Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-07-25
DRY LAND" FARMING
Experiments Being Made by the Rail-
roads for Utilizing Scanty Rain.

Colonel r. c. Judcon, of Portland,
Industrial agent of the 0. r. & N. has
spent some time in eastern Washing
ton. where he has introduced system
Of dry farming such as is success
fully carried on in Kansas and Ne
braska. He finds that by summer fall
lowing unwatered soil at certain sea-
sons, the slight rainfall Of the dis
trict is conserved and held in the
ground until needed by the growing
crops. Alfalfa is said to thrive on this
treatment and certain farmers of the
finland empire will try this system as
an experiment 1t is believed 1t will
be highly successful in this semi arid
section of the northwest
Colonel Judson said in n recent in
terview:
The more I examine into dry land
farming as it is conducted in Ne
oraska and Kansas under what is call
ed the Campbell system. the more 1
am impressed with the need OF such
tilling of the soil in eastern Oregon
and Washington. Dry land farming
as Is conducted on farms that I have
visited is the raising Of crops where
the precipitation is light. ranging from
10 to 1s inches, and that during the
winter and up to May. The virgin soil
or bench soil. is 1t is usually termed,
Is volcanic ash with some silt or wash
ing from the mountains. 1t has good
retentive powers and it being rich in
mineral plant food makes it ideal land
needing only moisture to produce the
finest Of crops. But water is needed
and the source of supply. whether used
as nature brings it. or it is applied ar
tificially. When rain falls upon land,
whether hard or compact some of it
may penetrate the soil and some of
II may run off. The proportion in
either case depends upon the heaviness
of the shower the heaviness of the land
and the slope. From what I have OBJ
served and from examinations of the
soil. 1 find that when the soil is hard
and compact. the moisture cvaporate
very rapidly from the surface into the
air. On the other hand, If the land
Is plowed to the depth OF eight to ten
inches the rain percolates down deep
into the soil. to be again brought to
the surface by capillary attraction.
Last week | went to Franklin coun-
ty. Washington, to examine the crop
conditions in the vicinity OF Washtuc-
ma, to note their methods of farming
and examine the seven different farms
upon which r. y. Miller general
freight agent g TESTING the isipp af
dry land alfalfa and also the growing
Of corn on the summer fallow. / found
the acreage of wheat less this year in
this county, owing to the fact of the
land being summer fallowed: but the
crops of grain are fully up to last year
as far as one can judge from the grain.
The grain is out of danger and free
from weeds. Harvesting has just be-
gun. Now as regards the dry land
alfalfa. will say that never saw finer.
May-sown alfalfa on soil where they
had to go $50 feet to water, that was
Is inches tall. dark and of very rank
growth: roots Is to IA inches in length
and ready for the first cutting being
partially in bloom.
ION Mr. Cooper's farm and one
half miles from Washtucna l found
he had sown an acre on regular hard
pan soil, and it Was looking fine and
the soil was dried out so that it was
hard to even get n sharp stick into 1t.
1t was new land. just plowed for the
FIRST time. Another piece was in soil
that was simply ash, one sinking i'm to
the depth OF two to three inches at
every step.
"Mr Cooper who Is one of the larg-
est and best farmers of that country,
Is more than pleased and will put in
a large tract next year and commence
to diversity. raising hogs, cattle and
horses on alfalfa. His corn was extra
fine, standing 4 l-2 feet in height. This
had been cultivated four times, while
at other farms only one cultivation had
peep given. and that standing three
feet in height.
ITO sum up: The experiments In
dry farming alfalfa and corn on sum-
mer fallow in that country are very
gratifying and set at rest the fact that
the dry land alfalfa will grow to per-
fection there. also that fine corn can
be grown on the summer fallow.
ct succeeded in securing promises
from some of the leading farmers to
commence to summer fallow their
land as soon as the first rain comes
in the fall. instead OF in the spring,
and that way conserve the moisture.
the farmers agreeing to pillow the land
eight inches deep instead OF four
Inches. Further experiments Will De
made next season on the summer fai-
low as Mr. Miller is DESTROYS of hav-
ing something grown where at pres
ent nothing is grown on the summer
fallow"