Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-05-15
PROPER HANDLING OF SOILS
Ground Should BE in Place to Be
Handled Just as Piece of Wood
Should BE In a Wise.

Dobie and sandy soils will stand
blowing In dry weather better than a
clay loan, which 10 apt to form
briquets which are long time break
ing down from weathering.
The best clay loans need the most
careful handling and the use of disks
in some form is very much to be pre-
ferred in dry weather, as they crumble
the soil better than mold boards, says
the Denver Post Narrowing after
blowing is all right, but it win only
accomplish a certain amount of work
IL the coil has been turned over in
large, hard chunks, for the harrow
teeth cannot and do not reach deep
enough. A disk will do some things
after blowing that harrow will not,
but 1t will only cut the chunks in
places, and If continued there, on ac-
count of their lessened weight and
stability, will be turned until pushed
aside and avoid the pulverizing ac-
ton of the disk. You lessen the size
OF the bulk you have turned over, but
you are long, long way from a fine
filth Hom which the rootlets can suck
sustenance In the shape of soil SOUP
the only form of food they can assimi-
late. Where blowing Is cheap the best
condition will be remedied to some
extent by getting heavy soil mulch
on top that will both absorb and retain
moisture, but the process is slow and
much Of the energy Of frost and snow
will be wasted in correcting a bad
physical condition which should be ex-
erted In pairing down already fine par
ticles. Capillarity has been inter-
rupted and there are large airholes in
which roots find no abiding place.
Good blowing Is the first and abso-
lutely essential operation to the larg-
est crop that can be grown, and poor
blowing will lessen the results of all
after effort.
Handle soil when 1t is in place to be
handled, just as you work a piece of
wood while in the wise. Pulverize your
sofi that you mean to turn under while
it Is on top and accessible, not after
you have turned 1t under eight inches
or a foot out of reach. Disk 1t and
double disk it, get four or six inches
or more Of it worked from the top. as
In the case of a potash field, which al
ways gives heavy yields. Don't mon
key with the proposition-tackle 1t
with your common sense. Lay out
what you want to do, and do it. II
you never get the field plowed this fall
it will be better plowed next spring
than full of afrholes and spaces the
winter fails to settle through the sub
soil will lose the good effect Of aera-
ton. But you will get 1t plowed be-
cause when thoroughly dlsked rains
will penetrate It that would do little
good on stubble or that would be evap-
GRATED by a day or two,s wind and
sunshine. While your disked field will
continue to turn and break beautifully
from moldboard to furrow slice, and
with one narrowing you will be near
the perfect seeded ready to start
when spring comes. With plants that
catch right hold and even in raw
spring weather establish themselves
TO make the big crop At the worst
you can turn your ground early enough
next spring to bring the soil into fine
shape, and not be farming on the top
Of a lot of bumps In which nothing
but winter grain could find any foot.
hold.