The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-26
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According to officials OF the state
agricultural college at Bozeman, the
experiments in dry land farming nov
being conducted in various parts o;
. Montana promise to be a success. The
work was undertaken with a view tC
demonstrating that by a proper course
Of cultivation the natural moisture
may be conserved and made to pro-
duce crops equal to those raised on
irrigated land.
An interesting talk upon dry land
farming vas made recently by w. W.
Mclaughlin, Of Logan, Utah, who is
assisting in the Montana experiments
and who is a expert in this branch
Of agriculture. MIR. McLaughlin's re.
marks. as reported by the Helena In
dependent, were in part to this effect:
ut must not be thought this Is the
first time dry soil farming has been
tried. There are many farmers in
Montana today who are working out
the experiment successfully. saw
one farm near Great Falls on which
the farmer had raised q splendid crop
of wheat. Part of the farm had been
fallow the previous year and the other
part had been used. The division be.
tween the two fields was a. marked as
ii you had drawn a knife through it.
The field which had been fallow the
year before had produced a splendid
stand of grain, while the other was
moi nearly so good.
"But while the experiments have
been tried individually, this is the first
time they have been tried successfully
and systematically.
SIT must be understood at the outset
that the object Of dry soil farming is
moi 10 secure fertility. The soil al.
ready has plenty Of fertility. Its OBJ
ject j. to conserve the moisture in the
ground. The frs. object is to get the
water in the soil and the next is to
| keep it there until needed for crop pro.
ductiOu.
"The first thing which should be
borne in mind is thai the blowing must
be deep. This allows the moisture to
creep into the earth and makes a
splendid mulch. The water seeps 10
the bottom Of the plowed soil and
avoids the action of the sunshine. The
blowing should be done in the fall, SC
as to secure the benefit Of the ell,
winter and early spring storms.
"The reason why the soil should lie
left fallow for alternating seasons-is
that the soil thus becomes q reservoir
and the precipitation is stored for rexs
years USE.
"Then to keep the moisture from
evaporating, the top Of the soil should
be guilty ated aud then cultivat Il some
more. This provides q mulch which
prevents evaporation and also pro-
vides a good seed bed. The growth OF
weeds should be prevented during she
fallow season by cultivation. The
weeds, If allowed to grow, absorb the
moisture which should be conserved
for the benefit of the ext years crop.
Fall crops prove the most profitable
and dry land crops should be selected.
| Deep soils make the best reservoirs
and should be chosen for this style OF
farming.
"In planting grain, the drill should
be used, a. broadcast seeding IS .
| f,;I,.o Vrbn Ia,tk ~ tha aaa1i,~Cr on3
the mount sown should be regulated
to the conditions. In planting three
pecks of wheat should be sown to the
acre and one bushel OF oats. This
amount, if it is purposed to raise the
crop for grain. If the crop is wanted
for hay; plant Il bushels OF wheat and
two bushels Of oats. The smaller the
amount OF seed planted, the more
moisture is left when the crop comes
to head Out. If large mount of seed
is used, . rank growth results, bu,
the moisture is exhausted when ths
crop heads
Mr.. Mclaughlin says that mouy
farmers in trying u@y soil farr-inE
make the mistake of thinking the yiell
should be Immediate, 1t takes at leas
two years to get the soil in shape, a.
it has to be left practically fallo w The
first year. In Utah many farmers hav,
irrigated farms which they rultivat'
inteusively ami additional dry sol
farms which they cultivate on 4 larg,
t scale and which they car give vaca
! tons from time to time.