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Show Contour Plowing Will Cut Erosion Parallels Terraces in Long, Winding Furrows; Corn Must Be Drilled. Hy Ralph C. liny, Arrlcultural Eivriw-ering Department, University of Illinois. WNU Service. Pride in straight rows will cost fanners Inestimable losses this winter win-ter In the form of soil erosion on sloping Molds that have been plowed . up and down the slope. Contour plowing and cultivating will stop most of this loss. Plowing and cultivating np and down the slope makes for straight rows of corn and other crops, but It also speeds up the How of runoff run-off water and may start serious' gullying. Coupled with contour plowing and cultivation In a good soil erosion plan there must be terracing, the application of limestone and the growing of legumes. Contour cultivation is so called because It parallels the terraces In long, winding furrows. The corn must be drilled Instead of planted in check rows, but this Is quite advantageous ad-vantageous because more soil and soil moisture are conserved as a result of the run-off water being retarded by each corn row. Farmers Farm-ers who practice contour cultivation cultiva-tion report that it Increases crop yields, and but little more time Is required than by farming in straight rows. Working the curved rows which are longer than the field compensates for the cultivation cultiva-tion of the few pointed rows between be-tween the terraces. Drilling corn has proved satisfactory satis-factory where tried in Illinois, particularly par-ticularly If a rotary hoe Is used for the first cultivation, and less time and trouble are required than for check-rowed corn. Furthermore, farm work done on rows running practically level requires less power pow-er to pull the machinery than whore the implements must be drawn up and down the slopes. Farming In straight rows over terraces, especially on steep slopes, Is also objectionable. There may bfl trouble in getting the machinery over the ridges, and furthermore, the ridges may be torn down so that considerable work has to be done to keep the terraces from breaking over during heavy rains. |
