Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Newspaper Page Text
$500 More a Tear farming: How to Get It BY LEARNING WHAT TILLAGE IS AND WHAT IT DOES. How Tillago Saves Moisture in Dry Weather_Why a Well Pulverized Soil Can Hold More Water Than a Cloddy One_ The Penalty of Poor Preparation. Tait Butler. IN OUIl ARTICLE iu the issue of April 16th, we discussed the saving of the soil moisture for the use of the crops, but at this time it is especially appropriate that we again call attention to the influence of tillage in enabling the soil to catch and hold more ef the rainfall. Over a large portion of our territory the crops have suffered for lack of mois ture this early in the season and in some Instances a failure to obtain a satisfactory stand has resulted, rrobabiy the most important single point in the making of a cotton crop is to get a stand of good strong plants and when this fails from lack of moisture it is pretty safe to state that the farmer is himself to blume. At this season of the year, in any part of the Cotton Belt east of Texas, there Is no good excuse for dainairo to the crons from lack of moisture; for if lands are farmed right, such can not occur. I.ast year it was like flying a red flag in the face of an angry bull to say anything about conserving soil moisture to the farmers of the cen tral Cotton Belt States; but this year the conditions are bo reversed that lack of moisture, and not too much rain, is the problem to be solved. Fortunately the sort of farming, and the management of the soil which best enables it to stand wet weather are also tho best for wessons when there is a scarcity of moisture. Tillage Increases the Water*Holding l’owcrw of the Soil. We have repeatedly pointed out the Importance of humus in the soil ns an aid to the holding of moisture, but cnn not refrain from again stat ing that solla properly filled with humus through the rotation of crops and the plowing under of vegetable matter, such as stablo manure or crops grown for that purpose, never suffer for Inck of moisture under proper cultural conditions inside of n •,.,ri <1 «l V »' ...ilr •» ,1 eon I it A •« other fact which Is too frequently overlooked Is that underdralnage, or the removal of the excess of water from the soil so ns to prevent the water table remaining too close to the surface In periods of wet weath er. Is necessary to enable the soil to withstand long periods of dry weather. When the roots of plnnts are forced to develop close to the Bur face and In an Insufficient soil area, the plnnts are liable to sufTer at those seasons of their growth when they need most moisture, especially If a dry spell occurs at thut time. Till* mnflnlttiv n f Mist rnnt ment to a restricted soil area may result from lack of drainage, and from too shallow breaking of the land, especially In those soils having a hard or compact subsoil. Shallow plowing Is less hurtful In seasons of abundant rainfall and consequently Is probably less objectionable In the South because of our usual large supply of moisture during the crop growing season; but In seasons of insufficient rain, deep preparation of the land, which enables the roots of the plant to feed from a larger and deeper Boll area. Is of the great est Importance In permitting the crops to secure the needed moisture for growth. A thoroughly pulver-j ized Boil is also best adapted to the lifting of moisture from deeper depths in a manner needed by the crops. in the shallow soil the evaporation is more rapid and the supply is more rapid and the supply Is more quickly exhausted. A deep ly broken soil holds more moisture, which it will give up to the crops in time of need, than a compact, hard soil. What Good Preparation Means. By this it is not meant that a soil so loose that it contains large air spaces between the soil particles will hold large quantities of water, or that one composed of coarse soil lumps and clods will retain mois ture for the use of the crops. A llnely pulverized soil, which means U m 11 I I I rtn nilnlnn ^ .1 < _ * U - -- **v*vw UVI'UI UVVUf i0 tuv one which best holds moisture for use in times of drouth. Hard soil masses into which moisture can not enter, or soil bo loose that the spaces between the soil grains are too large, is not one that will retain moisture or bring it to the plants by capillary action in seasons of insufficient mois ture. The importance of a finely pulverized soil, not 3 inches deep, but 6 to 8 inches deep, may be shown by the following illustrations: Each soil grain holds around its Burface a film of water. If these soil grains are glued together so that moisture and air can not enter, or if the soil grains be large or coarse, the outer surfaces which can hold the thin film of moisture will be less. A cubic foot of marbles is said to present a surface area of 37.7 square feet; while a cubic foot of soil, each particle of which is 1-1,000 of an inch in diameter, presents a total surface for holding this film of wa ter of 37,700 square feet. From this it is apparent that coarse cloddy soils so compact that the soil parti cles are glued together, are those which will suffer most in time of se vere drouth, because they were un nuic l U IIUIU kUO IIIUIDIUIC kUCJ 1C* celved in times of heavy