The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-05-06

ihteiilgent selection OF varieties
thorough cultivation. and timely tho
not too heavy irrigation. will do much
70 help any locality into the corn
growing area.
Thorough CuItivstisa.
The most important part OF better
farming is better preparation OF the
soil. All he other essentials of good
farming fall down if the matter OF
thorough cultivation or preparation
of the soil is neglected Thorough cul-
tivation will sometimes produce =
crop for the farmer even though he
has insufficient moisture and a poor
season
Now the question is. what is thor
ough cultivation? Thorough cultiva-
tion begins with good plOwing. Then
follows the question. what is good
blowing? Flowing. though seemingly
simple matter. is the most important
operation in the tillage of the soil. Up
on 1t. to great degree depend the
nature Of the later operations and the
| frequency and extent to which they
will be required. In fact. unless the
soil is plOwed In the best manner pos
sible. and at the right time the prepara
tion OF the land for growing crop
will require additional labor and cost
1t may even be impossible to prepare
a good seed bed when blowing is done
under adverse conditions
1t has been demonstrated in several
states by series of experiments, es-
pecially in old ground, that deep piOw-
ing gives better results than shallow
plowing; that soil plowed seven to
eight inches deep will average % to
35 per cent better crops than soil plow
ed four or five inches deep. p, :. 4.
FLOWING .its5u4dsg+ +done iii niec
straight and even burrows, with the
stubble, or whatever aftermath there
is on the surface, well turned under
so that it will not come to the top OF
the ground when worked with harrow
or disk
Back burrows should be turned out,
tItl ploWeu Ddck 80 tiiat tlleTe is uOt
three OF four feet in width of land
under the back furrow which has not
been plowed Also, after making the
dead furrow. If two plows are being
used see that they both turn the same
kind of a furrow; it will save labor in
leveling.
In spring plowing it is most impor-
tant that the plow be followed at once
with some implement-harr disk,
roller or planker. In this way you can
conserve moisture and at the same
time the ground will work up better
than at any time later
II possible, spring pIowing should
be disked before plowing. 1t will hold
your soil in nice shape for plowing
much longer than if not done; and
what is more important, it will have
worked the part Of the furrow that
most needs working that is the bot
tom part.
The general impression is that it is
the top two or three inches of the seed
Dtu Dt III Soph ShoPt'
in fact it is the bottom two or three
inches of the seed bed that must be
well worked and in good shape.
Any good cultivation requires at
least one double disking and in most
cases two double diskings are better.
then at least one double narrowing,
then the leveler, and again the harrow
followed by the plLnker or roller.
The leveler should be run crosswise
of the blowing so as to fill dead fur
rows and take down back burrows.
Generally each implement should be
run crosswise or diagonally to the pre-
vious working.
The field should be left about one
week to permit settlement OF the soil
before seeding. In case rain should
occur during this time the harrow
should be used again.
1t is well in case the soil is fairly
loose. to run the roller just ahead Of
the drill as we'll as just after it. There
are times when it is we'll to roll just as
the grain is coming up, especially If
the soil is inclined to crust or in case
there has been rain.
1t Is not practicable to state in
general article just what any one far
mer should do with his own particu-
lar soil. The above is fair outline
under favorable conditions. Under ad-
verse conditions thorough cultivation
may mean as much as double the work
outlined to secure satisfactory results.
In closing have in mind that the
bottom of the furrow in good shape is
the reason for the major portion Of
the work described in the foregoing.