The Elbert County tribune., 1906-02-15
ON DRY FARMING.
CAMPBELL SYSTEM is THE ONLY
APPROVED PROCESS.
EXPLANATION BY AN ADEPT
System Can Only Be Judged by Its
Scientific Application-Ordina
Methods Of Farming Afford
No Criterion.
(By ]. L. Donahue.)

of dry farming is to be determined by
how 1t will show up in years when pre-
cipitation is below normal, and you go
80 far as to declare that if it does not
stand the test in a dry season its eff
cheney is nil. In this much, of course,
you are correct: for system of agri-
culture, like any other system, must
hear the severest tests to which 1t
can be subjected, or it is unworthy
The attention of thinking men. l quote
as follows from your editorial:
"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
normal 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 it may
be questioned IL success of that kind is
worthy the name. We must, therefore,
base our calculations on abnormal dry
seasons, If we would build rational and
stable hopes of success in farming
without irrigation"
The above is, according to the writ
er's understanding of what the Camp
bell system claims to be, wholly irrele-
want to the subject under discussion.
The proposition which is always un-
derstood by the advocates of Mr..
Campbell's principles when the phrase
dry farming" is mentioned is this:
Crops can be grown successfully
where the average normal precipita-
tion Is at least twelve Inches and
where there is a good sandy loan sur
face and clay subsoil, providing pains
are taken to conserve the moisture in
the soil by the practice of scientific
methods of soil culture.
Now, proving the exact opposite OF
this proposition, every one will admit
does not diSprove the proposition IT.
self, or proving that certain other
things happen that have no connection
whatever with the question under dis
cussion has no bearing whatever on
scientific dry farming.
To be specific: If it can be shown
that certain farmers on the plains to
the east of this city in years when
the precipitation is below normal. by
the practice of ordinary methods of
farming get no crops, does that prove
anything either for or against dry
farming" as 1t is understood by those
of us who stand for the practice OF
scientific methods of soil culture?
Obviously your editorial was in
tended to call the attention to dry
farming of all those who are interested
the meeting of the Campbell System
Farming Association the day before
your editorial was written. If 1t was
SO intended, the substance of your ed
itorial is not germane. For those who
constitute the Campbell System Farm
ing Association and all who follow
Mr. Campbell's teachings insist that
our proposition be stated in exact
terms and proven or disproven on its
ftatxr mn
fair to a scientific agriculturist, like
Mr.. Campbell to say that dry farm
ing. (when every one knows that you
mean the Campbell system) is to be
measured by the success or failure or
those who practice farming on our
plains without irrigation by the most
ordinary methods employed by farm
ers in humid sections of our country
We are willing and anxious that the
Campbell system shall be subjected TO
the very severest tests. 1t will never
accomplish much toward reclaiming
the millions of unoccupied acres In the
eastern part of this state unless ii can
stand the test o. very dry seasons.
But let 1t be Understood that the ad-
yocates of the Campbell system prac-
tice the self-same scientific methods
of preparing the soil in a wet season.
as they do in dry season. And those
who do practice the methods outlined
by Mr.. Campbell will so well succeed
in conserving surplus of moisture IN
the soil in years of excessive precipita-
tion, that they will have abundant wa
ter under their fields to carry crops
safely to maturity in a season when
precipitation is below normal.
The Campbell system and dry
farming" are not synonymous phrases.
Dry farming" means nothing more or
less than producing crops without lrrl-
cation by ordinary methods of farm
ing. In some seasons, like the past
three, dry farming" will be success
anywhere in eastern Colorado.
1t is because we know this that the
Campbell System Farming Association
is in existence. We are unwilling 10
have as great publication as the Den
yer Republican discuss dry farming
and the Campbell system as II they
were one and the same thing, and to
say that the success or failure OF one
is the measure of the success or failure
of the other.
Our association purposes separating
the sheep from the goats. We VIII
give the stamp of our approval to
those who are practicing methods oil
soil culture and to them alone. When
dry seasons come we will demand that
the success of such as these be taken
as the test of the system and not the
failure of those who by slip-shod
methods produced abundant crops
when nature was kind TO them and
nothing when she frowned on them.
The Campbell system has already
been proven through a period of two
decades in different portions of the
semi-arid West. Very little indeed has
been done in eastern Colorado in the
,,actice of scientific soil culture: and