The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-12
YEARS RAINFALL
STORED IN SOIL
CAMPBELL SYSTEM OF FARMING
BEATS IRRIGATION.

II. w. CaIupDcll OF A1uCO1u, NoU., Do-
clares It Is Only Question Of Time
and Application Before There VIII
Be No Arid Belt in the United States.
cit is only question of time ana
application before there will be no arid
belt in the United States. What is
now known as the arid district of the
Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Colo.
RADIO can be made to bloom and yield
rich returns said H. w. Campbell
of Lincoln, Neb., yesterday at the West
hotel. Mr.. Campbell is one of the best
known agricultural authorities in Amer
lea. He is honorary president OF the
Campbell System Farming association
of Denver, Col, and is the originator
of the system from which the associa-
! ton takes its name.
Briefly speaking, Mr.. Campbell 8
system, which is already well known
and extensively practiced in the west,
is a. substitute for irrigation. Any land
which can be made to yield with lrrl-
! cation can be made to produce the same
or better results by the Campbell sys-
tenn with less loss to the land. The
secret of the system is in the, work
ing of the land and in properly pre-
! pairing III IOl SSculuS duN
No Crop First Year.
In preparing land for planting by
the Campbell system, no crop is put In
the first year. The ground is carefully
worked and cultivated, the object being
to open it up that it may retain the
total rainfall Of the year. In the So
called arid belt the average rainfall
from year to year is very even, and as
rule 80 per cent Of the annual pre-
cipitation falls during the growing sea-
SON. AS the land is opened and pre-
pared, every drop of rain that tails
gradually works into the soil, which is
again worked to prevent evaporation
and to prepare it for other rains. In
this way a whole year s rainfall Is
! stored in the ground the soil being
thoroly soaked to a depth of two feet:
The next year crop is put IN. In
addition to the rainfall of the season
it has also the stored rainfall Of the
previous season to draw upon, and IS
therefore, not dependent on the cur
ture is drawn to the growing crop, BY
the deep-reaching roots of the PLAN
and by capillary action OF the SOL
J itself.
Not an Experiment.
} Mr.. Campbell s system has been car
, ried far beyond the experimental stage
T Tho not as well known in Minnesots
? and the northern tie rof states, i
| is a recognized hope Of the arid &c
3 gions and has been investigated AM
: recognized by the railroads. Five year
| ago there were less than 1000 acre
I being cultivated by the system; toda..
g there are over 10000 acres. Its us
e is not restricted to grain and annua
l,,4 hoo writ
Y beneficial results in tree and orchar
c growing.
e The first extensive experiments Wer
J. conducted by Mr.. Camp bell along tn
: lines of the 500, Great Northern an
: Northern Pacific railroads in 1885,
e It was then carried into Nebraska an
), the southwest. The originator of tn
cessful work thru the assistance Of J
P. Pomery, who established the Pom
q cry = farm at Hill. City. Kansas, an
= made it an experiment station. In tn
: five years this farm has been worke
y by the Campbell system the farm ha
" produced an average yield ,rangin
= ;, from forty to fifty seven bushels to th
. . in the territory Immediately surround
i ing the farm on all four sides was
total failure. Other model farms ar
y operating under the system in the ari
7, belt, and are producing wonderfl
L! crops when the land about them is pro
IL ducing nothing but cactus, or If cult
y waited, only small crop. @ ~ - II -.
- Interesting Railroads.
n Mr.. Campbell and John Z. Donahu
e Of Denver, active president Of tn
# Campbell system association, have bee
<; in Minnea polls and Chicago bringin
it the attention Of other railroads reac]
vt ing the arid belt, to the possibilities {
y the system. The Denver company wi
in as experiments. Where success flo
e. lows, the land will be opened to Sc
n. tiers to be cultivated by the syste1
If The Rock Island, Burlington, Unic
Il Pacific and Santa Fe roads are alread
q working on the system thru their lar
o. departments. A magazine devoted
Is books prepared by MI. Campbell al
~, 70 introduced into the agricultural schoo
IL of the west and central states, as we
% as in those of the arid belt.
u ~ The system is recognized by tt
10 as national bureau, of agriculture and a q;
90 ricultural authorities fhr1out t
@ United States. During July George
Curt1ss Of the Chicagoc Record, Hera
belt studying the situation and pain
m ing in most glowing terms the wonde
full results accomplished by the Cam
bell system. The mo- del farms in i
g. middle Of the dry, dusty, barren, cact
X deserts are veritable GASES, yieldil
W wonderful harvests to their owne1
We The great advantage Of the system ov
" irrigation is it's cheapness. No expe
90 sive cutting ae Necessary no isr it ne
essary to bring water many. miles
- expensive fumes. In addition it
= better for the land as it does not wa
I out or soak out it's valuable elemen
! Above all, land can be cultivated a
y expense than by the ordinary old-fas
! ioped methods, and is sure of a retu7
! whereas there is often total loss a
| failure by the other method. A.
! Posings for holiday PhotograL