Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-04-28
Farmers Institute.


of Professor Ten Eyck of the State
Agricultural College in favor of a
County Farmers Institute. Though
only few attended it was voted on
motion to organize, and a constitution
and bylaws were adopted
The following officers were elected
for one year: President. E. d.
Wheeler. Wa-Keeney; secretary and
treasurer, A. Il. Greenwood, Wa
Keeney; vice presidents. lst district,
c. G. Yetter, Ogallah; End district,
III. Harlan, Wa-Keeney; 3rd district.
Frank Acre, Collyer.
Professor Err, of the State Bureau
of Animal Husbandry. gave an in
structive talk on dairying, the direct
profits and the indirect benefit to the
soil which he considers of great i'm
portance.
Professor Ten Eyck then gave a
talk on conservation of moisture, the
preparation of proper seed bed, the
care of the crop after planting with
intent of saving moisture and keep
ing the crop growing, which would be
of great help to the county if farmers
would. practice.
1t was unfortunate that so few were
there. Meeting adjourned subject to
the call of the president.
The following is Professor Ten
Eyck's talk:
THE CAMPBELL SYSTEM OF SOIL
CULTURE.
The Campbell system of culture is
theoretically correct, and in part or
in whole, it can be put into practice
profitably on almost every farm in
Western Kansas. The system is IN
tended to favor the conservation of
soil moisture, and is thus especially
adapted to regions where limited or
irregular rainfall makes the most
careful methods of soil culture neces-
Sary in order to conserve the water
in the SOIL and get the most use from
it in the production of crops
So far as cultivation is concerned
there are three principal steps in the
conservation of soil moisture. First,
the soil must be loosened to a consid-
cradle depth in order to prepare a
reservoir to receive the rain and car
ry the water downward into the soil.
This Is accomplished in the Campbell
system by the deep plowing or by the
disking of the unplowed lands.
Second, the water which is carried
downward into the sub-soil must be
brought back again into the surface
soil where the seed is terminating
and the young roots are growing, and
to accomplish this good connection
must be made between the furrow
slice and the sub-soil below, and this
is the purpose in the use of the sub
surface packer. Third, finally in Or
der that the water which is drawn up
again toward the surface may not
reach the air and be waisted by evap-
oration, the upper two to four inches
of the soil must be kept mellow, in
the form of a soil mulch, which is ac-
complished by frequent cultivation,
and is applicable not only to corn and
other crops ordinarily cultivated but
also to wheat and other small grain
crops.
Disking the land before plowing
puts the soil of the fNrrow slice in
better condition to reunite with the
sub-soil The smooth hard furrow
bottom left by the ordinary plow,
however, is unfavorable to the proper
union of the furrow slice with the
subsoil. To make the system perfect
/ would add one more operation,
namely; the bottom of the furrow
should be scraped or loosened so that
the union of the soil with the sub
soil may more quickly take place
again after plowing. The principles
stated above have been known and
practiced more or less for long time,
but n remained for w. H. Campbell,
of LTncoln, Nebraska, to arrange
these principles together into sys-
tenn of culture and put the system
into practice throughout the western
states. Mr.. Campbell has done more
to cali the attention of the farmers
of the west to the necessity and ad-
vantage OF good cultivation of the
soil than any other Investigator. The
Campbell system of culture is in fact
simply good tillage and good cultiva-
tion of the soil at the right time, in
the right way and in systematic
manner. Good farming pays in the
west as well as in the east I fully be-
l,eye in the practicability of thorough
tillage and good cultivation on every
farm. and in series of years will
leave our farms in a better state of