The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-08-21
ESTABLISHED 1886.
WAYS OF SUCCESSFUL FARMING
CAMPBELL SYSTEM CUE UPON WHICH
WESTERN KANSAS Is THRIVING.
Weeds Must BE Kept Down, Condition Of
the Soil Looked Afber-Dairying One Of
the Results Of Good Farming and
Road to Prosperity.

the factor that is redeeming western
Kansas and eastern Colorado from dis
couraging failures. H. W. Campbell is
the farmer who first discovered a
method of blowing and preparing soil to
preserve the moisture of the winter
SHOWS and the spring rains and keep the
soil moist during the hot months.
Upon land furnished by J. P. POme
roy, OF Colorado Springs, who supplied
money to enable Campbell to conduct
his experiments at Hill City, Graham
county, Kan, Mr.. Campbell first demon
strated the usefulness Of his discovery.
On land that had been an extreme fail
ure for Is years he stored water a dis
lance Of four feet from the rains So
much rain was saved that a ball could
be made Of the soil any place down to
four feet Previous to that year the
deepest the rains would sink would be
II inches. Mr.. CampbelPs first season
on the land was an extraordinary sue
cess. Others followed him and within
the third season every farmer in Kansas
pIoughed deep and packed down the
surface afterwards. Farmers in eastern
Colorado also embraced the new idea.
Campbell's idea was to plow deep into
the ground in time to catch the spring
rains. After that was done the surface
was packed to prevent the moisture
from being drawn up to the surface by
the sun. There are many details in the
method that are important IN the pro
cess, which is now familiar to every
farmer in Kansas.
The time to pillow in this part of the
country is early enough to catch the
spring rains. That means pillow in the
fall and then the farmer will get the
benefit of the winter moisture as well as
the spring rains. The best and most
successful farmers Of Sherman county
are doing that. And in connection with
this they are watching and observing
the little details that make for success.
The plan Of not over burdeniDg land
with crops, or even allowing it to rest
for a season, has been previously writ
ten about in this paper. The success
full farmer Of the west is working out a
science IN agriculture, and he is finding
that the little things are among some Of
the most important things.
A farmer in the north part of this
county has made valuable observation
on dragging after blowing. Last fall 1
was preparing ground for spring sowing"
he said. 81 was working upon the Camp
bell system IN a modified form. 1
plowed deep and before going home at
noon and at night l would hitch the
horses to the harrow and drag down the
soil had plowed in the meantime. One
noon was IN hurry to 60 to the house
and the blowing had done since morn
ing left as had turned it with the
pIow, and that was the only portion Of
the field that did not receive treatment
soon after blowing. When spring came
the crop was put in and to my great sur
prise the corn on that very patch had
failed TO harrow was stunted from the
first and the hot days Of summer badly
blasted it. The remaining part Of the
field is now full IN the roasting ear and
the yield is going to be heavy. This ex-
perience showed me that dragging the
ground after narrowing to conserve the
moisture is a small beginning but at
tended with large results"
The most successful farmers are also
death on weeds. E Butler, who lives
on section 1919, was last week hOeing
out the few remaining weeds in his
55-acre field Of corn. During the fore
part Of the season the cultiEator took
the most Of them, but when the crop
was too far grown for that, Mr.. Butler
an old man, entered the field single
handed and cut out every weed. The
result is he has one Of the best stands
of corn in the county. The plants stand
almost equal in growth, higher than &
mans head, and the stalks are heavy
loaded with roasting ears.
All over Sherman county may be seer
luxuriant fields Of corn, millet and cane
Feed is in great abundance and because
Of this the flow of milk this winter viii
be greater than ever before. Feed corn
Is also raised with good success and
there is every incentive for the avereg'
farmer to keep COWS and ship his cream
every morning.
So pronounced has been the improved
methods OF farming that this season
Kansas, according to present indications
wiz have q phenomenal wheat crop.
is eonservativeIy estimated that Their
will be $4,000 bushels Of wheat il
Kansas this year. This is the larges
crop ever obtained in any state Tn
largest crop prior to this year was 60
333Oo5 bushels in 1901. The next {
that was 77,339,OOO in 1900. Nearly g.
per cent Of this years harvest wiz be i
the western part Of that state bordering
on Colorado and extending to the cen
trail part Of Kansas.
The number Of bushels to the acre
the western part Is estimated to be 195
while the average for eastern Kansas
1888 bushels
curpEGAu noIIuTV RpcTOAnT