Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1916-12-21
DEEP FALL FLOWING
IS THE THING

Is lHE IHlNl
During the past three week
trips over the county have dis
closed the fact that winter pillow
ing is making good progress
While the area plowed at thi
time in individual fields is no
necessarily large, it shows tina
the right idea is being incorpor
ated by the farmers. Practically
ninety per cent of the people in
terviewed had either begun plow
ing or were planning to do so ir
the very near future. This
statement holds as true in the
Spanish American districts OF
the foothills as it does through
out the central portion of the
valley.
Tractors are beginning to play
an interesting part in the pro,
gram of fall and winter blowing.
Several purchases of machines
have been made recently, with
the sole idea of putting them to
this use.
Our labor problem is getting to
be acute. 1t seems to be impos-
sible to get men to assist in plow-
ing the large areas which will go
in next years crops.
Most of the conditions for
blowing are ideal, and permit of
unusually deep blowing, where
necessary horse power is avail
able On the farm. Judging from
various conversations with farm
ers, the idea Of what constitutes
deep plowing in this county is
not very we'll settled. In some
instances 4 to 6lnches was called
deep blowing; in other instances,
6 to 8 inches seems to be the
proper definition. Our plan is to
plowing to a depth
of about 7 inches, with a gradual
increase in future seasons. This
furnishes the basis for good win
ter storage of moisture, by offer
ing the necessary capacity. Some
writers contend that the amount
of moisture which can be stored
in the ground is practically pro-
portionate to the depth Of plow-
ing; that is, in a given season, a
4-inch blowing would store only
one-half as much moisture as is
stored in ground when plowed to
a depth of 8 inches. While we
do not claim that this statement
is altogether true, it is at least
of consideration. I'm
doubtedly larger amounts of
can be stored in deeply
plowed ground than in shallow
plowed ground. If we are to
seriously consider our next years
interest, we must necessarily pro-
vide as early as possible for our
There is nothing par
ticularly new about this state
ment, though the benefits to be
derived from its application are
sometimes overlooked.
The manner in which deep
blowing furnishes more storage
for moisture is found in
the following; When the soil is
turned deeply and left in the
rough state, it is more susceptible
to fully thawing after a freeze,
because of the deeper penetra-
ton of warm air, and the freer
circulation of the same. Thus it
it will be seen, that at the time
our winter SHOWS melt, the
moisture is able to penetrate the
spaces and crevices and become
thereby bringing evap-
oration to the minimum. The
snow fall is likewise less subject
to blowing. and is held in the
field where it can accomplish the
most good.
Contrast this method with the
method now practiced by some
Of our farmers, who leave the
field as it remains after harvest
until warm weather opens in the
spring. Upon the first serious
drop in temperature the ground
freezes. Being protected by a
thin blanket of more or less loose
dry soil, it remains in a frozen
state throughout the winter.
Following snow fall, when the
melting period arrives, we notice
that instead of penetrating the
soil, this moisture penetrates
only to the frozen earth under
the blanket, and thereafter forms
into a vapor cloud as it evapor-
ates from the puddles of water
On the surface, or is drawn up
the now compact blanket
through capillary attraction We