The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-09-26
OUR OPPORTUNITY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Start Now To Prepare For The Wars Demand On Our Next
Years Crops

try-wide adoption of this method of
blowing will ultimately save.
Insuring the Crop in Advance.
After blowing, the first duty of a
man is to guarantee the work by pro-
per cultivation and disking. Without
delving into the chemistry of plant
life too deeply, the growth of plant
is determined by the p, oper prepara-
ton both in the soil and out of it, or
air, water and certain salt compounds.
Rainfall, sunlight and air in conjunc-
ton with the soil have a knack of
assembling these elements in such a
way that the plant grows; or failing
to assemble them in such way that
the plant fails to develop. Nature has
provided for this intermiXture of ele-
ments for a limited time and plant
life will go on without much outside
interference, but, like so many other
forms of natural activity, it is pos
sible for human intelligence to greatly
increase the effectiveness of natures
work. The disk harrow is one of the
leading nature aiders in farming. 1t
is said that rightly used it does more
to increase crop profits than any other
farm implement and should be used
on every farm. 1t is one of the SIM
plest implements made; one of the
easiest to obtain; simple to run; will
sand much hard work; and lasts a
long time. 1t is SC inexpensive that
increase the production that it soon
pays for itself. In certain parts of
the United States, farm without a
disk or two is as curious slgat as Il
farm without wagon, but in other
parts, it is still on the threshold Of
universal use.
F. H. DeMarkee, Acting Agrono-
mist at the Missouri Agricultural Elk
pertinent Station, says: "In my opin-
ion, and that of everybody connected
with the crop and soil work of this
institution, the disk harrow is one of
the best implements which can be
used on any farm. ~ early-plowed
land and in full-plowed land, there is
generally crust, and many clods
form before planting time. One
OF the best implements wren we have
found so far for pulver1zing these IS
the disk harrow. On sod land it is
nearly impossible to make a good
seed bed without the use of the disk"
10 the bumper crop farmer, the
skilled agrlculturist, so to speak, pIow-
ing is merely the rough work of get
ting ready to plant. He puts the fin
ishing touches on with the other ma
chimes just as the sancpaper follows
the plans in finishing woodwork.
Professor Daniel Scoates of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
Of Mississippi, says: "The disk har-
rows special duty is to take the soil
after the piow has done its work and
put on the finishing touches. The re-
suit of these touches act in different
ways under as many circumstances. #
the land receives heavy rainfall, the
disking allows the soil to take up lar
ger quantities of this moisture than
could be obtained under the former
condition. Then the absorption Of
this water has not only the benefit of
storing up moisture for the future use
of the plants, but by allowing the
water to soak into the ground, it pre-
vents, to certain extent, the surface
washing of the land Further. the
disking of the surface gives still an
other advantage in that it forms
mulch which breaks up the effect Of
what is known as capillarity, thus
causing the rapid evaporation to
cease and saving up the moisture
stored in the soil"
What these men have to say in re-
gard to the value of the disk as crop
factor is emphasized by every eX-
perimental department working along
farm lines. Their official O. X. con-
firms what thousands of farmers have
proved.