The Lamar register., 1905-08-23
DESERT TO BLOOM.
Campbell System OF Farming with
out Irrigation viii Reclaim
Arid Wastes of tho West
and Add Population.

ulation Of 100000 people within
the next ten years, and all the arid
region between this city and the
fertil parts of Nebraska and Kansas
will blossom as the rosebush if the
plans of the Colorado Association for
scientific farming carry to compile
tion. All this will be accomplished
through the application of the
Campbell system of soil culture" to
farming on grand scale in the non
wstersble section of this state.
Yesterday at a meeting of some
400 land owners held at the cham
ber of commerce hall the association
came into existence and plans were
formed not only for the reclamation
Of the soil, but also for the populat-
ing of that vast desert territory east
Of Denver, the eyesore of all travel
ers, and the one spot to mar the
beauty of the state. Already the
membership of the association has
reached the 500 mark, and it is
claimed by those at the head of the
movement that it will reach into the
thousands before the year Is past.
1t is said that every farmer and
land owner in the irrigable and nom
irrigable West will, 80 soon as the
objects of the new association are
Known, become member
In the constitution of the associa-
tion its objects are stated as being
"the dissemination of knowledge of
scientific methods of treating the
soil without irrigation in the regions
OF Colorado east of the Rocky noun
tains, in western Nebraska and Kan
sas and Southern Wyoming, and the
encouragement of immigration to the
great plains" The membership is
limited to those interested in tie
Campbell SYSTEM" and land owners
and farmers.
Yesterday, II. W. Campbell, the
originator of the culture of the earth
without the use of irrigation, lectur-
ed to those present at the first meet
ing of the new association for more
than an hour. He told them of the
results of his own experience in other
parts of the arid West and said in
part:
"My system is simple, for it con-
sists in the conservation of the moist
ure in the soil rather than the put
ting of more water on the ground.
In the ideal condition of my method
OF culture only one crop can be rails
ed on the same ground every second
year. believe in cultivating part
of every farm only once in two years.
As much of crop can be raised in
this way rs by farming the whole
acreage and reaping only one-half
Vuo W VIC oCh0'
"In the first place, my method
contemplates the elimination of the
crust of earth, that is ever part Of
the woes of the farmer. Plow the
ground most thoroughly in the
spring, with fine harrow, keep the
crust from forming during the sum
mer when the rain falls. This
method of destroying the crust as it
comes should be continued all winter
long. In the spring plant your crop,
and if the results are the same as we
had at the Pomeroy farm near Hill
City, Kansas, your work will be we'll
repaid. One half or farm may be
utilized all the time. Let half be in
cultivation and half in preparation
all year.
Enough moisture falls on the arid
plains of the Western states to sup
ply wheat and other cereals. The
trouble is in allowing a crust to
form. In the crust there are small
pores through which the sun by cap
illary attraction evsporates the water.
When the crust is eliminated the
pores are closed and the moisture
stays in the ground. The summer
rains and the winter SHOWS evapor
ate and are blown away because they
cannot get to the lower surfaces OF
the earth. Snow will melt on brok
en- ground, but it will blow away
when it falls on hard, crust-like
surface.
"The success of my system de-
r,ands on the air as well as on the