The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-02-03
BENEFITS OF FLOWING
Best Time for Breaking Is Late
Fall or Early Winter.
In Average Case u Is Better TO Pillow
a Little Too Deep Than Too Shall.
low-Work Must BE Performed
with Some Judgment.

In this arid region the best time to
do the breaking is In the winter when
the ground In not frozen and In reason
ably moist for the work. The ndvan'
tages of early winter plowing are that
time can well be spared for the work,
the days are cool on teams. and extra
blowing done now will better ~equalize
labor OF the year and prevent the ne
cessity for rush in the spring. when so
many different things are crowding In
for attention. writes Henry Andrews
In Denver Field and Farm. Some OF
the land plowed In late fall and early
winter will not need TO be replowed
plowed again the labor will be well
spent. There is seldom any danger
but often much good in stirring the
soil often. In fact the productive ca.
paclty OF many soils would be mate.
rally increased by n double blowing
for each crop planted. This is espe-
cially true with heavy soils
But what about deep blowing In
winter or at any time OF the year? In
the average casc II is certainly better
despite what some OF the Washington
experts told us at the Dry Farming
congress to plow n little too deep
rather than n little too shallow. How.
ever extra deep blowing must be done
with Judgment. Some soils will I've
greatly benefited while others may pos
sibly be injured by II. Any soil that
IL full OF humus and IL black and deep
IL benefited nv extra deep piowing NJ
any time. Thin soils with only a few
inches OF humus neal the surface
should be ~deapened gradually. The
subs.il OF such land Is sterile or near.
~ 80, II n large proportion OF this
sterile subsoil Is turned up TO the sur.
face at n blowing. the fertility OF
the seedbed may be diluted or weak.
ened unless manure Is applied 20 bring
Il in. On thin land the surface hu.
MUS should not be buried 80 deeply
that terminating seeds and young
roots cannot easily reach II. On such
land where deep blowing IL done, the
furrow should be turned to stand on
edge rather than turned completely
over 10 bury the top soil and leave
only sterile hardpan at the surface.
At the time this article Ia being
written. the first week OF November.
am preparing n field OF thin adobe soil
for blowing. This field has been In
pasture. II Is fairly we'll covered with
droppings from the animals. II IL now
being covered with n thin coating OF
stable manure As o as II Is GOV.
cred II will be disked and plowed about
eight inches deep with four horses To
a two.horse pillow. II the draft Ia not
too heavy II will be plowed nine or
ten inches deep. After this thin layer
has been plowed Il will be allowed 10
lie In rough burrows all winter TO
weather.
Later In the winter when the ground
is frozen. stable IL TO be
hauled and scattered over the entire
field. IN the spring all is 10 be plowed
over again 10 q depth OF about six
inches. In this way organic matter
will have been given TO the subsoil
anu n fOnNll'IiDl' quantity VIII Wv
mixed with all OF the top soil TO sup
piement the humus already there. This
field is 10 be planted to corn next
spring. An early.maturing variety
will be used and the corr will be re-
moved early for soiling. so that the
land may be further prepared and
seeded 10 wheat the first OF next
September | will get some spent
lime from the sugar factory and put
on a layer OF II In the spring. The
diskipg will he deep and thorough. In
order to cut the anu finely and q
mix II we'll with the soil to make thu
seedbed OF uniform texture as we'll al
deep and fertile. The lime will be ap
piled primarily for the future crops
yet II is intended that II will 80 hell
the corn. The productlveness anC
friability OF heavy, stifr soils may b,
improved by deep plowing and work
ing into the MANURE and other trash
by blowing In the fall and winter To-
freezing TO break up the stiffness ant
by lining.