I remember reading in an old farmer's "how to" book from the late 1800's that it was actually good to till in snow.
The snow picks up nitrogen the way rain does.
According to the book - most of the nitrogen is picked up by the rain (or snow) early, the longer the rain continues, the less nitrogen it contains because it's already stripped most of it out of the air.
So a long rain/snow storm is bad, since it provides mostly nitrogen free water that will dilute the early nitrogen and carry it away as runoff or too deep into the ground.
As snow - it was supposed to be a good thing to turn it into the ground if possible (preferably a light snow), to trap the nitrogen and keep it from evaporating, especially if there's a lot of carbon/organic matter to hold it. It also supposedly helps keep the ground from getting compacted.
... That was somebody's thinking back in the 1800's anyways.
I'm of course going on my poor memory of what I read - they were much more scientific about it in the book.
I'm very curious about how this logic has stood the test of time.
Old wives tale, or advanced thinking for the time?
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Hydraulic Basics - Part 2 - by Curtis Von Fange. In the last entry to this series we gave a brief overview of hydraulic system theory, its basic components and how it works. Now lets take a look at some general maintenance tips that will keep our system operating to its fullest potential. The two biggest enemies to a hydraulic system are dirt and water. Dirt can score the insides of cylinders, spool valves and pumps. Wate
... [Read Article]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.