PART III. GRAINS AND FORAGE 



CROPS 



Plowing for Summer Fallow. 



7 have 500 acres to summer fallow, and the land has not been farmed 

 for five years. How deep shall I plow? Some of the land mentioned is a 

 sandy loam and some is adobe and red land. 



As the land has been idle so long and natural processes of soil-open- 

 ing in operation, it is not essential to plow as deep as though you had 

 plowpan to break up. You need only plow deep enough to lay a good 

 foundation for this summer's working for moisture conservation, harrow- 

 ing or disking to kill weeds and breaking up clods. Six inches deep, 

 measured on the landside, would be a good depth. In summer fallowing 

 for moisture, it is better to plow less deep and summer-work well than 

 to plow deep and let her go after that. 



Rotation of Crops. 



7 have land that has been sozvn in oats for about si.v years. Can you 

 please give me a good rotation of crops for this land? 



One cannot wisely prescribe a rotation simply by schedule. One has 

 to know the land, the markets, and the amount of capital and knowledge 

 available. The simplest and easiest rotation to make, if you have the 

 money to stock up, would be to go to pasturage. Alternation of pasturage 

 and cereals, half the land to each each year, is a good way to improve 

 the land. If you are not ready to farm with stock, the next best crop 

 after grain would be potatoes, beets, or other roots by deep tillage, if 

 you can sell the crop to advantage. Or you could improve the land by 

 alfalfa for hay (if you cannot feed it), or beans, if your land is fit for it. 

 There is no great advantage in changing one grain for another. Unless 

 you are ready for a radical change to roots or legumes you had better 

 use fertilizers and grow more oats if they are profitable. 



Harrowing Young Grain. 



Does harrowing grain increase the yield, and how many times should 

 it be harrowed, and zvhat time should it be done? 



Value in harrowing grain in California depends upon whether the 

 surface is badly crusted, because in this state the grain is growing during 

 the rainy season and therefore gets ready to mature early. Where the 

 winter is cold and nearly all the growth has to be made after the rain or 

 snow stops, harrowing is more important. Still, if you get a dry spring 

 and the surface is crusted, start your harrowing surely. Harrowing young 



