362 



THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



are of most value to living plants. This decaying condi- 

 tion must be kept up by continual renewal of organic mat- 

 ter. 



Packing the Soil. 



There are three or more conditions of soil which call 

 for the use of some form of packer. Soils that are cov- 

 ered with so much grass that they do not naturally fall 

 close enough to shut out large air spaces at bottom of 

 the furrows may be packed to advantage. Loose loam 

 soils that overlie a sub-soil which contains considerable 

 moisture may be packed to bring the particles close 

 enough together to lift the moisture from below by in- 

 creased capillary action. The surface soil may sometimes 

 be packed to either warm it or get rid of surplus mois- 

 ture. Where good results follow packing, it should not 

 be neglected for it may mean success. Many western 

 soils, especially those containing much granite, sand or 

 gypsum and lime naturally become compacted very soon 

 after plowing. Such soils may be so hard that the at- 

 tempt to keep them properly loosened up is more im- 

 portant than trying to make them more compact. 

 Use of the Roller. 



Rolling soil warms it. There are cold, damp soils 

 which may be rolled at times with advantage. It is 

 usually better to use a corrugated roller in the West, be- 

 cause it leaves the surface rough and there is less drying 

 out or drifting by winds. The smooth roller on young 

 grain will sometimes bring up the moisture and cause the 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i 



Wyoming State Dry Farm Demonstration, East of Cheyenne. Winter 

 Rye, 44 Bushels per Acre; Winter Wheat, 35 Bushels per Acre. 



soil to absorb enough warmth to prevent injury by cold. 

 The roller is not an essential farm implement on western 

 farms. 



Subsurface Packer. 



The subsurface packer, recommended for arid soils, 

 consists of a series of wedge-shaped wheels, about eighteen 

 inches in diameter, and set six inches apart. The object 

 is to pack the lower half of the plowed area and leave 

 the surface loose. This implement is of value on many 

 soils. Its use has not always given valuable results on 

 our more arid soils. There is little advantage to be gained 

 by the use of the subsurface packer over much of the 

 arid region unless it is on spring plowing of sandy soils, 

 because the soil and subsoil is not such that the compacted 

 area either attracts or saves additional moisture, and the 

 ground becomes sufficiently dense for the roots of crops 

 without the additional work. Packing is often of great 

 value. Many have observed instances of winter grain in 

 the packed area left by wagon or drill wheels passing 

 over it, living where adjoining grain was killed out. Gen- 

 erally spring grains produce better growth and crops 

 where some wheel has pressed the soil together. 



We believe that packing is always advisable around 

 the newly planted seed and recommend almost with no ex- 

 ception the use of some form of press drill. The sub- 

 surface packer is better than either the smooth roller, or 



corrugated roller, unless it is desirable to lose moisture 

 instead of save it, or warming the soil for a time is the 

 end sought. Where the packer is used, the soil should be 

 harrowed immediately afterward to establish the earth 

 mulch. 



Harrowing. 



Next to plowing, the principal operation on the dry 

 farm is persistent and continuous use of the harrow. The 

 ground should always be harrowed the same day it is 

 plowed, and if it is new sod-ground, at least, the harrow 

 should be run the same direction as the plow. This 

 harrowing should be kept up often enough to maintain a 

 proper surface mulch for the prevention of the loss of 

 moisture by evaporation. Small grains should be har- 

 rowed in the spring and no damage will be done if the 

 harrow is run crosswise of the drills, the harrow teeth 

 kept sharpened and the horses made to walk fast. The 

 main tools to use for shallow surface cultivation is the 

 drag, or spiked-tooth harrow, and the weeder., Every 

 farmer should have one with levers by which he can reg- 

 ulate the slant of the teeth. It does not pay to use a two- 

 horse harrow on large fields. Four-horse tools of all 

 kinds are far more economical. With a three section 

 harrow and four horses, a man or boy can coyer thirty 

 to thirty-five acres per day, which makes the maintenance 

 of summer tillage possible on a considerable area of farm 

 land. 



The Disc Harrow 



The disc is an indispensable farm implement in the 

 West. Discs of fourteen inches diameter do much better 

 and more effective work than do those of larger size. The 

 draft is not so light as is that of sixteen or eighteen-inch 

 discs, but the object of farm operations is to do the work, 

 and good work cannot be done with a large disc. The 

 disc should be used to break up the surface sod or stubble 

 immediately after harvesting, and where this is done, it will 

 be found that plowing will produce a much better seed bed. 

 Turning under the disced surface also leaves less air space 

 and the soil reservoir is more perfect. The disc is useful 

 to destroy weeds on summer tillage, but it must be used 

 when the weeds are small. It will merely cultivate large 

 weeds. Always lap the disc one-half, which double-discs 

 the ground and leaves it level. The disc is very useful for 

 certain forms of cultivation, especially with alfalfa. The 

 new alfalfa harrow consisting of a series of spikes ar- 

 ranged in disc form seems to be one of the best tools 

 for the cultivation of alfalfa. 



Other Harrows. 



Perhaps the Acme harrow is one of the most useful 

 soil pulverizers for the farm. It does most excellent work 

 where shallow surface cultivation is required. The spring- 

 tooth harrow is a useful inplement for harrowing com- 

 pact and tough soils. There are some new harrows now 

 being constructed on the general plan of the old drag or 

 toothed harrow, but with modified teeth. One is a small 

 disc three or four inches in diameter, riveted horizontally 

 to the lower end of the harrow tooth. Another has the 

 lower end of the harrow tooth bent at right angles and 

 flattened and sharpened in the form of a knife blade. 

 These harrows serve the double purpose of loosening the 

 soil and cutting off weeds. 



The Weeder. 



The weeder is a modified harrow with long curved 

 spring teeth. It is a most valuable implement on dry 

 farms for the easy and rapid cultivation of grains and other 

 crops. It can be used after the plants are too high for 

 ordinary harrowing. For large work, using four-horse 

 gang weeders is most economical in time and labor. 

 Good Harrowing. 



Good harrowing for the purpose of conserving mois- 

 ture is that which more thoroughly breaks up the surface 

 soil, without making dust of it, kills the weeds, saves the 

 moisture, and cultivates the crop. If the soil is hard or 

 wet and in such condition that the disc or harrow teeth 

 leave open scratches and cracks instead of mixing and 

 turning the soil, the loss of water will be greater than it 

 would be without harrowing at all. 



Send $2.50 for the Irrigation Age 1 year, and a cloth 

 bound copy of the Primer of Irrigation. 





