THOROUGH CULTIVATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 177, 22 April 1919, Page 8

THOROUGH CULTIVATION

TO INCREASE PRODUCTION, I Whorevor cultivation is carried out it 13 essential to increased production that it be as thorough as the season, labour, ' and facilities available permit, says Mr. A.'M'TaggArt' in the course of an article in the "Journal of Agriculture." Thorough and timely cultivation. makes available jplant-fbod and conserves soil-moisture, the, two most important factors in promoting abundant crop-growth. In adverse seasons' attention to thoroughness and time- . liness, as 'regards cultivation, frequently ': means.the difference between success and failure in crop production. A fine firm eeed-be'd is important in giving a crop n, ■good start-a. highly important factor; and tho rule to tollow in .the seeding of crops is, the finer the seed the finer the 6eed-bed. Elimination, as lar as possible, of rough-and-ready cultivation will go a long way toward materially increasing production from our soils. The adoption of methods of cultivation and the use : of implements suited to varying conditions of soil, climate, and labour Bupply will, where possible, cou- ■ tribute a great deal toward .increased output. Labour-saving machinery can materially assist in this direction, the farm ' tractor, on land suitable for its " use. can play an important part. In parts of the country where the rainfall is prevailingly somewhat 'limited, or where in seasons the weather conditions., are dry duriug the growing period, implements designed for "dry-land . . tarm- - ing could be used to' ndvantage. In preparing see<l-be(l under suck conditions ' use could be made of the subsurface and surface packers, a3 used in tho Western States and provinces of . North America. These implements pack the soil, both lower and upper portions;'and thereby encourage moisture to tiavel upwards by capillarity. The thin dust mulch that, in addition to packing, is produced by Tthe . subsurface packer tends to check evaporation from the soil. Thus moisture is' both conveniently concentrated and conserved, and so made tho most of by the crop subsequently sown. Disc ' "drills, especiallv tlio" double disc,-also 'pack the soil around-the-grain as it-is sown, thereby causing the young plant to have the beiieftt of a maximum ,ot the moisture available in, this coniparatnelj dry soil. . , - . Failing, the use of these special-purpose implements, the roller, of as heavy a type as: made, should be made plenteous ' uso of in preparing "dry-land" seed-beds, end their use should always be followed, .by i final.stroke of a chain or brush "harrow to promote a. dust mulch, and so prevent • evaporation. . After every shower *o"f rain jn. smcli climates or sea---sons a stroke of. the harrows (light tine), ..where possible, will conserve this extra moisture to a marked extent. Indeed, '"duTing-a-dry spelLwhen a cereal or tur.■nip .crop'seems, to, stand still astioke .\o£ - the harrows (crosswise) often-works " like- magic in'- promoting growth, mis, " again," is due to evaporation of moisture - being checked and concentrated, at the -'■'Toots-of .the! crop. • -—In like' manner tho niterojiltivation ot -•drilled crops -during, a dry season often ■ '-'means the difference;:between success and ; failure with respect to such crops. 11ns . boing so, the 'expenditure on labour for such/purpose.where..at all a ™ lla W° procurable is thoroughly justifiable. In ' other words, it pays.