East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-07-24


System of Dust Mulching to Con-
serve the Natural Water Supply.
Colonel r. c. Judson. Industrial
agent of the o. r. e. ". has returned
to Portland. from a trip into Eastern
Washington, where he has introduced
a system Of dry farming" such as
is successfully carried on in Kansas
and Nebraska, says the Pacific Home
stead. He finds that by summer fall
lowing the dry, unwatered soil at GER
tain seasons, the slight rainfall Of the
district 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 Inland Empire will try this sys-
TEN as an experiment. It is believed
1t will be highly successful in this
semi-arid section of the Northwest.
Colonel Judson said: "The more l
examine into dry land farming as 1t is
conducted in Nebraska and Kansas,
under what is called the Campbell
system, the more ] 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 rails
ing of crops where the precipitation
Is light ranging from 10 to 13 inches
and that during the winter and up
to Nav. The virgin soil or bench SOIL,
as it is usually termed, is volcanic
ash, with some silt or washing from
the mountains. 1t has good retenuve
powers. and it being rich in mineral
plant food makes 1t ideal land, need
ing only moisture to produce the fin
est crops. But water is needed, and
the source of supply, whether used as
nature brings it, or it is applied aru-
ficially. When rain falls upon land
whether hard or compact, some or II
NAV penetrate the soil and some of II
may run off. The proportion in elthei
case depends upon the heaviness oi
the showers, the heaviness OF the laho
and the slope. From what l nave
| observed and from examinations oi
the soil. l find that when the soil Is
hard and compact, the moisture evap'
crates very rapidly from the surface
| into the air. On the other hand' II
! the land is plowed to the depth OF
eight or 10 inches the rain percolate'
! down deep into the soil, to be agar
brought to the surface by capillar!
! attraction.
Last week went to FranKiil
county. Wash. to examine the crol
conditions in the vicinity OF Wash'uV
ra. to note their methods Of farmin'
and examine the seven differen
farms upon which R. B. Miller gen
cral freight agent, is testing the rais
ing of dry land alfalfa and also TN
growing of corn on the summer fal
low. l found the acreage or whea
less this year in the county, owing u
the fact of the land being summe
| fallowed: but the crops of grain ar
fully up to last year as far as one cai
Judge from the yield. The gram
out of danger and free from weeds
! Harvesting has Just begun. Now a
regards the dry land alfalfa will sa,
that I never saw finer. May sowi
alfalfa on soil where they had to g
| $50 feet to water. that was 10 inche
| tall dark and of very rank CROWN
roots 13 to Il inches in length, an
ready for the first cutting, being par
tally in blossom.
"On Mr.. Cooper's farm, five AM
one-half miles from Washtucna,
found he had sown an acre on regu
lar hardpan soil. and 1t was lookini
fine and the soil was dried out s.
that 1t was hard to even get a shar
stick into it. 1t was new land. Jus
plowed for the first time. Anothe
piece was in soil that was simply ash
one sinking in to the depth of two t
three inches at every step MI
Cooper. who is one of the largest an
best farmers in that county is NOR
than pleased and will put in larg
tract next year and commence to di
versify. raising hogs, cattle and horse
on alfalfa. His corn was extra fine
standing four and one-half feet il
height This had been cultivated fou
times. while at other farms only on
cultivation had been given, and tina
standing three feet in height.
"To sum up: The experiments il
dry land alfalfa and corn on summe
fallow in that country are very graft
fying, and set at rest the fact that tn
dry land alfalfa will grow to perfec
ton there, also that fine corn can b
grown on the summer fallow.
"I succeeded in securing promise
from some of the leading farmers I
commence to summer fallow thei
land as soon as the first rain come
in the fall, instead of in the spring
and that way conserve the moisture
the farmers agreeing to plow the Ian
eight iaches deep instead of four in
ches. Further experiments will b
made next season on the summer fal
low, as Mr.. Miller is desirous of havin
something grown where at presen
nothing is grown on the summer fal
low"