The Benson signal., 1916-12-02

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
A deep seedbed we'll supplied with
soil moisture and well drained makes
a big corn yield possible whether the
summer proves too dry or too wet. If
not well plowed, some lands are so
tmpervious that during several weeks
of rainy weather they remain dry be-
low a depth of five or ten inches.
In many localities it is best to plow
in the fall or several months before
planting, in order to enable the soil
ter to produce a corn crop. Fall plOw-
ing cannot be recommended for all
soils and localities, but it should be
more generally practiced than at pres
ent. If cover crop or sod is turned
under in the autumn, decomposition
will increase the amount of plant food
available for the crop the next sum-
mer. This is true to some extent,
even though the sod is not turned un-
der, inasmuch as the simple lOOsening
of the soil admits atmospheric oxygen
and increases chemical action on vege-
table and mineral matter. Besides,
| fall and winter plowing is one of the
best methods Of combating grubworms,
and corn roOt-wOrms, which are often
destructive to corn.
Fall Flowing Beneficial.
The fall plowing enables the rain
| fall better to penetrate the subsoil,
thus relieving the surface of it's ex-
cess of moisture. In the spring fall
plowed fields usually contain much
more moisture, but at the same time
have drier surface than fields which
remain unplOwed until spring. In Sec
tions where there is much rain dur
ing the winter, it is better not to har-
row the fall-plowed land in the au-
tumn. This is especially true of fine
clay soils that run together and pack
readily. In comparative tests of fall
and spring plowing, preceding a dry
summer, the fall-plowed fields have
generally yielded better. The same is
true of subsoiling. Deep spring plow-
ing and spring subsoiling are likely to
result in diminished crops, especially
if done after the spring rains. The
loosening of the soil to great depths at
this time admits air and facilitates the
loss of soil moisture; it also interrupts
the capillarity, so that moisture is not
as readily drawn from greater depths,
and during a dry summer there is not
enough available moisture to support
good crop.
Flowing in Spring.
If plowing is done in the spring
shortly before planting time, it is nee
essary that the soil be in proper condi-
ton to pulverize readily. Disking land
in the spring before plowing is a great
advantage. 1t makes the soil retain
moisture and keeps the land longer in
good plowing condition. 1t also pull
verizes the surface portion of the
| furrow slice before it is turned under
out Of reach of the harrow. Land
should never be plowed when too wet
| to pulverize finely. However, plow-
ing may be sometimes done in the fall
when the ground is too dry, as winter
rains and freezing will pulveriZe the
clods.
Spring-plowed land should be har-
rowed the same day it is plowed. If
very dry, harrow both at noon and
night. The moisture saved by harrow
ing before the ground has had time
to dry out is surprisingly great and, be-
sides saving moisture, it will often put
soil in better tilth than two harrow
ings after the clods have dried. The
change also makes the work less tir-
ing to the teams, which alone offsets
the trouble caused by changing tools.
When the soil is loose to sufficient
| depth, corn roots penetrate in abun-
dance to a depth of three or four feet.
The growing of clover and deep-root-
ed plants preceding corn loosens the
soil FOR the corn, and subsoiling is
profitable practiced with some soils to
! enable the corn roots to use the soil
to greater depths and to increase the
wa ater-absorbing capacity of the soil
IS well. AS the crop on an acre is linn
tied 20 1850 square feet of surface,
| it should be enabled to use the acre
| to a great depth. In compact soils
plowed but six inches deep and cul-