Tombstone epitaph., 1915-02-21
DEPTH OF A SEED BED
Prairie Soil Was Flowed to a
 Six-Inch Depth and Disked.
Small Grain Narrowed Until Six inches High and Corn Treated With Same implement as Long as Possible
 Prevent Evaporation.

Three years ago l took charge of a dry farm. The soil was a good loam containing great many powders left by a glacial drift. At one time wheat in this section gave large yields but during the dry seasons the crop fell down to six to twelve bushels the acre which was scarcely worth fussing with at harvest time and stock was turned into many of the fields. l be- The neighbors thought l was crazy because plowed the prairie soil six inches deep and followed the blow with disk several times: because l narrowed the small grain until it was six inches high; because l har- rowed the corn every week so long as possible and then plowed il each week with very small tooth cultiya- tor. But they were surprised at har- vest time because some of that land gave a return ot s32 the acre. writes Clifford Willis in Denver Field and Farm.
 Last year many of the fields in the vicinity were prepared and plowed better than they have been for some time because the farmers saw more bushels as the result and bushels meant dollars. 1 also had to work on some heavy soil. part of this land was turned six inches deep while some was plowed only four inches. In each case the disk followed the blow and would have been still better if had cross-disked before blowing as am now doing Everything possible was done to make a good firm seed bed and also to prevent evaporation. it strange that we would harrow our small grain when it was six inches high.
 While working in the field stirring the soil, although dry. many of my brother farmers were not even in the field. We have harvested more and better grain than many of our neigh bors simply becaure we kept at work. On the six-inch breaking of adobe the corn gave yield of thirty eight bush els the acre while four-inch breaking gave a yield of less than thirteen bushels In cultivating our crops in the dry area we followed these three factors-a deep seed bed. a firm seed bed and surface cultivation. In every instance We disked our ground just as soon as possible after harvest and on the corn ground we disked the stalks in order to cut them up and also 10 make a mulch.
 I advise early fall blowing if pos sible and blow six to eight inches in depth. Fall blowing will prevent the loss of moisture to a certain extent and if the soil breaks up cloddy, let it remain during the winter without har- rowing. l have found by this method that We are able to begin work much earlier in the spring than on late plowed ground. We should stir this soil just as early as possible so as to form a soil mulch to prevent evapor- ation. If unable to blow ir the fall, I advise early spring blowing so that the capillary connection between the plowed surface soil aLd the lower strata may be established before the spring rains stop. l believe in deep blowing but do not deepen the seed bed all at once. If you have been in h, habit of blowing shallow. only go deeper from one to two inches each. season but always let he aim be to eventually get down as deep as pos sible l have no patience with the dry settlers who LIerely scratch the surface and call it blowing.