Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-05-13
MAY CULTIVATE ARID LANDS.
Ex-Governor Cooper Believes IL Jan ~
Done without Irrigation.

nv covarnor Cooper Believes 1t Can be
Done without Irrigation.
Charming without irrigation has
been carried on successfully III Ooiu
RADIO and l believe it may De Hiaue
profitable" said Ex-Governor Jop "a.
Cooper, who is one of the lmpoita an
capitalists and cattle raisers OF Tue
state. "The secret of successful farm,
ing on arid land is deep plowlng anu
internal culture. l believe that the
time is coming when all the eastern
part of the state. much OF winch 10
now desert, will be under cultlVatlon
and will support a large popula.io,n'
Irrigation for most of eastern COLO.
RADIO is generally believed to be out Oh
the question. l think the problem OIL
retaining it must be solved by deep
blowing.
''The trouble with eastern Colorado Is
not lack of precipitation. In the ara
region of Colorado, Kansas and Ne
braska, the mean annual rainfall IS
twenty inches, nearly all of when
comes between March LIST and OCTOBER
LIST, the growing season. Evaporation
soon robs the soil of this moisture; the
problem is to conserve it.
First turn over the surface to a
depth of eight inches or so ana then
use another pillow, reaching eight DeloW
the first. The second pillow does not
turn over the earth, but stirs j. up:
| This gives a depth of loosened soll ol
about sixteen inches as reservoir for
moisture. Then the surface is broken
up fine, to almost dust by close mar
row. The dust prevents evaporation
and the ground underneath remains
moist throughout the season.
II am interested in the Wayslde
ranch above Littleton. We have over
! 100 acres planted in grain, which we
grow without irrigation. Dennis Shee
dy has also made a success OF dry
| farming ON the divide. On sixty acres
we grew thirty bushels of corn to the
acre. Under irrigation thirty-tive OF
forty bushels is considered good crop
Thirty acres planted in bald barley
yielded twenty-eight bushels to the
acre, while forty bushels is gooc
crop on irrigated land. l know tina
good crops of corn, rye, barley anc
fruit can be produced on so-called arlC
land without irrigation.
''The outlook for the cattle business
is remarkably good. The business Ii
gradually drifting into the hands Of
small farmers who keep punches o.
fifty to sixty cattle, and think it prob
able that there are more cattle in Colo
RADIO now than in the time of the opel
ranges, and the number will increast
rapidly.
Now believe that eastern Colorado
will be populated by small stock breed
ers. There is enough water in tina
section to water stock and by subsoil
ing the farmers can produce plenty O
food for fattening their cattle. Bali
barley is excellent feed, and as l said
Colorado land without irrigation will
produce twenty eight bushels to tn
acre.
at seems to me that there is a rea
sonable hope of retaining the grea
arid plains east of us. After the frs
year the work of farming on this sys
tenn would be easier. A farmer coult
in few years have pleasant HON
with orchards, garden, fields of grail
and a bunch of good Durham cattle
Durhams are the best all-around cattl
for the small farmer. They are fai
mixers good mothers and excellent o.
the block. 1 believe eastern Colorad
will yet be divided up into SINAI
ranches and that it will support
large population of contented and pros
porous farmers. "-Denver Republ
can.