Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-06-24
COUNTY AGENT
ON ''CATCH CROPS
What Sufferers From Hail May
Do to Minimize Their
Losses.

Inc ~Iecent uall StOrm, WQ1cn de-
vasted the crops in parts of the coun-
y, has given rise to a serious problem
5n many farms.
The most cheerful feature of the
situation is the fact that the hail
storm was not general, SO that COM
few of the farms are SER
lously damaged. However, to the In
who suffered loss, the stu
alton is serious enough.
The question arises as to whether
the damaged crops should be plowed
under and new crops sown, or wheth-
er they should be allowed to mature
and make partial crop. Where the
storm was most severe, probably the
best thing to be done, is to disc or
plow the damaged fields and put in
new crops, altho this will depend con-
siderably on the crop under consider
alton. Rye, for instance, will soon be
ready to cut anyway, and it will pay
to leave it to mature even tho it may
not be good for more than one-third
plowed and seeded to millet.
Barley in most instances, has reach
ed a stage of maturity, where it will
not revive, if seriously damaged, an1
should be replaced by another crop.
Wheat, oats and fax not being very
far advanced stand good show of
coming on again and making fair
CROP. Potatoes will shoot up again
and make partial crop. It is not too
late, to replant potatoes, altho it the.
summer should come OF hot and dry.
the crop would be pretty light.
" Corn being a very tender plant is
in bad shape, but will spring up
again and mature q partial crop, and
with this in view It will be better
to give it q chance to grow as even
q partial crop Of mature corn Is very
important on the farms where much
stock is kept To supplement this.
corn Tor FODDER should b Dianted
on some Of the fields.
Where the hay is cut down very
badly, it should be cut as soon
as the weather conditions permit as
this will allow of some damaged hay
being saved and make way for good
second crop by removing the damaged
stalks and giving long season for
the second crop. This is especially
important in the case of tame hay
as clover and timothy. Very little
loss in the hay crop will be sustained
even in the fields quite badly dam
aged.
II it is found necessary to plow un-
der some crops, what are the best
"catch crops" to be used? Buck
wheat, fax and barley are the only
grain crops likely to mature this late
season. Buckwheat, If the soil is not
too heavy will make good crop, but
the market is little uncertain. Flax
will mature providing the tall re-
mains open long enough, but this
crop being somewhat uncertain in any
year, becomes doubly> so at this late
season. Barley would mature, but
such late seedlings usually result in a
light yield and poor quality.
Corn and millet will give the most
satisfactory results, if feed crops can
be used. Early varieties of corn such
las, Northwestern Dent, flint and Min
Inesota % will give good crop of fod-
lder and mature some ears also. Any
variety of sweet corn makes very
good "catch CROP"
Millet is the one 'best bet" for late
seeding. This can be seeded, follow
ing a crop of rye, barley, or early
oats, up to July 10, and on most any
kind of soil. Altho difficult to cure
, especially In q, wet spell or during
the cool fall. it makes good grade
of hay and yields well.
On we'll drained fields, alfalfa car
be sown with good results and viii
come on In good shape for another
| year.
Millet and corn for feed, and II
some cases, buckwheat and flax q.
. marketable crops, seem to be the bes
and most commonly used "Catcl
? Crops"