The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-11-17
SUMMER l. A
DEFINED

Billings.-It would be just as rea-
sonable to say that heat and light are
one and the same thing as to say that
summer tillage and summe fallow are
synonymous. The November bulletin
of the Montana Development ~associa-
ton nov on the press describes the
difference between summer tillage and
summer fallow, so often confused, in
al interesting amer The article is
a protest against confusion of the two
systems.
"The defects of a system of sum-
mer fallow should not be visited upon
summer tillage," says the bulletin. "a
part of a field may be summer fall
lowed and a part summer titled and
yet be very different in character and
will most assuredly result in greatly
different yields.
Summer fallow is a word that has
been handed down to US from biblical
times and means just what the word
implies, that of blowing the land dur
ing the forepart of the season and
allowing it to lie fallow (idle) during
the balance of the year. Summer til
lage not only consists of blowing the
land early, but Of subsequent cultiva-
ton to control weed growth and in
duce the release of plant food by the
maintenance of proper soil conditions.
"Fallow land in truth lies idle while
summer titled land works harder, for
the farmer, during the year tillage is
maintained than it does in the year
the crop is produced.
at may be likened to the situation
that might arise at a Christmas re-
union where the hostess had placed up
on the table for consumption by the
guests such fertility and food in THEN
raw state as carrots, meat, potatoes
canned corn, baking powder, salt, pep
per, pumpkins and the multitude Of
things that, properly prepared, would
make an appetizing repast, but which
while food, could not be readily con
sumed by the guests. The food i:
there. Its life sustaining qualitie:
cannot be questioned, but it is no
available for human consumption ant
the guests appetite will not be sat
isfied.
likewise the food growing crops
while contained in the soil, must b,
properly prepared, even as the house
wife prepares the food for human con
sumption.
"The human body is provided wit
a large opening for the reception o
food and a place for the extraction O
the fertility therein contained. TIL
plant, being infinitely less blessed
must select its food, not only prepared
but in sufficient quantities to assur
growth, and must drink this foe
practically in a pre-digested form.
provision is not made to prepare tn
food for the use of the plant; the
it is only reasonable to suppose tina
l parallel with the guests, the plants wi
likewise be hungry and as the guest
leave the table, so do the plants leav
the scene of the feast, in a famishe
condition.
"We have hard working farmer
5 who put in full days, full time week
: and years of effort, but who, thong
> earnest in their efforts to produce, al
s not familiar with the principles {
y soil chemistry, food values and econ
t mics and instead Of enriching then
u selves through better production wit
l less effort, are gradually impoverisl
T irn +Lo.o 1orI orl 1ocoo, 4lo:~ -,
chances for success.
. "To compete successfully in tt
l. world of business we must analyze ar
Il secure to ourselves the informatic
necessary to the improvement Of OF
condition and enhancement of our lar
values.
, sour lands of low rainfall have bee
looked upon and were Improbable I'll
) der the methods of cropping employee
y The waste, therefore, needed elimil
;: alton and a lower cost of productio
= made possible through greater pr
L duction per acre.
" "The improvement upon summer ia
low methods has changed the syste
and as the chemists by the apple
" ton of certain principles lowered tt
& cost of ore reduction and made poss
. BILE the utilization of low grade ore
IL so too, have the soil chemists la
bare the secrets of the principles
!, y summer tillage whereby greater pr
IL duction may become possible and o.
lands less favored with rainfs
e brought to profitable exploitation.
> Summer fallow, as commonly pra
ticed, permits Of weed growth aft
~ - blowing. Summer tillage eliminat
II weed growth and does not allow t
soil fertility to escape up the chimn'
- of weed growth. Summer fallow h
IL been been beneficial, summer tilla
> will be aver more nrofitahle.N