The Springdale news., 1917-03-09
GOOD SEED BED
 VERY IMPORTANT
Ground For Good Seed Bed Must Be Firm and PuiVerized
 On Top.
By w C. Lassetter. Acting Director of
 the Extension Division.

 good seed bed. Hard ground is not & good seed bed. A seed bed fit for planting of any class of farm seeds, from the grasses, clovers and alfalfa to seeds of larger type. such as grains, corn and cotton. must be firm-not loose and not hard-and pulverized on top
 The importance of thorough prepa Wtion for planting has been urged and discussed from time immemorial, yet few people seem to understand the true meaning of a good seed bed. l have seen people preparing land for alfalfa, which requires thorough pre- paration of q good seed bed. and these men have gone ahead on the assump- tion that the ground must be well broken, pulverized on top, and the seed sown immediately. This pre- vides a loose seed bed. and if rain is not forthcoming in a short time. these same men wonder why they did not get a stand. They have follow ed wrong principle-that of proVid- ing d loose seed bed rather than firm seed bed, well pulverized on top
 Young seedlings cannot secure sat isfactory growth on hard, impenetra- bie soil. When land has been subject. ed 10 the packing occasIoned by heavy rains. such as We have in al parts of Arkansas in the course Of the year. the soil particles are packed closer and closer together until the soil becomes practically impenetrabie and there is little room for movement of these particles which k nee eSsary if roots are 10 grow down be. tween them; likewise there is lit tie room for storage of moisture, and therefore the young crop suffers from lack of root development and lack of moisture A hard seed bed is very undesirable. and will result in a smal= Ter crop.
 We oftentimes hear the remark that grasses and clovers must not be sown on loose soil but that they must be sown on soil without preparation. This is an erroneous idea but il has arisen on the basis of good sound principle. in that no grass and clover crop will do we'll if seeded on loose soil The truth Of this suggestion lies in the fact hat the ground should be broken from four 10 six weeks ahead of time for planting the grasses and cloyers in order that the soil may have time to settle down and become firm. In ad nf not have time to become packed and hard except on the surface, and this is remedied by frequent narrowing, 20 that at the time of planting You have a seed bed firm. not hard with the top well pulverized.
 This principle can very well be ap- piled 10 all agricultural crops The remark k commonly heard that young cotton will not grow until the tap root strikes hard ground. While the idea as expressed is erroneous, there is an element of truth in the fact that cotton planted in a loose bed will not grow as well as cotton that is planted in ground tlat has been prepared sui fciently far in advance for fhe soil to he well drmed al the time Of seed ing Geton planted on hard ridge cannot bp expected . stand he drousH. Hor 70 make tHe satisfactory groRfb 10 oe oh,aned dv cotton planted ID and properly prepared, az explained a5o4e
 FH many -ecl5o.s ass aee5as co.a. mon in preparing land for cotton 10 throw up Hhia 1ager of loose earth on hard rdees harrow this loose soil down and plant. This leaves hard ridge underneath. covered by thin layer of rather fine soil This does not constitute good preparation. be cause this is hard seed bed rather than firm seed bed
 i The whole scope of proper prepara- tion for the planting Of agricultural crops can be summed up as follows: Whatever the crop may be break the land from three 10 six weeks ahead Of planting time keep the surface narrowed until planting time. and be- fore planting puvertze the surface SO that il win be free from clods and free from crust This Will give a firm seed bed well pulYerized, anl that means q good seed bed
 Test Cotton Seed Before Planting.
 Just any kind of cotton seed will not do In the springs of l9I4-15 the Arkansas Experiment Station tested cotton seed from more than 70 sources each season. These seeds were taken from lots of seed that were intended 10 be used for planting Careful ger imitation tests showed a variation of from 19 per cent 10 98 per cent germi. nation Cotton seed seldom shows higher than from = 10 S5 per cent eerminauon, but if planted il should not show less thar 70 per cent No man wants to plant seed that will not come up The only way to find out in advance is 10 test
 A simple tester consisting of twt
 plates and an old towel. or other ab } sorbent cloth, is sufficient for any farmer fO test his cotton seed Tact