Show i f t or Plowing Contests and Lawn Making A GUY ELI IOTT MITCHELL 1 a f One looking at the tho accompanying pictures would not think that these were pictures of a a. College Field Day but such is the case Last year the School of Agriculture of the University of Minnesota varied varieda a I i little mUe from the usual field day pro pro- program program gram and added two new features to the regular field day dav sports The first was a hitching up contest I In which both girls and boys boya took part i rr M Est a e w. w name l' l i r s THE THC WINNER Of SECOND PRIZE AND HIS TEAM TeAM TeAM- 1 THE THC FIELD OF 01 BATTLE the other oth r new feature was a a. plowing contest in which only boys pared Plowing is not altogether a abad abad abad bad sport either no matter In what light you look upon It This was Il Illustrated il- il by the participants who proved to the spectators that In order I Ito to be a good plowman one must be I Somewhat of a civil engineer as well as an excellent horseman Plowing as M commonly done is often otten considered as drudgery and so it Is for the thoughtless careless plowman who has no other object Jn in view than that hat or o or-m or ma tug fie ne ne fiC look u 0 But there Is no other farm operation which requires more knowledge to understand un un- understand or more skill to do well well than I does the simple art of plowing The contestants had in mind making malting a straight furrow of even depth and width turning It squarely over so as asto asto asto to cover all stubble and weeds Each one took pains to start In squarely and evenly and to drive straight out atthe at atthe atthe the ends so as not to leave the least curve There was no time to dream or gaze about to see what some one else was doing All the plowman's skill and ability were taxed to the utmost Z r fi fir r 1 p O OA A A BIT OF LAWN AT THE LEWIS AND AND CLARK EXPOSITION He must set et his plow perfectly In the first place Next he be must be kind to and gain the confidence of his team for no man can do good plowing without without wIthout with wIth- out the confidence and co operation of his bis team A half day was set aside for the contest and all three classes that is the Freshmen Junior and Senior classes competed for the prizes These were a a. sulky plow for first prize a hand plow for second prize and ten dollars in cash for the third prize These prizes were furnished by one of the leading plow concerns of the United States gratuitously who expert plowmen In scoring have been with the University Farm for years acted as judges A standard of excellence was established Twelve dead furrow furrow furrow fur fur- points were given on the row fifteen points on straightness and Ins In's of furrows eight points on nt outs out's at Rt ends fifteen points on en depth and width of furrows ten teli points on evenness of top of land thirty points on the covering of weeds and ten points on the finish Time was not taken Into consideration In scoring Each contestant was given a strong farm team and a plow He had to adjust adjust adjust ad ad- device crevice and tree the plow just to suit the condition of the land He allowed to to mark out his land In was manner he saw fit tit The land any three feet wide wid and was to be twenty hundred bundred f fet feet et l leng ng Henry Johnson of ot New Richmond Member of the Freshman Minn a Class took tools first prize His score was 96 per tat tak perfect O. O K Lathrop of the Senior Class took second prize with a score of 81 per cent and W. W I. I Peterson of the Junior Class third prize with a score of 80 percent per cent The rest of ot the contestants of course got no prize but they got something much more valuable They found that they could plow and plow right This conviction will remain with willi them al- al ways and they will wm be ba better farmers md better citizens for having entered he plowing contest To many of the onlookers the con est eat was a revelation Farmers and end sons who have plowed for lays and months never before saw law such plowing and nd many went home determined de- de determined de de- to plow as they saw It doneIt done It has been decided to make this a permanent feature of the annual field lay day The greensward Is the canvas upon which all architectural and landscape Effects bu am hi produced r f A lan Ar-lan lawn ma may n vary in extent from a a. few square feet at ht the side steps leading to the brownstone brownstone brown- brown brownstone stone front of the city dwelling to the broad acres of extensive parks It II matters little whether the extent of a lawn be great or small its inherent qualities are the same and Its intrinsic intrinsic Intrinsic sic worth is determined by Its character character charac charac- ter and the manner In which it is kept Green grass is not only of great greal economic value but it is als of