Gilpin observer., 1905-07-27
THE CAMPBELL SYSTEM OF FARMING
), ON ARID LANDS WITHOUT IRRIGATION


from thirty-eight acres of ground.
with sixteen inches of rainfall, while
the crops on the neighboring farms did
not amount to anything"
How do you do it?"
"By storing the rainfall in the SOILS"
answered Mr.. Campbell; "by keeping
the surface Of the ground always loose,
which stops evaporation. 1t is impos-
sible for moisture to rise to the surface
through loose soil, and that leaves the
ground in the best condition to receive
the net rainfall. Thus you can make
fourteen inches of rain go as far as
twenty-five or thirty inches in raising
all kinds of crops or plants or trees.
We do not lose any of the rain-we
have the full benefit of it. We keep
it stored where the roots of the plants
can reach 1t when they need It,"
"How do you accomplish this?"
"By stirring up the soil with a re-
volving disk and then going over 1t
again and filing up the furrow. We
call this 'double-disking.' 1t pulverizes
the soil and levels it Off We keep
going over 1t again and again, begin
ming early in the spring and continu-
ing until the last of June or the first
part of July. After every rain we stir
up the soil, either with disk or an
Acme harrow. Finally we plow seven
inches deep in the ordinary way and
follow the plow with a subsurface
packer-a machine which makes a
compact. solid bottom, four inches
from the surface, under the loose SOIL
Then we go over it again with the
soil loose and pulverized. After work.
ing the soil for year in this way, by
what we call summer tilling,' we put
in our wheat, either in the fall or in
the spring, as is usual The first year
we do not put in any seed. We simply
keep stirring up the soil so that 1t will
| remain lose and pulverized, and after
one year of this sort of cultivation
three crops can be grown in succession
without renewing the tilling. In
| some cases 1t is better to till every
other year and raise a crop alternate
years.
"If crops are planted every year the
| reaper must be Immediately followed
by the pillow and the stubble immedi-
| ately turned under and the soil disk
and harrow kept at work all winter II
| 1t is spring wheat, or from the June
harvest to the September planting If
| winter wheat. The same rule must be
| applied to all the other kinds OF
| crops.
ITO repeat: 1t is simply a question
of the thorough working of the soil.
as have described. That is more i'm
portant than the rainfall. No man can
expect crop who. simply turns under
the sod and scatters his seed and hauls
harrow carelessly over the field.
Labor and pains are necessary to pro-
| &c
farming or making furniture or pub
fishing newspaper.
Certain scientific phenomena must
be observed also. l cannot tell you
why. but after certain amount of rain
has fallen and penetrated a certain
distance into the soil, each particle OF
earth absorbs its share of the water
until the entire rainfall has been abb
sorbed. II we can hold this water in
this soil during the summer season a
chemical action will follow which pro
duces nitrates and generates bacteria,
or nitrogen, in the SOIL The theory ia
that the bacteria are latent or con-
cealed in the soil and can only be de-
veoped by moisture and cultivation" !"
Il have reached point where am
certain Of the principles and the re-
| suits. l am satisfied that can grow
as good crops in the foothills of the
Rocky mountains as ON the prairies Of
| Illinois. On this farm we have had
unprecedented crops in a land where
| failure is more certain than success.
We have demonstrated that all kinds
of botanical plants. grains. fruits and
berries can be grown in this semi-arid
region, without irrigation, with only a
moderate increase of expense. We have
organized company and have secured
300 900 acres in the Panhandle Of
Texas, and 10000 acres in eastern Colo
RADIO, which we propose to cut up into
| small farms and sell to those who are
willing to cultivate them by this sys-
TEN. The Denver Post is planning a
| model farm; there is another at Chey-
enne Wells. belonging to the Kansas
| Pacific Railway: another at Otis, sup
ported by the Burlington Road, and
| also at Holdridge, Nebraska. belonging
to George w. Holdridge. the general
manager of the Burlington, who has
| stayed with me from the beginning. He
has been my best friend and my most
| loyal supporter. But for his encour-
agement would have given 1t UP long
ago."
Il am not opposed to irrigation" !"
said Mr.. Campbell. in conclusion. But
regard 1t as unnecessary wherever
there is a rainfall of not less than
fourteen inches. And IL we could have
one per cent. of the fund that is now
being expended in irrigation plants
by the government. to teach the people
how to get along without water in a
semi-arid region, we could have so
many more happy homes and SO much
more wealth In this country"
The Pomeroy farm certainly proves
the truth of Mr.. Campbell's theories.
or else he Is wizard. There Is no
water upon 1t. except one well for do
nestle purposes. and last year there
was only about fifteen inches OF rain
fall. This year there has been little
more-perhaps eighteen inches. And
there is no more beautiful farm in the