Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Dec. 23, 1909, edition 1 / Page 5
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Thursday, December 23, 1909. THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER. We Must Control Surface Water. How Deeper Plowing and Better Drainage Will Enable the Farmer to Prevent Washing and Make Better Crops-Tiling In creases Yield of Corn on One Field from 10 to 40 Bushels. rj37"l PEW WEEKS AGO I heard a I v farmers' institute speaker say: laSSi . "Nine-tenths of farming is the problem of taking care of water"- a statement that seemed very broad at first, but which, after thinking it over for some days and applying it to the farm here, seems fully true. Sometimes, as last spring, the problem is to get rid of the water, and sometimes, as a few weeks dur ing last summer, to conserve the water for plant use. The best way to conserve the water is by deep plowing and shallow, fre- i m a. 9 9 T.lil . Jl ll quern cumvauon. iNeuner aoes me deep-plowed land wash as badly when the water must run off. as the shallow-plowed lands. Whenithis sur face water does run off it will not carry with it nearly as much soluble plant food or small particles of soil in suspension, as from the shallow prepared lands. How Deep Plowing lessens Damage By Washing. "Ve noticed examples of this de pletion of land while passing a large field during a heavy rain, not long ago. There was the black, gray and red lands recently plowed shallow. " 1 1 T J 1 J A in ear was uiacK. xanu piowea six 10 eight inches deep. On the other side of the path was a meadow and a pasture. The water running from these shallow-plowed lands was the same color as the land, and much soil was carried along. This was shown especially after the rain stop ped and the deposit of soil could be seen. The water was running but little from the deep-plowed piece and was nearly clear, but not clear like that coming from the meadow and pasture, where the grass pre vented any washing. The deep-plowed land took care of the heavy rain, while the other did not, because there was not room in the hard ground for it. If the water has to be taken off the surface, it should be taken as .quickly as possible - through nearly level ditches. Deep plowing will go a long way toward improving drainage, conserv ing water and plant food. While almost everywhere open ditches are used to carry water, the few places that have used tile drains have found them to generally be a paying proposition. One incident in connection with this method of drain age will show how valuable it often is, and there are many places where it can be duplicated. A Poor Field Changed to a Good One. The piece of land- about 40 acres was a rich, black prairie; very waxy, seepy ana wet most oi tne year. It was almost impossible to plow or cultivate, except in a very dry time. Weeds and grass charac teristic of wet lands, thrived on it. Ordinary years it would not produce over ten bushels of poor corn per acre. The stalks were spindling, yellow, and the roots close to the surface, showing an excess of moist ure so the air could not get down in the soil. In a very dry year it would make 40 to 50 bushels of corn per acre. This land was tiled with 3-inch tile in the summer, after the rush of farm work was over. The lines of tiles were placed three to three and one-half feet deep, and 24 to 30 feet apart. It was drained before this by several large open ditches, which carried ofT nvuch water. The next spring the land was plowed and planted in corn. In place of the land's being waxy or gummy it was very loose and easily plowed as deep as desired. It was easily cultivated, easily kept mellow and in good con dition. It was easier prepared and cultivated than in the dry seasons, when it .had been making its best crops. fhe land was plowed level, corn planted with a check rower and the corn cultivated on a level. That year and the years following were ordi nary ones, yet the land produced its 40 to 60 bushels of corn per "acre every year. The corn could be plant ed early, with no trouble to get a good stand. Before it was tile drained, corn could not be planted until late and then it was hard to get a stand. The water flowed the year round from the opening of the drains, even after weeks of dry weather. Tile Drainage Will Become General. The time is coming when tile drainage will be used more and more and found to pay well;- especially as lands become higher in price and are farmed more intenseively. Of course the depth to place the tile and the width apart to run the lines depend on so many conditions of soil, amount of water, and other things that no general rule can be made. In most of the prairie sections, and other sections as well, it will help to lower the high water level, thus better aerating the soil and allow ing the roots of plants to penetrate deeper, for, to do well, they must have, not only a good surface pre paration and tillage, but deep aer ation. JESSE M. JONES. Montgomery, Ala. A SUCCESSFUL FARMERS' SCHOOL IN TENNESSEE. The week beginning November 29 th a farmers' school was held at Winchester, Tenn., by Prof. C. A. Keffer, assisted