Gilpin observer., 1905-09-14
THE FARM AND RANGE
Dry culture by Deep pIowing.

E. r. Parsons Of the Mariposa ranch.
Newlin gulch, near Parker station,
twenty miles south of Denver, has
been dry farming in Colorado for
nearly twenty years, and Is undoubt-
edly the pioneer in this method Of hold
ing the moisture in the soil. The Den
yer Chamber of Commerce, which Is
taking most active interest In the
methods adopted to raise crops with
out irrigation, has persuaded Mr.. Far
sons to tell something of his work.
The objection, which perhaps to
good farmers is really no objection at
all, to the Campbell dry farming sys-
TEN, that of extra labor, cannot be ap-
piled to the Parsons system. He
plows deeper and does not have to
do 1t SO often. The principle, how
ever, is the same, preventing the es-
cape of the moisture natural to the
ground.
II have been farming without irriga-
ton on the ranch since 1886, twenty
years next August. took up the home
stead and have since added to 1t by
purchase until have 1,100 acres in
ALL" Mr.. Parsons said. Il farmed in
South Africa previous to coming to
| Colorado, and it was in that country
| that learned regarding the retention
of the moisture. The rainfall in Natal
is not much more than in Colorado.
and in Capetown it is less. They grow
| fruits in both places.
II plow my groung extra deep, ten
inches with an ordinary horse culti-
vator, and that Is all. l see that the
ground does not pack, and that the sur
face is kept pulverized or powdery.
when the plowed ground begins to
harden, pores are formed and the mois-
| ture escapes.
II keep twenty acres in orchard,
forty acres in alfalfa and fifteen acres
in corn and small grain. Last year out
of twelve acres of fruit, l sold nearly
$1,000 worth. The corn brings thirty
bushels to the acre. / have never lost
tree from drought or had a failure in
crops, and we have had some pretty
dry seasons since / have been out
| there.
''The deeper you plow, the more
moisture you can save. If you have not
got the depth of soil, there is no use
trying, but as far as l have been able
to see, most of the land in the state
has depth enough for dry farming.
Some people nave come to me and told
me that they have done as have done,
and their crops have been a failure.
| When l asked them what kind Of soil
they had, they did not know, but a
spade developed that there were only
few inches from the surface to rock.
There is plenty of water If you go
deep enough. The alfalfa on my ranch
keeps going down and down after the
water. In three years, the roots have
gone down ten feet and now there is
little to do but let it grow. Last sea
son l got sixty tons from forty acres.
At first Il is best to cut the alfalfa but
once a year, but when the roots have
sunk to water, one can cut two or three
times year.
by plowing ten inches deep,
hold that this is equal to plowing
six inches three times year.
I'VE can grow almost all Of the
cereals. For the system ! use, winter
wheat is the best. One can get more
out of it. But l advise the planting
of trees in Colorado. / sell most OF my
fruit among the farmers around me-
But the Denver dealers are very anx-
ious to get hold of it."
Mr.. Parsons holds firmly to the be-
lief that in good deep soil in this state
there is no need for irrigating for ordi-
nary farming purposes. And he points
out that only twenty per cent. of the
land in Colorado is susceptible to irri-
cation. He has made success Of dry
farming. Several members of the
chamber of commerce have visited the
place and they declare it to be an Eden
spot. A few of the ranchmen have
followed. Mr.. Parsons plan and sue
ceeded; others have held to the old
way and depend upon fortune.