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Show aD " "' .!.- j. in i j-"" WHEATONDRYFARM SI l Much Importance Is Attached to I Absorption and Seepage. Z Trouble With Shallow Plowing Is That X " Subsoil Is Hard Moots Will T' Not Qo Into It Deeper X the Setter. M In n recent Isnuo of Dry Farming $ Congress Bulletin, V,r It. ParsOns gives 2 particulars about raising wheat from I dry farming method Jn Cnllfprnla . .r- Perhaps flomo of liltt nuggcstlons will ,,4 bo of interest (o farmers In part of "Hp Hio wohI whoro rnlnfnll Is light Pol- jrh lowing nro Mr. PnrsonB' hints: '"I I attach moHt Importance In thin, as V In H other branches of dry farming, tfnfe, to the depth of plowing- For spring v?L, whoiit wo plow in tho fall eight (6 ton ' wj "' Inchon deep; for wlntor wheat wo plow ,, m In tho spring the Ham dopth, when j T t' weed are up about four Inches tlm high. During tho Interval the ground pr iiotlloH and packs Iteolf, therefore we use no packer, We harrow both E, opring or winter wheat as often as uijL possible (o break tho crust, but i find )Ojf - Ihut oven If wn have to neglect n cul- W(A; llvallon through stress of work, the k deep plowing brings tho crop through j In California, conditions are alto ,Hjf nether different from what (hoy aro cjrj eriHt of tho mountains, lifting come In a Tho wlntor months, and at maturing , jr ' time In Why nd June tho weather Is ' ' ' ununlly dry and the crop Is made by . ." what moisture remains In the ground , and the sap that Is carried lu the J" ft utalk. This Is tho critical porlod 4n ls CHllfornln and I have seen many a jLj crop fall at the Inst minute, when ono , more cultivation Just before bending H,n would htiv saved It, Tho average it I farmer Is afraid to harrow his wheat all! for fear of damaging It, but the fact hre! I", Hie more It Is harrowod and tramp. 6(1 the hotter It seem to grow. In l order to break the crust at tho last qUf moment when tho rains hayo cotisod Blu ' ' und thq wheat Is almost hoadlng out, . I would oho tho spring tooth woodor, . i which le built on the principle of a or i (.tool huyrako. This Implement l bo- , log Uh eel with great bucohh on amrtll J. grain when uonrly three feet high. 'nR' A conoapoiwlont In making Inquiry, n,HJ" Mates that the usual method of rata (" '"K wheat In his neighborhood is to hB,K.j plow throe inches, plant tho wheat djsT'" npd lot HMuro do the rest. Thin Is a j3 fiivorlto method of gambling with na Hoi turn In all tho dry farm stMes. Propa- OOlf rations for tho coming crop should lieJjN commence as soon ns the old ono Is Htlnir ,,ff' ''',0 Krm,ml 8'iould ho thoroughly l illakcl and harrowed, forming a J mulch three Inchoa deep no nearly n .' possible. It tho crust Is hard, n sharp, w"' heavily weighted disk should ho used; 11,01 this will hiivo tho residuary molaturo inn lu tho huIihoI! for the noxt crop and two put tho land In shnpo to accumulate more moisture ns soon ns tho nvlim be- Hhi again, five months later. Tho fact i 0 that the surface Is dry und hard does t" j. not demonstrnto that there Is no moisture mois-ture down below, nud oven three per cent, of free moisture may make all tho difference liotwoo profit and icmn Our soils should be repeatedly tested for moisture, for this ts the j:.& only way to llud out how we stand and ?-$j& to what extent different operations at- 0,r( , feet our reserve. In tho hill farming very dlstrlcta of California end In ovory uom other etato, the cultivation Hhould nl- alwn ways be aorons the slopo and not t are und down with tho slope. |