The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1920-05-06
Yields Increased By Using Straw.

the West Central Station at Morris,
Minnesota, farmers who burn their
'straw or allow the stacks to stand for
years in the fields, are robbing them
selves. Applying straw directly to
the land has given good results at
Morris, as the following statement
from Superintendent P. E Miller
shows:
Gin our 1919 station report, we
publish results of experiments con-
Quoted the last four years. For a
four-year average, one ton of wheat
straw plowed under each year gave
an increase of 6.2 bushels of corn to
the acre the following year, while
one ton of corn slower plowed under
gave an average increase of 1.5
bushels of wheat each year during
the same period.
Heavier applications gave small
er increase Two tons OF wheat
straw gave an average gain of only
60 bushels of corn, while two tons
of corn slower gave an average gam
of only O.4 bushels of wheat, COM
pared with the untreated land.
"This experiment was begun IN
1916 and during the first two years
there were no increases with wheat
hut during the next two years, wheat
gave an increase each year with both
the one-ton and two-ton slower appn-
cations. In 1916 there was no IN
crease with corn, but in 1917 there
was a very decided increase and In
both 1918 and 1919 there was very
decided increase from the one-eoh
applications. 1t seems apparent tiia'
the cumulative effect especially Win
an auplication of one ton, is having
beneficial influence upon yields:
eve are coming to the conclusion
+h,t straw in amounts of one ton per
aore can be applied with beneht upon
land which is to be used 1or 'Ul a4;on
wheat The results at this sIa''o ~
saem to indicate that it Will TAX a'
last two applications before notle1 5
nI,o ;ncreases in yield are obtainea.
1nasmuch as only small part Oh 'n ,e
s+raw can be handled as ilteei, !; -
would appear that spreading ~ ,nd
I'll mon the land is an easy anu ;,
fec'ls ap nov of making use OF It,
MIA III Prepare For 1920 Shear !,
;neL"This is the tinme to preps pa,
saws Philip Anderson OF 'n a:. a,
Sas division of the Minnesota
n no11ese Of agriculture, "for the s an
cohesI W. of the farm flock. See
+hst the shearing machines are .ha
GOOD working order. have :. Il
s sosahs and cutters sharpened; II Is
: .UuS to do good work unless
thav are in good condition sen ,o
them to some firm that Is capaD a5
Of turning them out again as s e.;1
" ~aw IF the shearing heads iai'
90 do their part, examine them cios sd
70 40 s sse that combs, cutters ane
Thumbs ~ M screws are adjusted properly
10 not begrudge tahe use Of good OIL
It will preserve the machine cor
se,.ve man power and make shearlng
much easier. A shearing machlne' |,
properly taken care of, Will last
many years"
Oats Good Crop Foe Virgin LAND
What to plant for the first crop on
land stumped and broken late in 1918
in northern Minnesota districts is
something of a problem. Presens
high prices suggest potatoes, but oo-
lection to this crop as the first crop
is taken by M. J. Thompson, super
intendent of the Northeastern ex-
pertinent station at Duluth, who says;
"The first breaking on new lano
should be rather shallow to avole
turning up too much raw soil. Pota
toes usually require rather a deeI
seed bed for best results. lrrespec
tive of blowing, the first seed bet
will require much labor to fit it TO
cultivated crop. Growing the crop i
often expensive, and finally, the yiel
is below the average, contrary to &C
cepted opinion.
eff the farmer is more intereste
in economy of production than gros
returns per acre, he will choose oat
and sow clover and grass seed.
shallow plowed seed bed will do fc
oats. No. summer cultivation
needed and the grain and grass WI
choke out the weeds.
Following the hay crop of the me-
season the land may be broken at r
,duced cost, less weed trouble will
experienced, an improved seed bt
of slightly greater depth can be pr
.duced and a higher potato yield a
ticipated."
Land Clearing Train For Nort
.ern Minnesota.-Land Clearing e
perts, cooperating with the depar
ment of agriculture of the Univers
ty of Minnesota, business men OF Il
three leading cities of the state Al
the railroad companies, will trav