by Messrs. Lane, Barnes and Hite, and Director Mor gan, of the Tennessee Experiment Station. The school lasted a whole week, 135 farmers were enrolled and the average attendance was about sixty. Our friend, Mr. A. C Ring, of Winchester, writing of the school says: "Already there are three or four men talking of building silos, and I hear of at least two men who have determined to 'kill the grade bull.' (This is the battle cry of our State Dairy Association.) "We have a county dairy as sociation as a result of - the farmers' school; and the pros pect of building a - creamery. This last we have been talking of for some time. We are do ing this without the help of a promoter ; will not put over $3,000 into it, I guess, and de cided sometime ago .that we would do nothing till we had at least 400 cows in sight." Other schools of this kind are being held in Tennessee, and so the good work goes on. . Barnyard Manure is like QUE PElECTBSBflHaEB. BARNYARD manure contains all the elements of plant food. Every ton of stable manure is worth from $2.00 to $4.00 or more, based on the commercial value of its fertilizing content. But, based on the increased crop yield, it is worth much more just how much depends upon how you care for it and spread it over your land. Get full value not half value out of the manure. There is only one way. Spread it with a machine which pulverizes all of it, and spreads it uniformly, and as you want it, broadcast over the land or in rows. Your farm will maintain its own fertility if you give it a chance. You don't need patent fertilizer which only contains a few of the nec essary plant elements. cave the manure and spread it with an I. H.G. S You make the wisest possible investment when you purchase a Kemp 20th Century, a Cloverleaf or a Corn King spreader., . These machines differ in many features of construction and opera tion, but they are all right-working, and that is the essential point. They all avoid the waste of manure, greatly reduce the time and labor of handling, and rob manure spreading of its disagreeable features. You may have a large farm; you may have a small farm. No matter what the size, you will find an I. H. C. spreader to suit your requirements. Join the ranks of Soil-Builders. It will pay you big money.- Call on the International local agent see him about a spreader for your own use. He will cheerfully give you catalogues and complete information; or, if you prefer, write us for further information. fnlm INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY OF AMERICA (INCOnrOKATtD) CHICAGO. U. S. A. h fit) 0 ,VffiS. J AVERY'S "Reversible" Disc Harrow Iron and steel throughout, levers under perfect control, easily reversed from in-throw to out-throw, low frame and can be used in close quarters, orchards, etc "Strongly built and braced. Cannot be strained or twisted under any average use. Can be set to any angle wjiile in motion. Discs solid or sectional. Cut-away Harrows in 4 or 5 foot lengths. Write for circulars of the great "Avery" line of labor-saving plows and cultivating implements for Southern Farmers. They are not an expensive out lay, but a fine dividend paying investment. Dm F. AVERY & SONS, Inc., Lonfs.il!., Ky. Atlanta, 6a. Hew Orleans, La. Memphis, Tenn. Shreveport, La. I7pif e for Price and Guaranty on "fTEiSft APnf5 Pulverizing Harrow, Clod LI 1118 WiybdLb Crusher and Lovclor For many yean the fa von t Lowest Priced Riding Harrow Lfchtoxt Draft many Tears tne favorite because it is 54 tee barrow of all work" the only Implement a man needs for follow. Ins the plow In any field or stirring mmj kind of soli. - It Crushes, Cuts, Lifts, Turns Smoothes and Levels In One Operation Tetlt pats less strain on the horses than any other har row, owlnar to the sharp, sloolna knives. The knives euf through the sod or stabble turned under by the plow, leaving the trash below the surface, while other harrows drag this to the top, where Its fertillzlntr value is wasted. Alto Bttt For Cavcrina Sd. The curving coulters tarn every Inch of we soil naae in ainerenc sizes, rrom aieei to xiy ieesin wiatn. Examine the Acme at your di'rt, or write to our Jobbers. Aok for our Free Catalog, containing also valuable articles on preparation of the soil. JOHN DEERE PLOW CO., ST LOUIS, MO. f AfihAvea JOHN DEERE PLOW CO., NEW ORLEANS, LA. tlODDClSi SOUTHERN FARM TOOL CO., ATLANTA, CA. RAWLINCS IMPLEMENT CO., BALTIMORE, MOw ia rt vi-s-v - . FREE Our new catalog contains article oy experts on "reparation or tne boh," meaning larger ana Detter crops for yew. write s postal ilVWi t In wedging on axe handles select the fattest, rich pine you can find that has parallel grains and good crushing strength. The rosin oozes out on the smooth split hickory and adheres to the handle better than any! other known wood without working MaaBfactored by DUANE II, WASH (Incorporated), 136 Central Ats., Pllngfca, B. J. Out. i leaiucu iuio wxv. time darkey." H. E. FanL X- When writing advertisers, please mention this paper. 1
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 23, 1909, edition 1
5
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