Gilpin observer., 1905-08-24
METHODS OF DRY FARMING
BY The CAMPBELL SYSTEM

Begin, as we said before, double disk.
ing in the spring: stir up the soil with
a revolving disk and then go over 1t
again and fill up the furrow. Go over
1t again and again, beginning early in
the spring and continuing until the
last Of June or first of July. After
every rain go over the ground with an
Acme harrow. Then plow seven
inches deep in the ordinary way and
then go over the ground with sub-sur-
face packer, which makes a compact
bottom. Then follow with the Acme
harrow again. After working the soil
in this way for year, put in your
wheat either in the fall or the spring
as Is usual. The first year we do not
put in any seed. Just keep the soil
loose and after it has been culti-
waited in this way for a year three
crops can be raised one after another.
Now / want to come to the physi-
cal condition of the ground when the
work Is done. You have little idea
of what a radical difference there may
be in the possible results of field
by little change in the condition OF
that ground SO far as moisture Is con-
cerned.
ITO illustrate: Last year farmer
raised very fine crop of wheat and
disked his ground Immediately after
cutting; in fact, he followed the har-
vester and after the threshing was
done right away he started in to plow-
ing a strip about seven rods wide
around 40-acre field; then for some
reason he quit. and 1t was over
month before any further work was
done.
During that time very little rain
had fallen. 1t was hot and dry. An
enormous growth Of weeds came up
there. Evaporation, together with
what moisture had been taken out by
the weeds, had nearly dried the
ground. He went in and plowed 1t, and
that strip produced two and one-half
times as much wheat as the center
did.
There are so many details that It
is utterly impossible for me to think
of them all; and it may be that some oi
you are personally interested and j
would like to have you ask any ques.
tions you think of:
Q-What is the best time to SOW fall
wheat?
A.-From the 1st to 10th Of Septem
ber. The condition of your ground has
a great deal to do with this. / am as.
suming that you have got your ground
in good shape.
Q.-What time would you break sod
for putting in fall wheat?
A.-Hhen / came from the Dakotaa
down here l was thoroughly convinced
that the only time proper for breaking
of the sod was when the grass was
growing fastest which would probably
be the latter part of May or first part
Of June; but down here where the sod
doesn't seem to be quite as dense, and
after experimenting further, l have
come to the conclusion that the earlier
you break the sod the better in antict
patton OF saving all the water that
comes early in the spring.
Q.-Do you recommend plowing over
five inches deep?
A-F'rom two and one-haf to five
inches.
Q.-Where does the packer come ini
A.-After plowing.
Q.-How often do you harrow this;
A.-As often as the rain is heavy
enough so as to crust it over; 1t is not
as important that you harrow as Otter
as in old ground. as the sod itself ID
really the blanket.
Q.-Now in rolling, is there a special
roller?
A.-No, just the ordinary roller You
might think it would put you to toe
much expense to buy roller to roll
the ground, but 1t is my opinion II
will pay for itself in forty acres.
Q.-Then after you have rolled and
narrowed it, you don't do anything
more to it unless you should have a
heavy rain?
A-No. We plow again in June or
first part of July.
Q.-After the second plowing IN
June or July then do you follow that
with packer. then Acme harrow; then
do you do anything further with that
before seeding time?
A.-Not unless we get rain.
Q.-What kind of a drill do you use?
Al think favor the closed heel
shoe drill.
Q.-Where is the Pomeroy farm and
how many acres has it?
A.-The Pomeroy farm is one Of 240
acres, near Holdrege. Nebraska, Mr.
Pomeroy employed me to lay out q
model farm here.
Q.-Where is your Burlington farmi
A.-On the Burlington road, in Ne.
braska. have been conducting ex.
perimental farms there for several
years. Some of the farmers there
have entered into this plan. but do not
want to give it the attention and pa.
tience it requires. One man at Tren.
ton, Nebraska, harvested forty-ons
bushels Of fifty-nine-pound wheat by
this system, while most OF the other
farmers there did not get more than
ten bushels to the acre.
Q.-What plow do you recommend
for this dry farming?
Al consider the mold-board plow
a good one.
Q.-Couid you tell me the cause OF
the worm destroying crops here?