The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-11-05
STUBBLE IS OF VALUE
LEAVE AS MUCH IN GROUND AS
POSSIBLE FOR TWO REASONS.
Ono Is That II May BE Plowed Under
for Fertilizer and other That II
May Catch Snow and Help Ac-
sumulate Moisture.
cBy f. n. PARsoNso


In harvesting small grain It 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 II may be-
plowed under for fertilizing purposes.
the other that II may catch the snow
and help to accumulate moisture, for
II Is Just as necessary to absorb the
water as II is to conserve II.
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 II 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 it. 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 -four
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
wheats
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. IL the held
; is intended for corn OF sorghums II
'' 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 It can be left In the stubble all
winter, disked as soon as II IL pas
tured off and plowed as deeply az
possible as soon as the frost will per
~ NIT
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-inch plowing often dor
- bling the crop. When we thorough
appreciate this fact there will be N
more failures In dry-farming.
II the land is intended for anothe
- crop of winter wheat after bein
summer-fallowed II may also be lei
=, in the stubble and treated as for corr
but the plowing should be done
-, May or June when the weeds are a
~ up eight or nine inches high. TIL
method makes for fertility and NOR
than supplies the humus lost In cult
~, waiting. There is q period, howeve
,Is between the time when the frost
ho out of the ground and the plowin
he which must be bridged over by dis
m ing In the manure left on the grour
by the cattle. This win also mule
the land and bury the weed seed
which will come up later on and
is turned under by the plow.
3D. Fall plowing Is the best for col
ds II the soil is light and the lister
'y used in the spring. Spring plowir
Ter US usually best for the sorghums. Fa
u.s. plowing is the best for oats on al
sn' land, for this crop needs deep
ne piowed but solid soil and nothing
rit better than natures packing.
we plowing ten inches deep and allowil
em the land to settle all winter 70 bus
y 'ay els per acre may often be raised
the best soil.