The Modern Fallow
Categories: DRAINAGEThe modern method of making a grass seeding in
August partakes of the nature of the old-fashioned summer-fallow. The
desire is to eradicate weeds, secure availability in plant-food, and
fit the soil to profit by even a light rainfall. Thin soils lend
themselves well to this treatment, which is described in Chapter VIII,
and there is no better method for fertile land. The benefit of the
fallow is obtained without serious loss of time.
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The Cowpea For Hay
The hay is one of our most palatable feeding-stuffs. Livestock may reject it the first time it is put into the manger, but a taste for it is quickly acquired, and soon it is eaten greedily. The high content of protein makes it exceptionally valuable ... The Discharge Is Very Dangerous To Other Animals
... The Disk Harrow
The purpose of the plow is to break up the soil so that it will be crumbly and mellow. The frequency with which land should be thoroughly stirred to full plow-depth depends upon the condition of the soil and the character of the crops. Oftentimes a di... The Droppings Are Loose And Very White
The fowls were victims of jaundice, which is a form of liver disease and caused by over-feeding on rich starchy foods that also cause fowls to become overfat. However, at the end of the laying season and the beginning of the molt the poultry keeper ... The Farm Scheme
Notwithstanding some of the theorizing that does not commend itself to the practical man, farm management is taking on the form of a science. It involves the organization of a farm for best results, and in the scheme that should be worked out for any ... The Filler
There has been much misleading use of the word "filler," as applied to fertilizers. We have seen that a pure grade of dried blood contains about 13 per cent of nitrogen. The buyer of a ton of dried blood thus gets about 260 pounds of plant-food. The r... The Fineness Of Limestone
Experiments at the Pennsylvania experiment station have shown that limestone has practically immediate availability in an acid soil if all of it has ability to pass through a screen having 60 meshes to the linear inch. Much of the limestone meeting t... The Grade
The outlet may fix the grade. If it does not, the main, branches, and laterals should have a fall of 3 inches, or more, to the 100 feet. This grade insures against deposits of silt and gives good capacity to the drains. If the outlet demands less fall... The Growing Of Buckwheat In California Is An Exceedingly Small Affair
The local market is very limited, as most California hot cakes are made of wheat flour. There is no chance for outward shipment, and the crop itself, being capable of growing only during the frostless season, has to be planted on moist lands where the... The June Drop
I am sending four peaches which are falling off the trees. Can you tell me how to prevent falling of the fruit next year and what causes it? It is impossible to tell from the peaches which you send what caused their falling. Where fruit passes... The Kind To Apply
If a soil contains free acid, the amount of calcium needed is definite. The form of lime that can supply the need in that particular field at least expenditure of money and trouble is the one to be selected. A ton of stone-lime, or pulverized lime, ca... The Land-roller
The breaking-plow is a robber of soil water when used in warm weather. The air carries the water away rapidly. The air-spaces are large. The corrective of this condition is the land-roller. It presses the soil together, driving out the excess of air. ... The Laterals
Small lines of tile are used to bring the water to the main when the wet land extends beyond the influence of the main. The distance between these laterals depends upon their depth and the nature of the land. A tight clay soil will not let water pass ... The Legumes
Any plant that grows and rots in the soil adds to the productive power of the land if lime is present, but plants differ in value as makers of humus. There are only ten essential constituents of plant-food, and the soil contains only four that concern... The Litmus-paper Test
A test of fair reliability may be made with litmus paper. A package of blue litmus paper can be bought for a few cents at any drug store. This paper will turn pink when brought into contact with an acid, and will return to a blue if placed in lime-wa... The Modern Fallow
The modern method of making a grass seeding in August partakes of the nature of the old-fashioned summer-fallow. The desire is to eradicate weeds, secure availability in plant-food, and fit the soil to profit by even a light rainfall. Thin soils lend ... The Moon And Potato Planting
Is there any foundation to the oft-repeated story about potatoes in the light of the moon running to tops and the dark of the moon to spuds? If we paid any attention to the moon in planting, we should plant in the dark of the moon so as to giv... The Mulch
In conserving the supply of water in the soil the mulch plays an important work. The dry air is constantly taking up the water from the surface of land, and when the surface is drier than the soil below, the moisture moves upward if there is no break ... The Multiplication Of Formulas
Fertilizer manufacturers have made all possible combinations of fertilizer materials, using them in various quantities. Each manufacturer has given a mixture a brand of his own, and confusion reigns. There is no formula for a soil or crop that will r... The Navel Not Thornless
I have lately purchased some Washington navel orange trees, and upon arrival I find they have thorns upon them. I thought the Washington navels were thornless. The navel orange tree is not thornless. It is described as a medium thorny variety... The Need Of Potash
Land which is deficient in organic matter ordinarily is lacking in available potash, and responds with profit to applications, provided the nitrogen and phosphoric-acid requirements have been met. Clay soils contain far more potash than sandy soils, a... The Nuts Are Well Grown The Kernel Fully Formed In Every Respect
Whether they will attain perfect maturity must be determined by an observation of the fact and cannot be theoretically predicated. Where trees are in such an ever-growing climate as you seem to have, they must apparently take a suggestion that the tim... The Oat Crop
In the northern part of the corn belt the oat crop is profitable. In the southern half of Ohio and regions of like temperature the oat crop rarely pays. The heat, when the oat is in the milk stage, usually is too great. The tendency there is to elimin... The Old Policy Of Clean Winter Cultivation Has Been Largely Abandoned
Nearly everyone is trying to grow something green during the rainy season to plow under toward the end of it. Even those who do not sow legumes for this purpose are plowing under as good a weed cover as they can get. This improves the soil both in pla... The Orange And Lemon Will Do Better In Transplanting Than The Others
Take up the trees when the soil becomes warmed by the sun after the coldest weather is over. This may be in February. Cut back the branches severely and take up the trees with a good ball of earth, using suitable lifting tackle to handle it without br... The Outlet
The value of any drainage system is dependent upon the outlet. Its location is the first thing to be determined. If the land is nearly flat, a telescope level should be used to determine elevations of all low points in the land to be drained. The outl... The Outlook For Broom Corn
Broom corn is way up in price, but that is an indication that everyone who has ever grown broom corn is likely to plant it this year. What is the outlook in California? Nothing but a local experiment will determine whether you can get a satis... The Place For Cattle
There are general trends in human practice that cannot be changed by man. A change in human diet that makes the percentage of meat lower will not come through propaganda, but there are forces at work that will restrict the consumption of meat by the ... The Plank-drag
An excellent implement on a farm is the plank-drag. It is usually made of over-lapping heavy planks, and when floated over the surface, it both pulverizes and packs the soil. The effectiveness is controlled by the weight placed upon it, and oftentimes... The Planting
Early varieties of the soybean in the south can be planted as late as mid-summer, but farther north a profitable crop requires nearly all of the summer heat. The planting may be made soon after the usual time of planting corn, or whenever the ground h...