The Ordway new era., 1914-10-09
STUBBLE is OF VALUE
LEAVE AS MUCH IN GROUND As
POSSIBLE FOR TWO REASONS.
One 10 That It May 30 Flowed Under
for Fertilizer and Other Ihat II
May Catch Snow and Help Ae-
eumuiate Moisture.
tBy E. r. PARsoNsl

10y r. ~ fafhooENoJ
In harvesting small grain 1t Is most
important to leave as much of the
stubble on the ground as possible, for
two entirely different and distinct
purposes. One Is that 1t may be
plowed under for fertillzing purposes.
the other that it may catch the snow
and help to accumulate moisture, for
1t is just as necessary to absorb the
water as 1t Is to conserve 1t.
In California they keep up the fer
tility OF the wheat fields by heading
and they plow the straw under.
Some farmers pasture stock on 1t and
then plow the manure under. which
amounts to much the same thing.
The treatment of field subsequent
to the harvesting period depends on
its physical condition at the time. and
on the needs of the next crop to be
raised on 1t. Supposing wheat fol
lows wheat without any following
(Which, by the way, we do not rec
ommend, for rotation is much better
than single cropping), then the land
should be plowed as soon as 1t is pos
sible, the stubble turned under and
the field left in receptive condition
for precipitation until planting time
for the winter wheat in September.
There is an axiom in dry-farming
which l would Impress on my read
ers: Never raise spring wheat In a
country where winter wheat flour
ishes." The reasons are too obvious
to need explanation and too many
to print In this article. but | might
quote from the United States de.
partment Of agriculture that the yield
for winter wheat Is IA bushels. aver
age per acre, as against nine for spring
wheat. "s
On the dry-farm small grain should
be followed by corn. sorghum or po-
tatoes; but the moisture question
often cuts our rotation down to small
grain, corn and alfalfa. II the field
Is intended for corn or sorghums 1t
should be plowed in the fall and the
crops planted in the spring; but II
| the physical condition OF the field Is
such that 1t cannot be plowed In the
| fall 1t can be left in the stubble all
| winter, disked as soon as it Is pas
| tured of and plowed as deeply as
possible as soon as the frost will per-
init.
AS far as the plowing is concerned.
| every inch OF depth counts In dry
farming. especially up to ten inches,
the difference between six.inch plow-
ing and ten-!nch plowing often dou-
bling the crop. When we thoroughly
appreciate this fact there will be no
more failures In dry.farming.
| II the land Is intended for another
crop OF winter wheat after being
summer-fallowed It may also be left
in the stubble and treated as for corn,
but the plowing should be done in
May or June when the weeds are all
up eight or nine inches high. This
method makes for fertility and more
than supplies the humus lost In culti-
waiting. There is a period. however.
between the time when the frost Is
out of the ground and the blowing.
which must be bridged over by disk
ing in the manure left on the ground
by the cattle. This will also mulch
the land and bury the weed seeds.
which will come up later on and be
turned under by the plow.
Fall plowing is the best for corn
II the soil is light and the lister is
used in the spring. Spring plowing
us usually best for the sorghums. Fall
| blowing is the best for oats on any
land, for this crop needs deeply
plowed but solid soil and nothing is
better than natures packing. BY
| plowing ten Inches deep and allowing
the land to settle all winter IS bush
els per acre may often be raised on
| the best soil