Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-07-15
TILLAGE IMP DEMON
STRATIOn At IIlA RANCH JULY II

Summer TillAge implements. .
recent puhlieatiOa prepared by ths
Extension AgronOmist Of MOnenna
State Extension Service points gul
tbs vital points in the importanes sf
suInmer tiIlage in Montana.
Four main objects NJ good szsnzseE
tillage are:
/. Storage of moisture from ore
season as a reserve and Insurance. b
the production of crops the following
year.
2. Control Of weeds by clean and
timely cultivation.
3. The accumulation Of availahGs
plant food resulting from a combin-
ation Of moisture, air and heat con-
ditions favorable to bacterial acti0n
4. Better distribution Of labor
during year, with more land prepared
for seeding at the proper time.
An indication that Montana Far
mcrs as a whole have not yet found
an ideal all around implement for
doing their summer fallow work Isl
indicated by the large number Of
different kinds of home made inn
piements that have been manufac.
tured during the past few years.
The Extension Agronomist states
in the bulletin on summer tillzge inv
plements, 'that the State of Montana
as a whole, it is unquestionably true
that there is room for more and bet
ter summer tillage.
Summer plowing" of land that
has been allowed to produce a thick
growth Of weeds is not proper sum
mer tillage. During the periods Of
our heaviest rains this ground would |
not be properly prepared to receivs /,
and hold moisture. Thousands Of
gallons Of water that proper tiIlage
would preserve have been utilized by
a useless crop Of weeds.
Actual experiment has shown that
the production Of one ton Of dry Rus
sian thistle requires $4,000 quarts "a Il
water. Figure the amount Of water
it woul dtake to produce a growth Of
weeds ID to 16 inches high on 100 ,
acres. It is not difficult to under
stand why summe rfailow should be
started early to keep weeds from
growing.
With summer tilIage Of light soils ,
has come the problem Of "soiI blow {
ing" AS the supply of root fiber Z
and organic matter become lessened /
as oils are worked to eradicate weeds /
and leave the surface in cloddy d
condition, the problems of soil blow r
Ing is increased. Implements thai b
will leave trash on top and maintain 8
d cloddy rough surface with a mimi a
mum amount Of pulverfzing should q
be used. v
Farmers in several sections Of Cas-
,ade county are having good success
with listers and other implements
hat will leave the surface in a
-idged condition at right angles to D
he prevailing winds ga means Of A
lolding light soils. Duck foot cul- K
ivators also have an advantage here 4
n leaving the surface ridged. Thei +
urrow drill used for seeding winter Il
wheat has a big advantage in @soil D
areas. oi
A. j. 0gaard, Extension Agrono- cl
mist has the following to say on the N
uck foot in his tillage bulletin. Al
The duckfoot cultivator is the out a
tanding tilIage implement for gen. I'll
raj purposee and for average Mon %
ana conditions. It is adapted 10 b
most soils, rocky or gravelly con- al
itions and will be used in Montana II
iore than will any other single type n
Iowever, it is not to be expected tina.
. win be the best implement for W
ach and every condition to be met Of
! the state M
Many farmers who were not in the nv
Osition to buy new duckfOot culti- Sc
ators have constructed homemade an
nckfoots out Of old drills by re-
owing the discs and attaching duck. ye
'Ot shovels. While this implement
ay not be 8 sefficient or as well Gl
ade as the manufactured machine
can be made for $500 or $1,000
I'd win do the same work until bet -
r equipment can be secured op
Many types Of manufactured and VI
'memade blade and rod weeders are CO
ing used for summer following Pc
Ia varying degrees Of success. %
m0ng the homemads weeders tha. Du
9 doing the most satisfactory work
e double rod weeder is the most vii