Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-02-22

day who. while acknowledging that
the Campbell system is good thing.
limit II in its application to the semi.
arid regions OF the country. As n
matter of fact. the Campbell system
Is n scientific method of soil culture
and scientific soil culture means mere
ly the making of every hours work
count at harvest time. II means the
conservation Of water. II means thor
ough cultivation of the soil. and 1t ls
Just as applicable 10 the Colorado
farmer VINO tills his crops with irri
cation as to the homesteadcr on the
more arid sections further east. II
can be used Just as well by the man
who owns land In the rain belt OF
Iowa as by the droueht-caten ranch
man on the red hot plains OF Arizona
II Is n system of getting results, es
pecially useful In that section which
lies west of the l0Gth meridian. but
applicable anywhere and valuable ey.
erywhere.
Now the principles OF CamDbellIsm.
as | choose to call II, for want OF a
better name, are two-the imponnd
ing of water and the retention and
right use of the water impounded
When rain falls on crusted soil, soil
which in these western counties Is ab
solutely dry. dryer In fact than the
dryest sermon you ever listened to,
what becomes OF It? The larger part
runs OFF through gnllics and arroyas
into the rivers and creeks of the dis.
trict, and Is gone. Another part col.
iects In small standing pools on the
surface of the ground only TO be pre-
sently evaporated by the sun and his
helpers, the warm winds. A third
part, and a very small part at that,
succeeds In working its way down
through the hard crusted soil. and is
held for little while; but presently
that. also. is evaporated. stolen away
by eager wind ana sunshine.
Now suppose you break up the hard
surface OF this ground, and allow IT
TO lie rough when the rain comes
The soil Is loose and porous. and In
stead of running on the rain soaks
and is practically all held for future
use.
So we have our water bottled. But
the cork IL not In. In other words
we must find some method by which
we can keep indefinitely in the soil
this water we have caught. Again
the Campbell system has solved the
problem. You must kill the force
called caDillarity. for 1t is only
through that force that ths water in
the soil is brought sufficiently close
to the surface to come under the In.
fiuence of sun and wind. It is the
same force working in the soil that.
transferred to the lamp wick. brings
the oil from the bottom of the lamp
to the flame above, the same force
which marches water so rapidly up a
lump OF sugar when yon hold the
lower edge Of the lump In water.
Break these capillary tubes and
you prevent the upward march OF
water in the soil. Under the Camp
| bell system this is done by keeping
the surface of the soil stirred up, by
maintaining In other words, soil
mulch In the shape OF a light. loose
top covering for the seed bed This
top covering not only prevents eyap
Grafton by destroying the capillary
tubes, but 1t also aids in the same
direction by shelterlng the moist sub
soil from the warm rays OF that in
veterate thief, the sun.
Thorough cultivation is the keynote
OF the Campbell system. Double-dis,
your land, letting the disc lap half