The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-01-15
FOR FARMING DRY LANDS.
A New Method of Cultivation For the
Semi-Arid Regions.

A New Method of Cultivation For the
Semi-Arid Regions,
Men in all parts of the world are
watching with intense interest the ez-
periments now being made with the
new system Of soil culture by which
it is stoutly asserted the effects Of
drought can be overcome and the rails
ing of crops of all kinds in the semi
arid west made sure and profitable,
says writer in the Chicago Tribune.
If the semi-aFid regions can be brought
under control and the raising of crops
made certain without the expense of
irrigation and at a small advance over
the cost of the present methods Of Cul-
tivation, it means the addition Of hun
dreds of millions of dollars to the
wealth of the country, and for this
reason the chance of the success or
failure Of this modern method of tillage
becomes an important factor where new
projects for investments are under con-
siderstion or wherever goods are made
and sold, or grains, or cattle, or other
farm products are handled.
Discussion of the subject is spreading
daily. It's talked about in the farmers
institutes, country editors devote col
umns of space to it, college professors
are writing about it, and the railways
are spending mouey freely to give it
full and fair trial.
Hardy W. Campbell, formerly of
Aberdeen, S. D., but now living at
Sioux City, Ia, is the man who first
demonstrated to the satisfaction of his
neighbors that he could raise crops
without irrigation in times of drought.
Mr.. Campbell plows his land deeply at
the start, cutting the burrows from six
to nine inches in depth. This stirs up
the soil and brings the rich surface
earth down to where il will come in
contact with the roots of the plants.
Right behind the pillow Mr.. Campbell
uses an ingenious machine of his own
continuance for packing the subsOil so
as to retain the moisture. This machine
consists of a number of heavy iron
wheels with wedge-shaped edges strung
together on an axle at the ends of
which are two regular traffic wheels
for propeiling it. Over the axle, and
resting on supports rising from the
ends of it, runs a long, stout, wooden
trough or box which is loaded with
stone or scrap iron. The machine, when
ready for use, requires the efforts of
four horses to drag it. As it rolls over
the ground the heavy Wedge-shsped
wheels, aided by the weight Of the
loaded box, cut down through the
loosely plowed soil for about one-half
its depth, and the lower four inches is
packed hard by the great pressure
This subsurface packing is one of the
cardinal principles Of the new system
Under the old plan the ploWed ground
was left loose and whatever moisture
was in it dried out rapidly. By the
modern method the moisture is retain.
ed under the closely packed subsOil
where the roots of the plants may
draw on it as needed.
After the subsurface packing the
ground is gone over with e light spring
tooth harrow Of peculiar form. set e
cut and pulVerize the earth for a depth
of not more than two inches. This
done, the crops are put in and from
then on until the plants get too big K
allow Of free movement among them
the surface Of the ground ia kept hnely
puIverized byrepeated Something's viii
/ the spring tooth harrow. While thu
/ packed subsoil retains the moisture TIT
+ ans coating of earth on The surface act
as a blanket 70 ward OF the evaporation
| BY sun and sind.
Acknowledgements have been secured
Big following this simple msthcd- Tia
ordinary yearly rainfall in the ssuai
arid hsiE q sls57t 81 s.lfy Inches. Enict