Cañon City record., 1906-02-01
why NOT TRY THE
CAMPBELL SYSTEM {?

why don the people OF this county
try the Campbell System?
There are many places where crops
are raised in the county without irri-
cation. These are usually along the
line of dry streams. There are many
parts in the county somewhat higher
than Canon where more rain falls.
where the Campbell System ought to
work successfully. Fairly good crops
have been raised in some of these
places already.
The Record would like to know of
those in the county who have raised
crops without irrigation and of those
who have tried the Campbell System.
The following article on the Camp
bell System was prepared by J. L.
Donahue. president Of the Campbell
System Farming Association, for pub
lication in the Commercial Tribune:
There are a great many people who
are ready to sum up in a few words
exactly what constitutes the Campbell
System. Most Of these people have
never had any experience In the prac-
tice of 1t and few OF them have ever
read what Mr.. Campbell himself has
Campbell considers his system to con-
sist Of is told by him in his Soil Gull
ture Manual. However. Mr.. Campbell
himself will tell any person who talks
to him that It IL impossible to tell In
words exactly what the system is.
He has laid down no hard and fast
rules that must never be deviated
from. The judgment OF the farmer
practicing the principles which Mr..
Campbell has discovered, is of as
much Importance as any one factor
ever is in the carrying into effect OF
any system.
There are, though. some general
rules laid down by Mr.. Campbell
which should be followed very nearly
to the letter. -
This should be plowed in the spring
as early as possible from two TO three
inches deep. This should. be done
with mould board plow--never with
disc plow. The plow should be fol-
lowed by roller. Then the ground
should be narrowed carefully to create
mulch This mulch serves q two
fold purpose: II prevents the moisture
below from escaping. in large measure
and II keeps the surface open and soft
80 new rains can readily enter the
soil.
During the following months. after
each rain, the ground should he gone
over with harrow. Not only Is this
necessary to keep the mulch renewed.
but It is just as essential to keep
weeds from growing. At any time
that weeds begin to show they should
be destroyed by the harrow. Never
under any circumstances permit the
weeds to get started Weeds take
more good from the soil than they
ever return to 1t In the way of humus.
Many people have an idea that weeds
are good to plow under. Mr.. Camp
bell does not believe this.
In July the ground should be plowed
again This time from Ave to seven
inches deep. The plow should be fol-
lowed by the sub-surface packer. This
packing should always be done during
the same half day that the plowing is
done. And during the same day all
the ground that has been plowed and
packed should be narrowed. After
each rain as before, the ground should
be gone over with a harrow to pre-
serve the mulch. II winter wheat is
to be sown. 1t should be put in be-
fore September Is. Not more than
one-half bushel of seed should be used
per acreif the seed bed Is in good con-
dition. Too much seed is sown by
most farmers. In the spring the
ground should be narrowed after each
rain until the wheat is four inches
high. or course a few roots will be
pulled up, but the good done by keep