The Elbert County tribune., 1905-07-27
THE CAMPBELL SYSTEM OF FARMING
ON ARID LANDS WITHOUT IRRIGATION

} WII0UUI InhIuAIIUN
corn were produced by this system
from thirty-eight acres OF ground.
with sixteen inches of rainfall. while
the crops on the neighboring farms did
not amount to anything"
How do you do it?''
by storing the rainfall in the Soils"
| answered Mr.. Campbell; "by keeping
the surface of the ground always loose,
which stops evaporation. II Is impos-
sible for moisture to rise to the surface
through loose soil. and that leaves the
ground in the best condition to receive
the net rainfall. Thus you can make
fourteen inches of rain go as far as
twenty-five or thirty inches In raising
all kinds of crops or plants or trees.
We do not lose any of the rain-we
have the full benefit of 1t. We keep
it stored where the roots of the plants
can reach it when they need it,"
How do you accomplish this?"
BY stirring up the soil with a re-
volving disk and then going over it
again and filling up the furrow. We
call this 'double-disking.' II pulverizes
| the soil and levels 1t of We keep
going over it again and again, begin
ming early in the spring and continu
ing until the last of June or the first
part of Jaly After every rain we stir
up the soil. either with a disk or an
| Acme harrow. Finally we pillow seven
inches deep in the ordinary way and
follow the pillow with snbsurface
packer-a machine which makes
compact. solid bottom. four inches
from the surface, under the loose soil.
Then we go over IL again with the
Acme harrow so as to keep the top
| rrl.
ing the soil for year in this way, by
what we call summer tilling.' we put
| in our wheat. either in the fall or in
the spring, as is usual. The first year
| we do not put in any seed. We simply
keep stirring up the soil so that it will
remain lose and pulverized, and after
one year of this sort of cultivation
three crops can be grown in succession
without renewing the tilling. In
some cases it is better to till every
other year and raise a crop alternate
years.
IF crops are planted every year the
reaper must be Immediately followed
by the pillow and the stubble immedi-
ately turned under and the soil disk
and harrow kept at work all winter IL
| 1t is spring wheat. or from the June
harvest to the September planting II
|
applied to all the other kinds OF
| crops.
| ITO repeat: 1t is simply question
of the thorough working of the soil,
| as | have described. That is more i'm
portant than the rainfall No man can
expect a crop who simply turns under
the sod and scatters his seed and hauls
a harrow carelessly over the field
Labor and pains are necessary to pro-
duce good results, whether you are
farming or making furniture or pub
fishing newspaper.
Certain scientific phenomena must
be observed also. I cannot tell you
why, but after certain amount of rain
has fallen and penetrated a certain
distance into the soil. each particle OF
earth absorbs its share of the water
until the entire rainfall has been alb
sorbed. If we can hold this water in
this soil during the summer season a
chemical action will follow which pro-
duces nitrates and generates bacteria,
or nitrogen. in the soil. The theory is
that the bacteria are latent or con-
cealed in the soil and can only be de-
veloped by moisture and cultivation
| Il have reached a point where | am
certain of the principles and the re-
suits. | am satisfied that | can grow
as good crops in the foothills of the
Rocky mountains as on the prairies OF
Illinois. On this farm we have had
unprecedented crops in land where
| failure is more certain than success
We have demonstrated that all kinds
of botanical plants, grains. fruits and
berries can be grown in this semi-arid
region, without irrigation, with only a
moderate increase of expense. We have
| a ha, 4
100000 acres in the Panhandle of
Texas. and 10000 acres in eastern Colo
RADIO, which we propose to cut up into
small farms and sell to those who are
willing to cultivate them by this sys-
| tenn. The Denver Post is planning a
| model farm; there is another at Chey-
enne Wells. belonging to the Kansas
Pacific Railway; another at Otis, sup
ported by the Burlington Road, and
also at Holdridge, Nebraska, belonging
to George w. Holdridge, the general
| manager of the Burlington, who has
| stayed with me from the beginning. He
has been my best friend and my most
| loyai supporter But for his encour-
agement l would haze given ii up long
ago."
Il am not opposed to irrigation"
| said Mr.. Campbell, in conclusion. But
regard IL DIS unnecessary Wherever
there is rainfall of not less than
fourteen inches. And If we could have
one per cent. of the fund that is now
being expended. in irrigation plants
by the government, to teach the people
how to get along without water in a
semiarid region, we could have so
many more happy homes and SO much
more wealth in this country"
The Pomeroy farm certainly proves
the truth of Mr.. Campbell's theories,
or else he is wizard. There is no
water upon it, except one well for do
nestle purposes, and last year there
was only about fifteen inches of rain
fall. This year there has been a little
more-perhaps eighteen inches. And