rainfall. Tillage, therefore, next to drainage and humus, is the most Important means by which soils can be made to hold large quantities of water to feed the crops in times of dry weath er. Our crops are now suffering from lack of moisture, because of their lumpy and loose condition, the result of lack of humus and late spring plowing. Lands well broken last fall or early in the winter and then finely pulverized before plant ing are not suffering for lack of moisture at this time, although they may be suffering from the effects of too much cold. The more one studies the question the more he becomes convinced of the truth of the saying of Charles Sumner, who forty years ago gave ut terance In a public address to his be lief that "the two most potent fac tors In the advancement of civiliza tion are the school master and good roads.”—Prof. O. H. Alford. In a letter commending our stand on the oleo question, Mr. C. L. Sims, a thoughtful reader, advises that the oleo advocates look up prices of cot ton seed before the tax was imposed and since, and see how much It has decreased the demand for cottonseed. I We Use Over One Million I I I VI Yf.h,ch manufacture and sell the Continental Machinery that is used by three out of every five ginners. *• in °?e building, it would occupy space two and one half mues long, nearly forty feet wide and two stories nigh. These million feet are distributed in six factories in as many cities, from which 35 railroads haul the Munger System outfits. This gives the ginner a chance to home. It saves him freight—and time. We are ready to send a trained man to the ginner who is going to install equipment, to help him in his planning. Our expert en gineerswill prepare free plans and specifications. All Continental machinery is built for service. We use flawless material and employ workmen of known ability. We install plants from one gin up. Every customer gets uniform atten tion, and more than he expects. Our service does not stop when we receive an order. We see that a ginnery starts in “tip-top” shape. That is the kind of attention that has built Muneer System reputation. It is in Continental Machinery to do what we claim for it, and we make it Hn it _ I Manger System outfits permit choice ot ^ ■ Monger, Pratt, Winship, Smith or Eagle ■ Cine. Complete line of cotton working s machinery, including Engines and Boilers. B Write to nearest office for our new illus ■ trated catalog, now ready to mail. A I CONTINENTAL BIN COMPANY, A ■ Atlanta, 6a. Dallas, Texas. B Birmingham, Ala. Memphis, Tenn. ■ Charlotte, N. C. Our Progressive Farmer Boys FORTY THOUSAND BOYS IN ONE BIG FARM SCHOOL. This is Really What the Corn Contests Amount to—What Some Roys Have Already Done and How Others Are Going at the Work. By Hon. 0. B. Martin, Agent in Charge of Boys’ Com Club Work. MORE THAN FORTY thousand boys In the South have enroll ed with the Farmers’ Co-op erative Demonstration Work of the IJ. S. Department of Agriculture for this year. Thous ands of these boys will demonstrate two things: First, how to make corn; second, how to make men. These boys are distribut ed pretty generally throughout the Southern States. Mk. O. B. MARTIN. Neariy 600 coun_ ties are organized, and, in many cases, individual boys in counties not yet organized, have sent in their names, entered the contests and are reading the instructions. With so many oojeci lessons or gooa rarming In so many communities it is certain that methods of farming will be im proved and census figures of corn production in the Southern States will be greatly enlarged. The ener gy, the observation, the systematic work and determination of these boys will certainly make a permanent contribution to the development of manhood. What Some Boys Have Done. One of the boys who won a prize trip to Washington last year did not win any prize at all the first year he joined i. corn club. The next year he won a township prize, and the next he won State prizes and the di ploma from the Secretary of Agri culture. He also won a prize on corn judging, which indicated that he made a thorough study of his work. Such purposeful perseverance means more effective and useful manhood. One of the corn club boys In Okla homa writes that he is thirteen years old, that his father died three years ago and that he is farming to sup port his mother and little sisters. “Blessings on thee, little man!’' This boy has supported the family and has $125.00 in the bank. Making manhood. The two boys whose pictures ac company this article both won prizes last year and were leaders in their State. They live more than a hun dred miles apart, but they are com peung witn earn oiner ror the cham pionship of the State. One has chal lenged the other to a corn-growing contest, and who will say that the competition and the results are not as important, as interesting, and as far reaching as any prize fight or ball game in the country? A report, before me, tells about a boy’s club holding a field meeting on a boy’s acre which was being prepar ed for corn. The land had been sown in clover and the sod was being turn ed under. These boys studied about nodules and nitrogen. Some of them did not know about the importance of legumes. They know now. (Continued on Page 39 4.)