The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-08-31
Farm Department

1
fat as rapidly and with as little grain
as possible. A method which will
increase the rate of gaining 2S per
cent and at the same time decrease
by s per cent the grain required
to produce a unit of gain is certain
ly worthy of consideration.
How To Use SeIf-Feeder.
Fill part of the self-feeder with
corn or similar carbonaceous feed
and the other part with protein sup
Make Fit Seed Bed For Wheat.
Make the seed bed fit for the seed.
Do not intern wheat worth SO or 81
bushel for seed purposes in con-
dition of soil impossible for germina-
ton"
That precaution is urged by the
United States Department of Agri-
cultured on all farmers who contem-
plate sowing the high-priced seed of
high-priced food this fall. To
plant seed on poorly prepared land
not only wastes the seed that does
not terminate. the specialists point
out, but it may mean the loss of an
entire investment if paying stand
is not obtained.
A seed bed for wheat must be firm,
moist, and well compacted with
mellow, finely divided upper three
inches of soil, the specialists advise.
If wheat is grown in rotation with
oats or after wheat, the stubble
should be plowed to a depth of at
least 7 inches Immediately after har-
vesting the preceding crop of grain.
The ground should be narrowed with
in a few hours after blowing and
cultivation with harrow, disk, drag,
or roller should be given as neoes-
sary thereafter until planting time.
weeds, to settle and make firm the
subsoil, and to maintain a soil mulch
on the surface. The earlier the pre-
paration of seed bed for wheat is
started the better the condition of
the soil will be at planting time.
Late blowing does not allow time for
thorough preparation.
If a cultivated crop precedes
wheat, frequent cultivation given to
this crop will preserve moisture AMI
maintain a soil mulch. If level cul-
tivation has been practiced, a good
seed bed easily can be prepared by
disking and narrowing after remov-
ing the crop. However, if weeds are
present. it may be advisable to pillow
shallow, the disk preceding and fol-
lowing the pillow. .--, go.
Early blowing followed by thor
ough tillage aid in catching the water
which falls and in conserving this and
the water already in the soil for use
by the wheat plants. The firm seed
bed under the mulch thus made en-
ables the young plants to make use
there is perfect union between the
plowed soil and the subsoil. Sufii- /
cient moisture is thus assured for the !
termination of the seed and for the !
early fall growth of the seedlings, !
a very important consideration. Plant |
food is also likely to be more abund-
ant in the soil when such methods are !
employed.
If the importance of thorough TIL |
lage were more generally recogniz-
ed and proper methods of seed-bed
were more widely en-
plOyed throughout the sO-called HUI
mid ares, there would be less fire.
quent losses from drought and bet
ter wheat crops would result, the
Department specialists declare. In
this area the mistake is often made
OF thinking there wifi always be
enough present for max
imum crop growth, with the result
that short crops often are obtain
ed where more attention to moisture
would have assured
good yields.