal additions
OF active organic matter to the low
producing soils Of the northwest will
result in a greater increase in yields
than any other one condition that
can be brought about.
sg5Ss fSs54t J..
Y.s.S ,,o.,p lawA. Sox saIA vifh 1ohn