Show PLOWING STUBBLE FIELDS BERMUDA GRASS W in MX Z A k w V a n ik I k th 2 11 I 1 ataw 0 to ak I 1 6 F i n M ICA T ka V aa I 1 ai ii 4 q T alm WN I 1 V T X au 14 P x 7 4 4 alk U A 4 1 k 1 A wheat field in wyoming prepared by the ha jani ted states department of agriculture g r moisture Is one ot of the most important factors in crop production in the great plains area and its conservation a primary object ol of cultivation the experience ot of many successful farm arsand era and experiments conducted by the united states department ot at agriculture indicate however that there Is no hard and fast rule for attaining this object the right time coplow to plow a field of small grain stubble tor for spring crops Is a question of judgment tor for the man on the ground to decide conserve moisture early fall plowing keeps down weeds and therefore conse conserves ryes tile the moisture those these would otherwise consume co on the tha other h hand ill it leaves the ground in favoran a less favorable condition for the win tor ter stubble weeds and uneven ground may bo be unsightly but they aid in retaining snow and in chocking checking the blowing of the soil ono one great question tor for the farmer to decide Is therefore whether a greater amount of water i will be ac cumulated accumulated from snow than will be lost through woods weeds it the rainfall in august and early september la Is heavy he will probably decide to conserve it by fall plowing or some other cultivation it the rainfall at this time Is alighi light he will be inclined to leave the stubble on tue the throughout tho the winter encourages weeds another disadvantage in fall plowing Is the opportunity afforded weeds to start before beford tho the crop in the spring plowing lu in the spring on the contrary thoroughly eliminates the weeds and it if done immediately before seeding gives the grain crops crop a start before the weeds commence to trow the ideal cultivation would prevent proven tweed weed growth in the fall leive leave the land in such condition d thi that t atwould It would retain the maximum snow jn the winter winfor and ili thoroughly destroy small weeds immediately before seeding possibly this may bo be accomplished by y disking in the fall and plowing in the spring or listing in the fall fal and bursting the ridges in the spring may bo be more practicable early tall fall plowing is effective in id that it destroys weeds which use lice the early tall fall precipitation bulb bu J L 1669 not leave the land in a condition to retain the snow enow in the winter winte and it gives the weeds an opportunity to start before tile the crop labor factor the labor factor must of course be taken into consideration in fact tho the only advantage in lato late fall plowing to is the saving inthe labor required in the spring to prepare the seedbed whore where labor Is scarce in tho the fall all cultivation other than plowing which will kill weeds and can be done rapidly may bo be resorted to if this cultivation leaves the stubble on the surface or leaves the surface rough enough to hold the snow it may be ba of even greater value than plowing bermuda grass bermuda or wire grass to Is nt at the same came time a valuable borago plant and a serious weed pest depending upon where it is growing it is the doctor mr air grass ily bermuda la is a perennial plant spreading rapidly by rootstocks root stocks which sona out shoots nt at frequent intervals thus forming a close sod tho the very qualities therefore that make da such a desirable forage plant also make it a formidable weed bermuda crassas brust sas a forage plant As a forage plant this grass to Is utilized largely for pasture purposes Bes although it Is cut for hay to some ex tone tent it Is resistant to heat drought and trampling by live stock but la Is quite susceptible to frosts hence this frass trasa finds ats ata chief field of usefulness a the southern states as tar far north as as virginia and kentucky Is largely by sowing or planting small sections ot of the these sections or it tings about an inch long aro are sown broadcast and harrowed in some farmers prefer to plant cuttings in shallow furr furrows oWis about three fiet feet apart the plants being set act about eight een can inches apart in an the furrows A corn marker or a shovel cultivator may bo be used for opening the furrows after the cutti cuttings rigs aro are dropped they should be covered at once with soil the covering may mar be done either with the foot or rhoe bermuda is some bomb times sown with hairy vetch lespedeza deza or other crops in permanent pan pastures thus imp improving rayl ng t the h a quality of the pasturage OmBer on bermuda and vetch oas captures tures un live lite stock are kept off for certain periods to permit they the vetch etch plants to mature their seeds and later in we the summer to allow the young vetch plants to make a start bermuda grims grasa makes good hay when out cut sufficiently early earit KB its reau tatton has suffered buffered somewhat by an interior quality of overripe hay that has been put on the market two crops can ordinarily bo be cut each cacti year while the aho yields are small on poor land a rich moist soil eoll will produce several tons toni per acre a year with both pastures and meadows the sod should bo be plowed onca once every fow few years on account ot of the tendency of this grass brass to become sod bound Is also tile the common lawn grass in the cotton states A still tur fur ther use Is for planting on steep land and in gullies to arrest soil erosion as well as on sand that line has a tendency to drift dra bermuda grass as a weed to control bermuda grass on farm land Is a rather difficult matter growing smother crops such as cowpeas cow peas soy beans millet and has hag been advocated this method to Is ruc BUG only under favorable condl lions where the soil boll Is productive enough to produce a thick stand and vigorous vigo ious growth of those these crops they maya be depended upon practically to rid a field at 0 tho the post in ill several years yeara time alost farmers far mera however will havo to rely upon dean cultivation this method may be followed either with or without a cultivated crop growing oiling gr on tile the land tho the best beat plan usual usually lyts Is to put the land to grass for a year or more either cither as pasture or meadow when the sod has become bocola mbry moro or less root bound it Is in acus a susceptible cep tible condition plow shallow in midsummer just deep enough to get under the sod after that alho the land should dibe be disked during the rest ot of the coach season at intervals frequent enough to pid prevent veit top growth boeing Bybel ng thus kept at the surface of the soil during the not ot weather of summer the sod soon social dries out and dig sf the fre re quent disking by keeping down tho the top br green growth finally starves out tho the rootstocks root stocks that were not turned by the plow it if the work Is thorough ly done all of the bermuda llor muda will bo be dead by fall unless unions it be a ver very y wot season it Is advisable however to put lu in a cultivated crop tile the following year to locate and destroy any wire grass plants that may persist |