Artide No; 11 on 1915!" '
, ' By TA1T BUTLER '
i l - r if v
T
l iuL between preparation
Hwe fully apprecia-
faS dff ts of thorough prepara-
" nn the economy and efficiency of
ion on tne cvuu ,
subsequent cuiuvauW; : 7" r
Song &d clump of growing
KcL are many reasons why .our
7 ,w Wanted on soils that are
w seed bed pracuuuic
Sned The one which is most
rm r, and hence is the most com
mon cause of indifferent preparation
of the soil, is that of insufficient time.
It is believed that it is more impor
tant to get the crops in early; than to
devote extra time and labor pn fin
ing and firming the soil. It will prob
.a.u ootppH that one vear with an-
other crops planted moderately early,
or as soon as weather and soil condi
tions, especially temperature, . are
suitable, produce the best yields. But
the real question is, will the dejay in
planting, occasioned by the time nec
essary to prepare the soil well, be
more injurious than: less . thorough
preparation? We think there is no
sort of doubt but that in the early
part of the season the benefits ' of
thorough preparation will more than
balance any ill effects resulting from
the delay in time of planting caused
by the time consumed in, giving this
thorough preparation. ' ' v I.
i .. : .-, v
Good Preparation Insures Rapid
Crop Growth . "
BUT if this plan is followed and all
the land ic thnrriiifrMv nrpnarpfl
- - - -o"'j
the last crops planted will be planted
as much later as will equal all the
time spent on the extra preparation.
In other words, while the first crop
planted may not be put iri'tnore than
a day or two later, caused by extra
good preparation, the last crop may
be as much as two weeks later. To
any one familiar with the more rapid
growth of crops put in on well pre
pared land, when weather conditions
are right, over those put in earlier
on poorly prepared land, it is evident
that the delay in planting the early
ops, caused by the time consumed
m thorough preparation, is no disad
vantage. But in the latter part of the
season a delay of a week or , two
caused by the extra time consumed in
thoroughl0fepa7ing"the land may
oe a serious matter. ' -
, In view of these facts, there is need
w exercising good judgment as to
nil lme I? be spent in preparing the
S fr.fe seed; but as a general
! 1 Isnafe t0 state that no more
?uIf be planted tha the time,
Sv t00ls and other facilities and
c 6ti0ns will enable the farmer to
an Z cK A Por "op is usually
Si w'f e crop' a"d notilins
t0ward Pducing poor,
5n. Cr0PS . insufficient
While we iW;.- .. .i
"Peciallv .. . " l"13 are to
'4?beW ,1s the vantages of
al noZl f IKr we crP s nP
oh ects of n T?" aention to the
plant : foods; The clods are - broken
up. and the soil of which , they are
" made becomes a part ' of the field on
- which the roots may feed.: Clods are
of no value, because the. roots can
not enter them and because , when'
they are numerous there "are large
sp"aces between them which the roots
can not cross. The finer, the articles
of soil the more soil that is exposed
to the air, moisture and other agen
cies ' which aid chemical and other
changes necessary to the . making jol
. plant ' foods available. Again, the
finer the particles of soil the more
water, it will retain and after all wa
iter, in just the right, quantity, is the
most 7 important element of success
ful crop production, on most soils.
But there is not only more moisture
held in the soil when it is finely pul
vyerized, because the smaller the soil
particles the greater the surfaces on
.whichr water is held, but the smaller
the soil particles .the more soil is
touched by the soil-water and . the;
- more quickly and largely are the
; plant foods dissolved so that they
- can be used by the plants.. King gives',
the following illustration i
"A cubic foot of marbles one inch
in v diameter possesses a"n aggregate
i. surface of 37.7 square feet, while if
the marbles -were reduced in diame
ter to one-thousandth of an inch,
then the total area per cubic foot is
increased to 37,700 square feet."
. Tillage has at least one. other im
. . port ant function: It destroys weeds.
, Indeed, judgfed by appearances" or
t. general practice, this is to the ' aver
age Southern farmerthe chief object
: of; tillage ; hence, he regards cultiva
' tion of the crop after, it is planted of
: much greater importance than tillage
before planting. Even by those who
realize many of - the -advantages of
thorough preparation before plant
ing, the tendency is to forget all ex
cept that a better seed bed is prepar
, ed in order to obtain' a better stand
.' of young plants This is an important
- object of good preparation, but per
haps if we realized more fully that
good preparation is attended by all
the results of good tillage mentioned,
I above and aids in cultivation of the
growing crop1 there would be less
tendency to plant the crops on poorly
prepared land with the hope of com-N
pleting the tillage while the crops are
growing. ' But two advantages of
good preparation which appear ...to ,us
among the most important, and which
we believe are generally lost sight
of, are thaf cultivation can be done
better and more cheaply before the
crop is up to interfere with the use
of the most efficient and economical
implements, and that weeds and grass
;may be more easily and economically
kept down on a, well- prepared, soil
than on one where the crop has been
, planted before the soil was put in
suitable condition. ;
I 1 1 Ih
that it -enVw f nure irf the sense
&er si,the cops to get 'a lar
ger sunnlv 17 i LrPs to Set a lar
ready pl?,nt d from that al-
les the r WOrds ifc
cts of ir and increases the ef-
water in dissolving the
vr? wu articles in the series
, March 2ft .
