The Elbert County tribune., 1906-02-08
THE FARM AND RANGE
Dry Farming in Colorado,

Much has been truthfully said in Ia
vor of the Campbell process of tillage
and soil manipulation as a method to
conserve the moisture and thus pro-
duce profitable crops is semiarid and
even in arid districts. Much also may
be said in approval of seed selection
and the adaptation of species to arid
conditions. But we should bear in
mind that when all is said and when
all due acknowledgements are made,
the fact remains that we must look TO
localities where irrigation is practica-
BILE for the greatest successes in Colo
RADIO agriculture.
We have seasons of great precipita-
tion and seasons when the rainfall is
small The climate Is not changing.
The weather bureau records show that
for more than thirty years there mas
been this swing from extreme aridity.
to unusual moisture. Last year was
one of great precipitation. AT the
Denver station from March 1st to May
LIST it was four inches more than nor
NAL After May 1st the precipitation
was slightly below normal at this sta
tion. Nevertheless for the whole time
from March list to August 1st it was
drought.
To reckon with security upon doing
anything without irrigation in this
state we must base our calculations
not upon the precipitation of normal
or average years, but upon that of alb
normally dry years. If the method EN-
ployed fails when the moisture is less
than that of normal or average year,
success can be counted on in only half
the total number of years, and 1t may
be questioned II success of that kind is
worthy the name. We must, therefore,
base our calculations on abnormally
dry seasons. If we would build rational
and stable hopes of success in farming
without irrigation.
Last year having been unusually
wet during the growing season from
March LIST to August list, 1t is not safe
to build hopes exclusively on what
was achieved then. In numerous places
crops were grown successfully without
irrigation and without the use of
either the Campbell process or accli-
matized seed. No special process of
any kind was needed in the localities
in question. Were all our seasons like
that of 1905, we should not be COM
PEELED to call this an arid region.
Crops would be grown successfully
every year without irrigation. In 1884
and 1885 we had similar seasons of
rainfall. Thousands of people settled
on the plains in the eastern part of the
state, believing that the "rainbelt' had
moved westward. In few years there
after many of them had moved away
and some were asking help from Den
YER
Eet us start right, therefore. Let us
calculate from sound basis, for then
there need be no mistake and no af-
termath of disappointment. Starting
this way, II is safe to say that by care
full, thorough, intelligent employment
of the Campbell process success may
be achieved on the plains in the east
ern part of this state in more than half
the years. 1t might fail in excessively
dry years, but probably the failures
would be no more numerous than
those occurring from one cause or an
other in the recognized farming states
of the central West But let no one
make the mistake of thinking that
success can be achieved by slip-shod
method of employing the Campbell
process. Mr.. Campbell will insist, and
be right III doing SO. that his process
or system is not to be measured or
judged by results when his instruc-
tions are not followed To call a
method of tillage the Campbell sys-
TEN does not make it so.
Success depends, then, upon the hon
est, thorough use of the Campbell sys-
TEN, and every man seeking to estab-
lish a home on the plains far away
from practicable irrigation should take
account of this proposition. He should
| understand the Campbell system, and
then he should be prepared to follow
Mr.. Campbell's instructions. He will
have no right to complain, If, refusing
to do this, he fails to secure profit
able harvest. Probably many people,
willing to take chances, will venture to
farm without irrigation and without
close adherence to the Campbell pro-
cess. Failing, they will denounce the
country and also the Campbell sys-
TEN, although neither the country nor
the method advocated by Mr.. Campbell
will .Se at fault.-Denver Republican.