The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-01-15

is equivalent 70 Z,uUG tons or water on
every acre. Experts have demonstrated
that a crop which in its dried stage
weighs three tons to the acre cannot
possibly use more than 800 tons of
moisture per acre. This being true it
follows that there is q waste by surface
drainage and evaporation of LOO tons
of moisture from each acre every year.
To catch and hold this excess of mois.
ture, or at least a good part Of it, has
been the object of Mr.. Campbell's ex-
periments. As early as 1894 be made an
exhaustive test Of his plan of subsur-
face packing at Hastings, Neb. Test
tubes of earth taken from the expert
mental field showed an average Of be-
tween IS and 10 per cent of water in
upper u inches Of soil, while the earth
taken from fields titled by the old
method gave only 7 and 8 per cent Of
water. The Importance Of this can be
better understood when it is known
that earth containing 8 per cent Of
water is dry and powdeFy to the touch,
while that containing IS per cent can
be squeezed into q mUdbalI. Mr.. Camp
bell has tried his system in all parts of
the west, on all kinds Of soil. aud with
all sorts Of crops and has never had a
failure. He figured it out that the
moisture could be held in the earth by
so treating the surface Of the ground
as to reduce evaporation to the mini
mum, and practical farmers say he has
thoroughly accomplished this end at
an expense Of about ninety cents an
acre over the usual cost Of ordinary
cultivation.
To get the full benefits Of the Camp
bell system for crops Of small grains 8
complete and radical change has to be
made in the ordinary method Of seeding
aud of cultivation after the plants are
above the ground. It might seem at
first to be impossible to raise anything
but hoed crops where the cUltivatoT
has to be kept constantly in motion,
but wheat, rye, oats, barley and all
small grins can be handled with profit
if they are seeded OF drilled in rows
from Is to "a inches apart. This gives
ample space for the working Of the
cultivstor between the rows, and the
yield is larger and more sure than
under the old system.
Crucial tests Of the new method are
being made By the Burlington railroad
company, the Northern Pacific, Great
Northern, the $780," Chicago, Milwau
kee and st. Paul, and the Union Pacific
Many of the managing officials Of these
roads have investigated the system ant
give it unqualified Endorsement. The
Northern Pacific now has five expert
mental farms in operation in NORTH
Dakota, at Lisbon, jamestown, PingFee
Dawson and Glenulin. Crops wer,
raised on all these farmers this year
All Of them showed a marked increase
in yield in comparison with those grow
on adjacent fields cultivated in The
usual way, the figures being as follows
Lisbon, increase 80 per cent; James
town, Pingree and Dawson, . per cent
and Glenulin, SO per cent The success
which has attended this effort has in
duced the Northern Pacific manage
lment to make further exeFtion to ex
tend the system by offering prizes fOl
the best crops grown during 1891 in Il
counties in North Dakota.
/ Reports Of great crops secured thil
! year in Nebraska under the Campbell
system continue to come in. ". q
tanning Of the Mckinley tanning
Loan and Trust company Of Hastings
Eeb, writes to General Passenger Eus
It's Of the Burlington that be ssg
yield Of 90 bushels OF potstoss to tn
acre on one farm where the harrow hel
been used freely when the average q
adjoining farms vas not over % bush
els per acss.
General Passenger agent john Fran
lsie q sss burHagtcr sns ii-g9as