great greal Esthetic value The herbage of the field Is the primary dependence of all animal life Ufe and It is the green color the he sweet fragrance and the tha soothing effect of nature which come from well well- i kept that make them so congenial to man Grass is natures nature's balm and healing for all erosive scars Nature abhors rough edges and broken brok brol en places and Immediately proceeds to cover such ugly spots with green grass Man likes Ules to get his feet upon the soil but better still upon the soft yielding greensward Rich rugs and carpets do not give the elastic spring that the well well made made and well well- kept greensward yields So says L L. C C. C Corbett one of the horticulturists o othe of the Department of Agriculture In Farmers Bulletin No Just about abou to be printed by Uncle Sam Since this pamphlet Is free as well as interesting Interesting interesting In in- and Instructive why no not send for a copy to your member o of Congress or your Senator If It his supply supply sup sup- I ply runs out Secretary Wilson will wil send you a. a copy ye Tn In general Air Mr Corbett says further a lawn sho should should ld be beautiful and 1 it should be useful Its beauty depends depend the contour of f the land the color color color col col- upon th the or the texture of the grass and uniformity of the turf The use o othe of f suitable set set- se setting the lawn is to provide a ting ring for architectural adornment an and landscape planting The Soil Soli The Ideal soil son for a lawn is available avail aval able In but few cases where it is desirable desirable desirable de de- to establish a greensward Ordinarily O Ordinarily Or- Or the lawn in which a a. man is most interested is that immediately immediate surrounding his abiding place Tb The locality is b i in soil oil of this Immediate l general greatly modified building operations or necessary grad grad- Ing The soil with which one has to todeal deal therefore is seldom a a. normal soil soU of the locality In general it is i a portion of the surface soil mixed with wit more or less of the subsoil which has ha come from excavation in making the foundations of a a. house The ideal soil for grasses best suited suited suited suit suit- ed for lawn making is one which Is Ii moderately moist and contains a considerable con considerable on- on percentage of clay clay clay-a a soil soi which Is somewhat retentive of m mois moisture ls- ls ture but never becomes excessively wet and Is Inclined to be heavy anc and compact rather than light loose an and sandy A strong clay loam or a sandy loam by a clay subsoil is h undoubtedly the nearest approach ach to tc toan toan an Ideal soil for a lawn It it therefore should be the aim in establishing a r lawn to approach as near as Is possible to one or the other of these types type of 01 soil In many localities it will however however how how- ever be very difficult to produce by any artificial means at ones one's command commanda a soil which will approach in texture either of the types recommended Our efforts nevertheless should be directed directed direct direct- ed to attaining as closely as possible these ideals Preparations for the Lawn Since the lawn is intended to bea be bea a permanent feature of the decoration of a pla place e its endurance or r span span of life is of utmost importance In general general gen gen- eral eral grass seeds are small and the surface seed bed for the reception of these hese seeds need not be more than 1 inch in depth but since the grasses as Is they become established send out long lateral feeding roots it Is necessary necessary necessary essary that the area containing the available food for these plants should be JQ be amplified This object can only be attained by deep cultivation and thorough preparation of at least 8 to 10 inches of the surface soil The soil son soilo sonto to o this depth should be made rich and should be put into an ideal condi condition ion for or the development of plant roots The mechanical operations of preparing pre preparing pre pre- paring the soil soU can be carried on on by bythe he the use of the modern plow if it the area trea Is large enough or by spading it f the area Is small The seed bed should be thoroughly and frequently stirred so as to grind the soil particles par together as much as possible for or the purpose of reducing them to toa toI toa a I uniformly fine condition and to libe liberate lib erate plant food Cultivation should also have for its object the destruction of Jf weeds which may interfere with the the establishment of the lawn or which may map be detrimental to it after it la is once once established After the soil has been thoroughly plowed or spaded it should be carefully fined by harrowing or raking after which it should be thoroughly compacted by the use ola 01 ol a lawn or field