American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-03-19

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,ody should be Interested. Therefore
Is reproduced here.
Al this date, March 9th. Il has
hardly occurred to the average farm
n that the soil could right nov be
oslug moisture In every direction
/ nnd the farmers pillow and allow the
burrows TO stand open. steadily los
ng moisture, waiting until the ground
honld be warm enough to terminate
rain. The researches OF Professor
King. m the middle west have demon
strated that az this season OF the
soar the soil can lose one inch Of
water each week. II those open fur
rows could be disced, or narrowed.
hen the abundant moisture OF the
winter Of 1894 could be conserved
Tor future use. Last spring ! noticed
hat some Of my neighbors seeding af-
Ter the winter moisture had been
~dlssipated. failed TO secure a perfect
stand, and IN some cases had to irri-
gate TO sprout the seed. This waa
frequently true and always harmful
In potato growing.
have noticed a very marked change
IN Nebraska in the handling OF soil
Many years ago Il was the habit of
The farmer 10 pillow all the field, and
not disc or harrcV until he could work
crosswlse. Under the steady and per
sissent influence Of the newspapers
Il Is nov the habit OF the farmers In
Nebraska TO daily disc or harrow the
area plowed. making a determined
effort to maintain a loose mellow SUR
face that should conserve moisture
and form an ideal seed bed Con-
versing with a farmer receni's on the
train he stated hat he had been pillow
ing FOR two weeks. 1 ksked him II
he disced or narrowed from day 10
day. on no. they bsl rot done that
Was ne losing moisturef" Quite like
~. btf there you'd be plenty OF water
Il N<ok16tsh." Such methods are the
very ~orst that could obtain.
THE idea OF conserving moisture
Is peculiarly important to the party
~culuvating a young orchard, The snov
and rainfall OF 1884 has been quit
abundant. The snow melted slowly
and soaked deeply Int the soil. Or
chard lands and especially clay an
gumbo land are now more thorough
~ saturated than they could be fol
lowing any irrigation. Snow an
rain water has now had many week
10 soak slowly and deeply into In
water at a greater depth than coul
At this moment viii doubtless sho'
that IA three year form the root
be developed after copious irrigatio
from the ditch. Snow and rain waite
slowly setting into the soil Is MOI
equally distributed thar water recei'
ed from bitches. and distribute
through c~orrugation. Personally v
have found that Il IL cheaper and mo
effective with a young orchard to col
serve moisture than TO open a
ground by co%rrugation, distribute a
water by expensive irrigation. al
then cultivate twice more to close I
the corrugation and break the crui
In Watering from bitches we corr
gate the entire orchard. Ia orchar
one year old and older. This mothI
invites the roots TO spread widely,
lhat la three years from the roc
have extended ten. twelve. or mo
feet from the tree Trees are nus b
ter supported. and the growth mo
vigorous.
Time 10 Commence Cultivation.
Whenever the surface OF the soil
crusting. evaporation Is rapid a
cultivation should start as early
the ground can BE- worked without
jury. In loamy and sandy soils ril
now il the time. On heavy clay Ian
probably this II too early. In !!
BY starting cultivation March 81 a
cuitivating "a times We were able
carry $50 acres OF young orchard
two. three. and four ear form, vi
out irrigation. securing a very vig
Gus growth. In 1913 We commend
cultivation March nth. that W. mil
conserve the very limited winter mC
ture OF isi2-i3 Having much !
winter moisture stored IN the subs
~e cultivated "A times and lrriga
once Il should be remembered q
a young orchard does not need
much water a. a corn Held. II sho
also be remembered that as the tr
Increase IN z and size the need
moisture Increases eight or ten
az the very least when with tr
Of large size. say 10 to IL years, y
a crop o. fruit to be supported.
TO this add some crop like Ct
er. Ne then would need twice as m
water as an alfalfa field. since
must support a crop OF grass. vigor
thrifty trees with large leaf surf