The Old Policy Of Clean Winter Cultivation Has Been Largely Abandoned
Categories: Soils, Fertilizers and IrrigationNearly 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 plant food and in friability,
which promotes summer pulverization and saves moisture from summer
evaporation. Much less early plowing is done than formerly unless it be
shallow to get in the seed for the cover crop; the deeper plowing being
done to put it under. Guano can be applied earlier in the winter than
nitrate, which can be turned in with the cover crop, while the former
may be sown with the seed to promote the winter growth. Whether you are
losing your nitrate or not the chemist might determine for you by
before-and-after analyses. If you are a good observer you may detect
loss by absence of the effects you desire to secure.
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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
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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... The Practice Of Home-mixing
The business of compounding fertilizers has been involved in a great deal of unnecessary mystery. Many of our best station scientists have labored to show that the home-mixing of fertilizers is a simple and profitable piece of work, and the heaviest ... The Right Bacteria
The word "bacteria" has had a grudging admission to the vocabulary of practical farmers, and the reason is easily stated. The knowledge of bacteria and their work is recent and limited. They are many in kind, and scientists are only in the midst of th... The Seeding
When alfalfa has become established on eastern farms, the difficulties in making new seedings will be smaller. The experience of growers will save from mistakes in selection of soils and preparation of the ground, and the thorough inoculation with the... The Sheds Should Be Cleaned And Whitewashed
... The Soil A Reservoir
The rains of the summer rarely are adequate to the needs of growing plants. Some water runs off the surface, some passes down through crevices beyond the effect of capillary attraction, and much quickly evaporates. The part that becomes available is o... The Soil Is A Well-drained Clay Loam
The cost of growing is not particularly different from other beans, and will vary, of course, according to the capacity and efficiency of the plows, harrows, teams, tractors, men, etc. Every man has to figure that according to his conditions and met... The Soybean
The soybean is gaining a place among the valuable legumes of the United States, and the acreage is increasing as its merits become known to all. Its northern limits of profitable production are much farther north than those of the cowpea, and approach... The Sub-soil Plow
I am contemplating using a sub-soil plow for the purpose of breaking plow-sole on grain land. This is about 4 1/2 inches below the surface and is about 5 inches thick. This soil is comparatively loose and seems to be of good quality. Do you thin... The Sugar Prune
What is the commercial value of the Sugar prune? Is there any other early ripening variety better than the Sugar? It is selling very well as a cured prune, and growers in the northern bay counties especially have done so well that they are ext... The Summer-fallow
Bare land loses in total plant-food, but may make a temporary gain in available fertility. The practice of leaving a field uncropped for an entire season has been abandoned in good farming regions. Where moisture is in scant supply, and a soil is thin... The Time To Cut Alfalfa
What is the best period to cut alfalfa hay for cow feed and the best method for curing? The best time to cut alfalfa is just when new shoots are starting out at the crown. This will give the greatest yield of hay during a season, and the hay ... The Unproductive Farm
When a soil expert visits an unproductive farm to determine its needs, he gives his chief attention to four possible factors in his problem: lack of drainage, of lime, of organic matter, and of available plant-food. His first concern regards drainage.... The Use Of Nitrogen
There is no fully satisfactory way of determining the kind and amount of fertilizer that should be used at any particular time for any one crop. Perfection in this respect is no easier in attainment than in other matters. There are, however, means of ...