The Delta independent., 1915-08-13
PLoW TO CONSERVE MoIs-
TURE AND TO KILL WEEDS

The blind following of a rule pre-
scribing any particular time of plow-
ing may cause a reduction as often as
an increase in the yields of the three
spring crops. wheat, oats and corn.
In climate in which the precipita-
ton is as erratic as 1t is in eastern
Colorado, therefore, no rules can be
of plowing, according to the United
States department of agriculture bull
letin No. 253. THE Effect of Differ
ent Kinds of Flowing on Small Grain
Stubble in Eastern Colorado" Never
theless, the time of plowing is, ac-
cording to the departments specialists
one of the most important of the con-
trollable factors of crop production.
The great variation in the time and
amount of precipitation is the impor-
tant climatic characteristic of this
region of eastern Colorado that must
be kept constantly in mind when con-
sidering the time of plowing. No
dependence can be placed on heavy
precipitation in August or September
yet it frequently occurs, and when 1t
does, the farmer should Immediately
take steps to conserve it.
Weeds are a very important factor
in that they take from the soil large
amounts OF water, and for this reason
they should be destroyed as soon as
possible after the occurrence of rains
However. precipitation that comes af
ter the weeds have been killed by
frost in the fall is as we'll stored by
soil covered with dead weeds as by
turned burrows.
The land which was spring plowed
in the series of experiments usually
showed a greater increase in mois-
ture content during the winter than
the soil which was plowed in the fall
This was accounted for by the snow
which was held in the stubble on the
land during the winter. Sometimes
the moisture content WAS so greatly in
erased in the spring plowed land that
with a normal summer precipitation
the yields on this land were much
larger than on like area which had
been plowed in the fall
The amount of moisture held in
the ground in the spring. however.
is only one of the factors in the pro-
duction OF grain crops. 1t often hap
pens that weeds growing with the
crop take up sufficient water to de-
crease the grain yield materially. 1t
was found that fall plowing at the
Akron station especially favored
weeds starting with the grain. Plow-
ing in the spring thoroughly eliminates
weeds and. II done Immediately be-
fore seeding, gives the grain crop
the start OF them. Flowing IS consid-
cred the most effective method OF
cultivation for destroying weeds
Early fall plowing effectively des-
troys weeds which use the early fall
precipitation. but IL does not leave
the land in condition to retain the
snow in winter and 1t gives the weeds
an opportunity to start before the
crop. Spring plowing leaves the stub
BILE to retain snow and reduces the
number of weeds in the growing crop.
but 1t does not prevent the loss of
moisture by weed growth in the fall.
The ideal cultivation. therefore. would
be to prevent weed growth in the
fall, leave the land In such condi-
tion that Il would retain the maxi
mum of snow in the winter and retard
the termination of weed seed until
the crop starts in the spring. In de
Gliding the time OF plowing the advan-
tages and disadvantages of both spring
and fall plowing must be taken into
consideration and can best be decid.
ed by the man on the ground
This bulletin gives In detail the re.
suits from six years experiments and
the yields per acre of spring wheat.
oats. corn and winter wheat for this
period. both on fall plowed and spring
plowed ground 1t also gives the wa
ter content of soils at varying depths
of from TO feet at different periods
each year for the past six years. The
bulletin. No. 253. may be had free
upon application to the United States
Department of Agriculture. Washing.
ton. ID. c.