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Show WHEAT ON DRY FARM Much Importance Is Attached to Absorption and Seepage. Trouble With Shallow Plowing Is That If Subsoil Is Hard Roots Will Not Go into It Deeper the Better. In a recent Issue of Dry Farming Congress Bulletin, E. R. Parsons gives particulars about raising wheat from dry farming methods In California Perhaps some of his suggestions will be of interest to farmers in parts of tliu west where rainfall Is light. Following Fol-lowing are Mr. Parsons' hints: I attach most Importance In this, as In all other branches of dry farming, to the depth of plowing. For spring wheat we plow in the fall eight to ten inches deep; for winter wheat we plow In the spring the same depth, when the weeds are up about four inches high. During the interval the ground settles and packs Itself, therefore we use no packer. We harrow both spring or winter wheat as often as possible to break the crust, but I find that even if we have to neglect a cultivation cul-tivation through stress of work, the deep plowing brings the crop through. In California, conditions are altogether alto-gether different from what they are oast of the mountains. Rains come In the winter months, and at maturing time In May and June the weather is usually dry and the crop is made by what moisture remains In the ground and the sap that is carried in the stalk. This Is the critical period In California and 1 have seen many a crop fail at the last minute, when one more cultivation just before heading would have saved It. The average farmer is afraid to harrow his wheat Cor fear of damaging It, but the fact Is, the more it is harrowed and tramped tramp-ed the better It seems to grow. In order to break the crust at the last moment when the rains have ceased and the wheat is almost heading out, would use the spring tooth weeder, which is built on the principle of a steel hayrake. This implement is being be-ing used with great sucess on small grain when nearly three feet high. A correspondent in making inquiry, states that the usual method of raising rais-ing wheat in his neighborhood is to plow three Inches, plant the wheat and let nature do the rest. This is a favorite method of gambling with nature na-ture in all the dry farm states. Preparations Prepa-rations for the coming crop should commence as soon as the old one is off. The ground should be thoroughly disked and harrowed, forming a mulch three inches deep as nearly as possible. If the crust is hard, a sharp, heavily weighted disk should be used; this will save the residuary moisture in the subsoil for the next crop and put the land In shape to accumulate more moisture as soon as the rains begin be-gin again, five months later. The fact that the surface is dry and hard does not demonstrate that there is no moisture mois-ture down below, and even three per cent, of free moisture may make all the difference betwee profit and loss Our soils should be repeatedly tested for moisture, for this is the only way to find out how we stand and to what extent different operations affect af-fect our reserve. In the hill farming districts of California and in every other state, the cultivation should always al-ways be across the slope and not up and down with the slope. |