The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-11-29

small for successful farming opera
tions, and during the season in which
the land is fallowed the surface mus,
be kept in a loose condition to retain
the moisture that may have been alb
sorbed by the soil-thus storing it for
the crop to be grown the following
year.
That crops can be raised by this
dry farming system has been demon
strated BY the experiments already
made, but the question Of cost of pro-
duction is a matter upon which the
agricultural experts have omitted to
give any information. This feature
of the subject is discussed by a CORE.
spondeut of the Globe-D Democrat who
writes from Abilene, Kas., to this eff
feet:
"Dry farming: There's nothing in
1t a. a business proposition" said c..
T. Henry, the former wheat king of
Kansas, now Of Denver, while here
recently. SIT is q fine idea for adver-
Using, and sounds attractive, but it
will not work out. Dry farming Is all
right in years when there is plenty Of
moisture, such as we have been having
In the past half decade, but in the dry
years it will fail, as does any other
system except that Of irrigation. 1t
is a delusive theory In many respects.
ut is true that larger crops have
been raised by means of what is known
as the dry farming or Campbell sys.
tenn, but it must be remembered that
they were raised at an extra expense.
One might raise oranges in Kansas,
but it would not be a profitable bust.
ness, because the expense would be
enormous. So with cultiv alton every
few days during the summer and
ground lying fallow every other year
it will undoubtedly raise better crops
than by ordinary tillage, but it will
be at a much increased ratio of ex.
pense.
1.-The enthusiasts who preach dry
farming convict themselves in this:
If crops a be raised that will give a
return of $40 to $15 an acre each year
at an expense of 81 or IS, and on west.
ern land costing only 81 or s. an acre,
the possibilities of great riches are
enormous. The promoters ought to
be buying land instead of selling it.
1t would be but q matter of q short
time when they would be millionaires.
~ farmed in Kansas too long not
to know what the state can do. When
l raised big wheat crops in the middle
70's it looked as if it could always be
done; but there came q whole decade
when we had only about half enough
rain, and stirring the ground every day
would not have made it moist. l have
seen many q field In eastern Colorado
and western Kansas where the ground
was SO dry that seed did not sprout
for months. How could one conserve
moisture when no rain fell? An old.
fashioned dry year will tell the story.
"The dry farming discussion and
advocacy does do this, however. 1t
induces better farming and mor care.
full tillage. On the high plains region
there has been much slip.shod farm.
ing, putting in seed without blowing
and trusting to luck and the weather.
The preaching OF the dry farming ad-
vocates is inducing deep blowing and
frequent cultiv alton, and to that ex-
tent 10 bringing about a better agri.
culture. 1t means that the plains re.
gion will get out OF the climate and
soil all that Is possible, which is all
that should be expected. 1t is not
possible to make over the climate
merely by an extra narrowing of the
plOwed fields"