Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1916 — FINE, FIRM, AND FERTILE [ARTICLE]

FINE, FIRM, AND FERTILE

Should Be the Condition of the Wheat Seedbed to Insure Maximum Yields.

A fine, firm, fertile, early prepared seedbed Insures the largest crop of best quality wheat. When wheat follows oats, barley or other early harvested crop, plow the land from 4 to 6 Inches deep as soon as the preceding crop is removed and work down each half day’s plowing, before leaving the field. Harrow or disk the field after every rain or as often as crust forms, until seeding time to kill weeds and to retain the soil moisture. Ideal seedbeed preparation consists tn disking, plowing, again disking and harrowing. Up-to-date farmers are following this system especially when there is considerable organic matter to be plowed under. Always cut up coarse material before turning it in the furrow, otherwise it interrupts the movement of moisture upward, mak* ing an air space which allows drying out. By plowing early and maintaining a soil mulch, moisture is retained which favors quick germination. From one to several weeks will be gained in the sprouting and growth by a thorough soil preparation. The Kansas experiment station found a gain of as much as 21 bushels of wheat when grown on land plowed seven Inches deep July 15 and then kept well worked until seeding time, over land that was plowed the same depth September 15. Perhaps there would not be such a great difference in favor of early plowing in the more humid climate of the eastern states, yet even there is pays to prepare the seed bed thoroughly and early.