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Show PREPARE GROUND FOR WHEAT Dsslrsble to Double-Disk Immediately After Wheat or Oats Have Bse Taken Off the Field. flT It. M. IIAINKBrf As soon as the oats or wheat have been taken off the field, it is desirable to double-disk the ground at one. It will pay well to disk Immediately behind be-hind the binder or header. If after tbe binder, tbe bundles would be thrown off on disked ground. Tbe sooner this work Is done after harvest tbe better; every day's delay means that more moisture la lost. Id case tho disking has been done In time, the ground can be. plowed at any time later. Borne will ay "Why not begin plowing at once. Instead In-stead of wasting time disking?" This would be all right If we could bold the moisture long enough, but usually one or two weeks of hoL dry weather after harvest will dry out the ground too much for plowing. Tbe disk will cover the ground quickly, and will Insure holding the moisture until we have time to complete the plowing. There is no question but that wheat ground should be plowed early. For this reason summer tilled land nearly near-ly always outyleldtng laud that Is plowed just before seeding time. Wlwwt requires a firm seed bed. On account of this early preparation ahould be deeper than later work. Deep plowing Juat before seeding time Is not desirable, as tbe ground will not have time to become well settled. Early deep preparation Is very favorable fa-vorable to wheat production, especially especial-ly here the ground has bad enough moisture to settle it properly. Tbe wheat roots penetrate this packed soli very readily and are not damaged by gradual settling later, or from an undue loss of moisture on account ac-count of too loose soli. The following data on results of tillage methoda on wheat In 1911 on the Kansas experimental farm, as quoted In part from IJulletln No. 178 of that station, can be well applied to southern conditions. lAiid plowed July IS (the right time) seven Inches deep (the right depth) gave a yield of 38 1-3 bushels per acre. After paying for tbe cost of preparation there was left $23.74 per acre. Land plowed July 15 three Inches deep (plowed at the right time, but too shallow) produced 33 1-3 bushels per acre a net return of $22.32. Land plowed August 16, seven inches deep, not worked until September Sep-tember IS, showed a yield of 23 2 3 bushels per acre and a net return of $1S34 per acre, after deducting tbe cost of preparation. Iand plowed at proper depth, seven Inches, September IS (too late) produced pro-duced 15 bushels per acre and gave a net return of $9.08 per acre. Land plowed three Inches deep (too shallow) September IS (too late) gave a yield of 14 bushels, a net return of $8.62 per acre, after deducting deduct-ing cost of preparation. . Land disked, but not plowed, cost $1.95 per acre fo rpreparatloo and produced 4V4 bushels per acre. Tbe crop when sold returned $1.47 per acre over tbe cost of preparation of gnund. After the seed bed bad been prepared, pre-pared, whether before aeedlng time or after, the surface should not be allowed al-lowed to crust. Tb common peg tooth harrow or welder should break this crust as often as It forma, until un-til tbe wheat gets too large to work. Do not let the ground get too dry before be-fore harrowing, as It Is likely to work up too fine and make It liable to blow. |
