The Springdale news., 1916-01-14
Ill. SOIL TlllAGE.
BY De +. Hungerford, Assistant Ag
economist, College of Agriculture
University of Arkansas

80 - 81 VI al hdIotot
BY constant observation ana exper-
imentation farmers have learned that
certain practices are necessary for the
production Of high yields
Preparation of a Good Seed Bed
Among those practices OF foremost
importance is the preparation OF
good seed bed. The little roots OF
the young seedlings are too tender to
force their way very far into hard
ground in search of food. If com.
PEELED to do SO the amount of soil
from which they can draw food and
moisture is necessarily limited, and
consequently the plant is likely TO
be stunted
a good seed bed IS deep, but not
too loose. Land broken in the fall
and left in the furrow over winter
can be prepared for seeding by
thorough disking followed by a har-
row, but if a cover crop has been
grown it should be broken again as
early as possible in the spring This
is especially true il the cover crop s
pastured. A roller seldom benefits
heavy soils except when a large
amount of organic matter such as ma
nure or green crop has been turned
under just short time before seed,
ing
Storing and Conserving Moisture:
The water which falls upon the soil
in the form Of rain may be lost by
running off from the surface, by eyap-
GRAFTON from the soil. by Transportation
through the leaves of weeds, or by
percolation into the lower strata be-
low the reach OF plant roots Loss
by the first three processes can be
materially reduced by proper tillage.
When the land has been deeply
broken the rain enters into it readily
and is held there but when the soil
| is hard and compact most of the wa
ter runs off into the stream channels,
where ii IL OF no use TO crops. Not
only is the water thus lost which
might have been used for future use,
but the water running off the land
washes away the richest part Of the
soil and causes gullies to form, thus
rendering tillage operations more DIFF
ficult. After a rain the surface soil
soon dries out by the evaporation OF
the water. Ii the soil is compact
moisture is continually being drawn
up from below by ca 2illarity and evap
Grated from the surface But if the
top is stirred. a loose earth mulch Is
formed which breaks up capillarity
and reduces the loss.
Weeds, however. cause the greatest
loss OF moisture from the soil In the
growth Of one ton of weeds about four
hundred tons OF water is used. which
is equivalent to three and half
inches OF rainfall per acre. Weeds
also take up the available plant food
thus robbing the crops and reducing
the yield
Soil Ventilation: A third important
benefit OF thorough tillage results
from the mixing of large amounts of
air with the soil. Air is needed by
the beneficial soil organisms such as
the nitrifying bacteria which makes
the nitrogen of organic matter avail
able, and it promotes the growth OF
those bacteria which make the nitro
gen of the air available to plants
Fall VS. Spring Breaking: When
time and weather conditions permit it
is better to break the ground in the
fall. This leaves Ii in loose cond-
tion ready TO absorb the winter and
spring rains and prevents washing and
Outlying. Where the land is rolling
the burrows should run crosswise 70
the slope and should not be smoothed
with a harrow or drag unless a cover
crop is grown.
Deep Breaking and Shallow Cultlva-
ton: AS a rule the soils Of Arkansas
are not broken deep enough to secure
the best results. Deep breaking re
quires the use Of larger teams, but
it pays because a larger amount OF
plant food is made available and more
moisture Is stored UP for use in time
Of drought. An exception to this rule
should be noted, however in the case
Of light sandy soils These are al
ready too loose ana deep breaking Is
injurious A good average depth for
breaking is six to seven inches for
clay loans and clays. Very sandy
soils should not be broken deeper
than from three to four inches.
After the ground has been broken
deeply, shallow cultivation of titled
crops such as corn. cotton. or potatoes
is the best rule to follow. Deep cul.
tivation destroys the fine feeding
roots thus retarding the growth of the
plants and destroying the beneficial
effects of the deep breaking