The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-01-14
CREATING DUST MULCH
Do Not Attempt Anything With
CIods in the Fall.
Rain and Melted Snow Permitted TO
Run Down and Water Can Be Con-
served by a Proper Dust Mulch
Soils Not All Alike.

IL is possible in the semiarid sec
tion of the country. and on light soils
in any section. to form such dust
mulch as will favor blowing. especi-
ally in dry time, and more particularly
on lands that are somewhat worn and
somewhat deficient in soil moisture.
1t is utterly impossible for any per.
son to make suggestions on the man
agenent OF land that Will apply infal-
libby to all kinds Of land under alr
sorts OF weather conditions and in all
sections. We would not attempt to do
anything with clods In the fall, says
Wallace's Farmer. We would not har-
row ground in the fall, but would leave
II rough; for the subsequent freez-
ing and thawing will break up the
elods, while the roughness OF the land
win give the frost a better chance
to get in its work as we'll as catch
snow and rain.
Where land is light. where Is II ex-
posed to high winds. where experience
teaches that II IT, liable TO blow, we
would keep the prevention OF blowing
always in mind. II Is difficult TO know
just how to handle these lands. IL
they are narrowed till the surface Is a
fine dust, there is every opportunity
for the soil itself to blow away. IL
they are rolled with fiat roller. they
are more likely to blow than h Ieft
loose. The disk roller. OF packer.
while eompacting the soil. leaves IL
somewhat rough and prevents blow
ing.
We saw one year I'm the state "a
Iowa an entire crop OF wheat from ten
acres OF land blown ont into the roads.
The danger is much greater in the
semiarid country. Ciod formation can
be prevented by first 6isking, then
piowing and narrowing directly after
wards, SO that clods have no chance
| to form.
I No matter what agricultural papers
| man may read, or how many books
or how great their general value, the
farmer must study his own farm and
his own conditions, and feel free to &c
directly contrary to advice, no mat
ter how good It may be under widely
differing conditions from his.
You cannot treat sandy soils tn
same way you do clay; nor can yo
treat the light soils the same way yo
do the heavy soils in that same SEE
tfon nor can you front either OF then
ms YOU would eumbo soil IN the valley,
Of the humid section In fhe semiartd
section the soil cleavage is entirely
dlfferent from that OF the humid Sec
ton. In the humid section the strata
are. SO to speak. horizontal; IN the
semiarid section, perpendicular.
Professor Ten Eyck, who had long
experience In the Kansas dry belt ex'
pertinent station. once said to us that
he had the best results by listing the
soil deep late In the fall and leaving II
rough SO that the rain and melted
snow could run down and the water
could be conserved by proper dust
mulch
In any section where land is liable to
blow. we would be careful about using
the harrow more than is necessary
and would under no circumstances use
a smooth roller. The more vegetable
matter you get into that soil. and
therefore, the more root fiber. the less
It is likely to blow. There are soils
that are now considered good. which
II they are kept growing corn for
few years, until the vegetable nber i
decomposed, cannot be well held ever
by warranty deed.