450 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



be carefully saved. The best time for breaking is said to be the month 

 of July after all vegetation has reached its full growth, but before the 

 l)erennial plants have begun to store up food material in roots or stems 

 for future use. 



In breaking, a chain should be used to assist in covering up all veget- 

 able material. The depth of the first plowing, according to the best 

 authorities, should not much exceed four inches. The depth should be 

 sufficient to cover the material being plowed under, but if possible with- 

 out turning up the subsoil. This leaves the organic matter near the sur- 

 face where it belongs, to anchor the soil, and to be most available and 

 most useful to the future crop. It is recommended that the plow be fol- 

 lowed with a heavy roller, and the roller with a light drag. 



A very excellent thing would be to seed this land at once with 30 

 pounds per acre of winter vetch seed which, if the rainfall is normal 

 should produce a good growth before winter, thus filling the soil with 

 roots and increasing the soiFs nitrogen supply. This growth will pro- 

 tect the soil from the winds which might otherwise, and in many cases 

 would disturb the surface soil. It will also help to hold the snow of 

 winter. In the spring the vetch should be thoroughly disced into the 

 soil or plowed under, thus improving the soil in several Avays for the 

 crop which is to follow. 



LATER MANAGEMENT. 



After the land has been brought under cultivation, great care must 

 still be exercised in its management. The cropping value of these soils 

 will depend more than anything else upon the incorporation and reten- 

 tion of organic matter. To this end a careful rotation of crops should 

 be adopted. It should be simple and short, something like this : 



(1) Clover, one or two years, plowing under as much of the after- 

 growth as is possible when preparing for the succeeding crop; (2) a 

 cultivated crop, — potatoes, corn, or possibly beans, and (3) grain of 

 some kind, seeding again to clover with grain. 



This is not the only rotation that could be followed, but the im- 

 portant thing is to introduce clover into the rotation as frequently as 

 possible. No grain or cultivated crop should be planted twice in suc- 

 cession. 



The plowing should be shallow, probably never to exceed five inches, 

 and this with a view to keeping the organic matter as near the surface 

 as possible where it will accomplish the most good, particularly in pro- 

 tecting the soils from the ravages of the winds. It is good practice not 

 to use the plow too frequently. Many farmers use the plow only in 

 breaking the clover sod. The disc harrow is used at all other times in 

 preparing soil for crops. 



When cultivated crops occupy the land, the cultivation should be fre- 

 quent and shallow. Only those who have practiced persistent shallow 

 cultivation can appreciate the importance of thus stirring the soil in 

 preserving the moisture and insuring profitable crops. 



Use "catch" crops where possible. If a regular crop has been removed 

 fairly early in the fall and the succeeding crop is not to be planted until 

 the following spring, it is always worth while to seed the land to oats 

 or rye or vetch. Frequently it will be found desirable and profitable 