the Grn
Saving in the Cost of Cultivation
AMONG the most important of all
the benefits of thorough prepara
tion we, believe is , the saving of ex
pense in later cultivation. We do not
' overlook the benefit' of preparation in
obtaining-a good stand, nor any of the
' other results of tillage ; but the use
of those implements which are most
'.. efficient and economical in the early
cultivation of the crop is so depend-
ent on thorough preparation that we
regard this "one .benefit alone which
results - from good preparation suffi
cient to justify any one in giving ex
tra work to the soil before the crops
are. planted,
.'f 'It is; a. well known fact that the
most expensive implement used for
cultivating corn, cotton and other
row. crops ; in the ; South is the hcfe.
Until, we reduce the hoeing , to. the
lowest possible- amount we can not
produce such: crops most economi
cally. That the abundance of labor
in the past has fixed on .our practice
a too extensive use of the hoe . can
; not be denied. Even our best farm
, ers are frequently victims of this ex
pensive .habit, and there are few
among us who give as much thought
to cutting out this expensive method
of cultivating axrop"asv we should.
Avoid Expensive Hoeing ,
PHE one thing that will do more to
ward cutting out the necessity for
hoeing corn and cotton is a thorough
preparation of the soil. Not only will
a more thorough preparation of the
soil destroy- all clumps of grass, in-
stead of cultivating and setting them
out, as fs now often done; but it will
especially, and this is : the point we
wish to stress, make it possible and
practicable to use the most economi
cal and efficient implements for early
cultivation, the weeder and the
smoothing pr section harrow, esec-
, ially the latter. ' , ' : '
' Except in a few rare soils, in which
clods are readily dissolved by rain,'
and on sandy soils; a ..thorough fining
of the soil and a complete destruc
tion of clumps of grass and roots are
absolutely essential to' the economi
cal and effective cultivation of the
growing prop, for on these conditions
depend the efficiency of" the harrow,
; and without a free use of. the harrow
early . cultivation is expensive and
slow and' consequently likely to . be
. insufficient.' 4 "
" AH know that when grass and
"weeds;get a good start in any young
growing crop that cultivation" is ex
pensive and difficult. and that injury
to the crop is almost certain, to re-
- sult. Depending on the plow and the
hoe and neglecting the crop in its
early, stages are the chief reasons
why 'so many "get in the grass." By
such methods it is impossible to fin
ish planting and give the attention
required by the early planted crops,
but by a proper preparation of .the
land, - implements like the ' harrow
and weeder, which enable the farmer
to cover large areas' rapidly, . time
can be found to give the early culti
vation so necessary to the more rapid
growth of -the crop and the destruct
ion of the grass and weeds when
small and more easily killed. When
this method of early cultivation has
been found ineffective, the one gen
eral and most important cause has
"been "a failure to put the soil nr con
dition before planting the crop.
The time to cutlivate the crop is
before it is planted, simply because
it can be done more effectively and
economically at that time.:" A good
seed bed is essential to a good stand
and the early growth of the crop, but
probably not more important, than
for the .aid which it gives to early
and economical cultivation., This lat
ter fact we have too generally over
looked. " -
Get These Books and
Bulletins
You may get any of the following bulletins
free by applying to the address given; while
books may be had of The Progressive Farmer
.'at prices mentioned. -, - ".
" J. S, Department of Agriculture, Wash
ington, D. "C The. Organization of a Rural
Community. . " ' ; : ?
Farmers' Bulletin No. 630, Some Common
.Birds Useful to the Farmer. : .
Florida . Experiment Station, GalnesTille,
Fla. Bulletin No.' 125, Tomato Insects,
Root-Knot and "White-Mold." ' o
Mississippi I Experiment Station, AgricnI
" tural College, Miss. 'Bulletin No. 169, Cotton
Experiments In 1914, . r-y. ;v; '.-.r";-
.. Express Cotton. Circular.
. Missouri x Experiment Station, Columbia,
Mo. Bulletin No. 121, Land Tenure, ',;
Indiana Experiment Station, Lafayette,
lad. Circular No. 48, Notes on the Hog
Cholera Conference ' at Purdue University,
December 18, 1913. . .
United States Livestock Sanitary Associa
tion, Chicago, m Foot-and-Mouth Disease,
by Dr. A. D. Melvin and Dr. John R. Mohler.
Price 25 cents..-. ' ' - . .
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