The Snowflake herald., 1916-03-10
CROPS ON TIE PLAINS
F"0;StuTc Is Considered Most Ln-
pOrtant Factor.
Man on the Ground Must Decide Cues
tion of Time When Field Should
Be PloWed-FaIl and Spring
Flowing Is Compared.

The average yields of spring crops,
such as wheat, oats, and corn in the
great plains area. from spring and
from fall plowing, show that the blind
following of a rule prescribing any
particular time of plowing might cause
reduction as often as 1t does an in
crease in the yields The great varla
ton in the time and amount of precipi
tation in this region must be constant
ly kept in mind when considering the
time of blowing No dependence can
be placed on a heavy precipitation
in August and September, yet 1t fire.
quently occurs AS moisture is con
sidered the most important factor in
crop production in the great PLAINS
area, its conservation is the primary
object in cultivation
Stubble, weeds, and uneven ground
are common means of retaining snow
and holding a large part of the win
ter precipitation. In deciding when
a field should be plowed, the question
of whether a great amount of mois-
ture will be accumulated by holding
the snow that falls than will be dis
sipated by the growth of weeds is par
amount. 1t must be decided by the
man on the ground. In answering this
question several factors must be con-
sidered, namely. the amount of mois
ture already in the soil that may be
lost through weed growth the prob
n hnf khn xryin hn
killed by the frost. the possibilities of
increasing the water in storage in the
soil by holding the snow that may
come, the danger of soil blowing If the
stubble and weeds are removed, and
the distribution of farm labor The
Importance of these factors is consid,
cred in Department Bulletin No 253.
THE Effect of Different Times of Plow-
ing Small-grain Stubble in Eastern
Colorado" The major portion of the
bulletin is given to a description of
the time of plowing for spring wheat,
but is as applicable to oats and corn.
The experiments were performed at
Akron (Colo.) field station, but the de-
ductions are general and useful
throughout the entire great plains
area.
1t was found that there was wider
variation in the precipitation of the
fall and winter, when the moisture
should be stored, than during the grow
ing months Rains in August and early
September invariably produce
growth of weeds, which usually ex-
haust the valuable moisture supply.
The loss of moisture which has pene-
trated to a greater depth than three
inches, after the weeds are dead in the
fall and before growth starts in the
spring, is almost negligible. Either
from land fall plowed or from that COW
cred with stubble light precipitation
evaporates unless it falls as snow,
which is blown into drifts until con-
siderable quantity has accumulated.
AS ten inches of light snow are equiva-
lent to only one inch of rain, and one
inch of rain penetrates the soil to a
depth of six inches, it will be readily
seen that SHOWS of one to two inches
supply a very small amount of mois.
ture, a greater part Of which will be
lost by evaporation Every effort
should be made, therefore, to conserve
the moisture which falls either while
the crop is on the land or while the
land is lying idle.
Early fall rains will be used by
weeds unless the land is cultivated
Heavy winter SHOWS may occur but
they are likely to blow of the fields
unless there is either stubb'e ~ an
uneven surface to hold them. The time
and method of cultivation then should
be planned to prevent weed growth
and still leave the soil or stubble in
such a condition that it will hold the
maximum snow. However, the period
when labor is available will also be
an important factor in determining
the time of plowing. When labor is
scarce, cultivation other than plowing
which will kill weeds and can be done
rapidly may be resorted to- If this
cultivation leaves the stubble on the
surface or leaves the surface rough
to hold the snow, it may be of even
greater value than plowing. Disking
or listing in the fall are the methods
most commonly used.