The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-15
A NOVEL IDEA.
SAVES THE MOTSTURE-IT NAV
BE IMPORTANT.
How the Moisture Can Be Retained
in the Soil.
AN IOWA MAN HAS A SCHEME FOR THE I'M
MIGRATIONISTS.

II. w. Campbell, of Sioux City. Iowa.
was in the city yesterday in conference
with T. L. Schumacher of the North
western Interstate Immigrant as
ISOLATION. in regard to meth
Cd which he has practiced in
the dry prairie country of South
Dakota and Nebraska for the preserva-
ton and creation of moisture in the soil
during dry spells in the summer, and if It
proves to be all that it prom ses to be.
will be of great value to farmers The
method is very simple and inexpensive.
and when tried it has made many enthu-
siastic converts. Mr. Campbell was one
of the early settlers in the James r.ver
valley, and his experience in that coun-
try dates back to 1882. In that year an
enormous crop of wheat was grown.
The straw was long, and the harvesters
were run as. high as possible This left
from II to 18 inches of stubble of a very
strong, stubborn nature. In the fall it
was turned under. Here was also large
amount of new breaking done in 1882 In
the spring Of 1883 all was seeded in
wheat. At harvest time good crop was
taken from the new ground. while thai
portion on stubble ground was very Door
Here was an apparent trouble. but from
what cause was not known until the fall
blowing began, when the Stubbe of the
previous year came up almost as bright
as when first turned under This set Mr..
Campbell to thinking how to solve the
problem. The remedy seemed plain. He
purchased large, heavy iron roller, and
used it in the spring of 1884 on 100 acres
The result from this first experience was
almost the entire field was blown out
from the wind. From that tine to 1891
various plans were tried. BY careful OBJ
servation, noting the effect of hoof tracks
and wheel tracks, he devised a subsur-
face packer which resulted IN packing
the entire portion of the plowed ground,
leaving the surace loose. This united the
surface with the under sol, bringing the
two in close contact. and thus permitting
the plowed upper layer to draw supplies
of moisture from the SOL below, leaving
the three inches on top loose, forming q
natural mulch which really served to
prevent the soil moisture from evaporat-
ing into the air. He continued the dust
mulching experiment during the next
four years. In 1893 some wonderful re-
suits were brought out. A small piece of
wheat showing result four times greater
in yield than in land under ordinary till
age. In 1894 two separate fields of po-
tatoes were experimental upon one I'm
der the ordinary method and one under
the new plan of tillage SIX acres were
in the first plat and thirty in the latter.
resulting yield of 26 bushels where the
old method was followed and 142 from the
new way. This was the dryest year
known in the valley, and many fields
were not harvested at all. During the
season of 1895 five experimental fields
were operated in North and South Da-
kOta. ansas, Nebraska and Colorado.
mostly by the railroads. who had become
interested, and other interests who had
much to profit from the success of the new
method for its success meant the saliva
ton of an immense territory of the plains
country. The returns, as compared with
the old, were very satisfactory. this be-
ing especially true of the higher attitudes
in Colorado, where the growing of crops
without irr. cation is considered an inn
possibility. G. W. Holdredge, general
manager of the Burlington in Nebraska,
is an enthusiastic convert to Mr.. Camp
BELLS method.
Arrangements have been made for more
complete work in experimental stations
the coming year in North and South Da-
kota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and
Oklahoma. Mr.. Campbell claims that the
results brought out in the last three years
demonstrate clearly that farming is per-
fectly safe throughout all this region, and
his mission is to show to President Schur-
meier that others influenced to come to
the Northwest by the Northwestern I'M
migration association. with careful till
age. need have no fears of making a sue
cess.