THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



321 



is the most favorable for root development and expansion. There may be 

 conditions of a peculiar nature where this rule will not hold good, though 

 it is difficult to think of such a condition. 



Soil Treatment. 



Level culture should mean not only a level surface exposure when 

 the work is completed but it should also be made to mean the cutting 

 or stirring of a slice or layer of the surface to practically the same depth 

 at all points. This is usually best accomprshed by using a long, flat 

 blade which is run so as to cut an even depth and at the same time stir 

 the soil beflore it falls back in posifon. Another means almost as effec- 

 tive is the use of a large number of small shovels. Even smiall shovels 

 leave an uncut ridge underneath, and a slight corrugation on the surface. 

 Large shovels are extremely harmful since they leave the surface in 

 great ridges and portions of the uncut under-surface exposed to the air. 



Seeding and Planting. 



All seeding and planting should be done with a machine that will 

 deposit the seed in the moist soil at an even depth and leave a loose sur- 

 face over it. The depth at which the seed should be sown will vary with 

 the size and viability of the seed quite as if sown under humid conditions, 

 but in dry farming the seed must be deposited not a certain depth below 

 the surface of the so l, but a certain depth below the top of the moist 

 soil. This is an important point. Not infrequently, deep planting will be 

 required, but there is little danger in planting deep under dry farming 

 conditions for the reason that the young plants readily push to the sur- 

 face through the loose dry surface mulch. Should the seed be deposited 

 in the dry surface mulch it will lie there until a shower comes or until 

 the moisture from below is brought up to it by rolling or other similar 

 treatment. 



Fall Seeding of Cereals. 



Plowing is a rather slow operafon, much slower than disking, and 

 therefore, as soon as the crop is removed from the field (the removal of 

 the crop should be expedited as much as possible) double disk the land 

 by lapping one-half. By disking an excellent mulch is formed upon the 

 surface, thus preventing the loss of large quantities of moisture during 

 the time required to complete the plowing of the land and any rain that 

 may fall sinks quickly into the soil. Furthermore, disking puts the soil in 

 very much better condition for plowing for the reason that the soil will 

 come up in very much better condition after being disked. The plowing 

 should be of such a depth as seems consistent with the character of the 

 soil. It may be found advisable to subsoil. 



Seed with a hoe drill rather deeply, say, one inch in moist soil which 

 may make three or four inches below the surface if the dry dust mulch is 

 included in the measurement. The hoe drill covers the seed with a loose 

 layer of soil which prevents the drying out of that portion of the soil sur- 

 rounding the kernels. Should it happen that the surface soil in which the 