roller and the surface again arain loosened by the use of a steel stE k t y rc tom lira t i I Copyrighted by HENDERSON 00 Co I ON LARGE ESTATES ESTAT THE AUTOMOBILE R IS A PICTURESQUE i toothed rake or a fine harrow After the seed bed has been thoroughly thoroughly thor- thor and carefully prepared and the he grass seed scattered in appropriate quantities according to the kind used the le surface should be given a a. careful raking or rolling If it the area is dry i If f showers have been frequent raking raking rak- rak ing ng after the seed has been sown will suffice until after the grass has reach reach- ed d a height to be clipped by bya a lawn mower Prior to clipping the grass grass rass with a lawn mower If the ground Found was not rolled after seeding a heavy lawn roller should hould be passed over over ov- ov er r the surface In order to make It as smooth as possible After the grass graES has las an opportunity to become to-become become erect it t should then be clipped lipped with a mow- mow e Cr r. r What Fertilizers Since the lawn Is a permanent fea- fea ture ure it Is hardly possible to make the soil oil for the reception of the lawn too rich Stable manure which has been thoroughly composted com posted and rotted and which Is as IS free as possible from detrimental detrimental de de- weed seeds Is undoubtedly undo the he best material to use in producing the desired fertility of the soil Forty to sixty loads of well well decomposed decomposed stable stable stable sta sta- sta- sta ble manure are not too much to use upon an acre of land designed for the greensward Where such stable manure manure manure man man- ure Is not available the next best plan to follow Is that of plowing under green crops such as clovers cowpeas cow cow- peas soy beans heans and similar plants The land should then receive an application application ap ap- ap- ap of about 1000 pounds of of or lime to the acre and at the time preparing th the seed ed bed to 1000 f 1 pounds of ground fine-ground bone together with to pounds of a high high grade grade fertilizer upon each acre The fertilIzer fertilIzer fertilizer fertil fertil- izer may contain 3 per cent nitrogen 6 I to 8 per cent phosphoric acid and about 8 per cent potash After the lawn has been established and it has gone into winter quarters It is well to give the young grass a mulch of well well decomposed stable manure manure man man- ure are which shall not be b heavy enough to o disfigure or mar the lawn but should be so fine and well decomposed that hat it will be carried beneath the surface of the grass by the rains and snows mows of the winter leaving very lit lit- little tle b rough or unsightly matter to be beaked e raked aked off oft in the spring If this is not desirable after the greensward has passed sassed through the first winter It should be treated to a top dressing of ground fine bone at the rate of 1000 pounds rounds to the acre The Kind of Grass Kentucky blue grass is undoubtedly the be great lawn maker for all that section sec see section tion ion of the Atlantic coast region north af of Washington D. D C C. and for the Allegheny Allegheny Al Al- region as far south as northern northern north north- ern rn Georgia Blue grass thrives best bestin bestin in n a comparatively retentive strong soil oil where there is an abundance but sot not an excessive amount of moisture Upon soils of a lighter character in inthis this his region in localities where precipitation precipitation preci preci- Is greater such grasses as redtop redtop red- red top op Rhode Island bent grass creeping bent lent grass and white clover are more moreo to o be relied upon for lawn making than han blue grass Redtop Rhode Island Island Is Is- land and bent grass and creeping bent grass rass all have the same ability to tomake tomake make nake a a. compact and deep sward as asIn asin In n the case of blue grass In fact I under ender certain conditions redtop and the he bent grasses are able to make a softer after although not a more permanent turf than does the blue grass Upon the he light soils found in in the States of the latitude of Washington D D. D C C. white clover forms an important feature in lawn mixtures In general because of the varied of shade and moisture existing existing ex ex- ex- ex sting upon a lawn as the result of trees roes shrubs and architectural objects ob- ob mixtures are more desirable than han pure grasses The different degrees degrees de do grees Tees of shade and moisture maintained maintain maintain- ed d In in- inthe the soil which result from the presence of trees shrubs and buildings buildings build build- ings rigs afford a variety of conditions under under uner un un- un- un der er which a a. single species would not ot produce a a. uniform lawn u ghr Y IY 1 I IA A LARGE LAWN IS EASILY CLIPPED CUPPED BY HORSEPOWER U L. L |