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Show HOLD SOIL MOISTURE Summerfallow Is Best and Practically Prac-tically Only Method. In Sections Where Rainfall Is Rather Light Conservation of Such Is of Utmost Importance Solution of Weed Problem. It is generally agreed, I think, that as the west Is usually subject to only a rather light rainfall which means briefly "A lack of moisture," the conservation con-servation of such Is of the utmost importance. im-portance. Experiences have found that the summerfallow Is the best and practically the only method by which we can hold the surplus moisture of one season over for the benefit of a crop in the following season. One might liken the fallow unto a reservoir; reser-voir; the water-holding capacity of which is determined only by Just that amount of work and tillage it may receive, re-ceive, and also by doing this work Just at the proper times. Such a fallow will provide at least Beed and bread in the driest of seasons sea-sons that we have experienced In the past twenty-five years. It has been said that our western system of constant con-stant fallowing is as hard on the soil as if it had been continually cropped. Nevertheless many old fields through the province which have been worked under this system are showing up good today, says a writer in the Winnipeg Win-nipeg Farmer's Advocate. No one can hardly dispute the fact that our older soils are lacking in fiber, and are also lacking a certain amount of fertility, at the same time the sum-merfallowing sum-merfallowing system sets free fertility. fertil-ity. Just how long this may continue without the addition of manure and fertilizers is a question which will probably be only answered by actual test and demonstration. We know that soils of different localities differ, that some lands will stand crop bearing for a longer period than others, but com-monsense, com-monsense, which Is founded on fact and practice and not a simple matter of theory, tells us that the day must come, when our lands must be replenished; re-plenished; In the meantime so long as the fallowing system brings forth the yield it Bhould we would consider that we have no better method, unless we have a revolution In climatic conditions. condi-tions. I use all the manure available and am seeding down to grass my oldest land and Intend that all the land will take Its turn under this system, but I am not going to drop the fallow unless un-less it drops me. The system of summerfallow sum-merfallow in g. combined with spring and fall cultivation, Is the most practical prac-tical method at the present time of controlling the weed problem, which goes hand-In-hand with the conservation conserva-tion of moisture. One cannot grow weeds and conserve moisture at the same time. Probably weeds and plants are more fatal than the sun and wind toward depleting an area of the moisture mois-ture contents, for we can prevent evaporation to a very great extent by a mulched surface or dust blanket but weeds are working above and below be-low the surface and keep up a continuous contin-uous pumping on the moisture supply until their maturity. The summerfallow summerfal-low Is conducted for the purpose of exterminating these plants and also for. the purpose of coaxing the seeds which lie In the soil to germinate, that they may be killed off by the cultivation; cul-tivation; the latter purpose being perhaps per-haps the more Important of the two to consider when we are discussing the advisability of summerfallowing. Many of our noxious weed seeds have an abominable habit of lying dormant In the sol for all manner of periods until conditions are Just suitable suit-able to their particular whims, the lack of moisture and heat no doubt having much to do with this; yet among wild oats, buckwheat and some of the mustards a goodly proportion of these seeds seem to ignore any condition con-dition and lie over for a season. " |