Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-02-22
TWENTY YEARS
OF cAMPsELLIsM
One Mans Experience on the Plains
Of Eastern Colorado.
(By E. X. Parsons.)

to be recognized as an important fac
tor in the development of the great
West. | have attended many farm
ers' meetings but | never heard the
delegates talk about dry farming. Ev-
erybody seemed to have water on the
brain.
Personally | have never been inter
ested in water except as II falls from
The clouds. | have been thoroughly
convinced for nearly twenty years
that with the proper methods aud the
intelligent application of those meth
ods we can raise in Colorado without
irrigation any crop that the gentlemen
OF the ditch can raise with irrigation
and in most cases at less cost.
The progress of dry farming has
been slow, but like every movement
of importance this world has ever
seen. it is sure, and its future is
foregone conclusion.
For years the dry land farmer has
been ignored by the farm papers and
looked upon by the man with the
ditch as a kind of harmless lunatic.
But when the last ditch has been built
and the last drop of irrigation water
appropriated there will always remain
an enormous area, which, through the
efforts of the dry land farmer alone.
can and will become the greatest
asset of the state
African Methods for Colorado.
The first ranch | ever owned was
on the east coast of South Africa,
There we raised all kinds of crops on
rainfall of twenty inches per year.
Some of the finest orange ranches
and vineyards in the world are 10 be
found In the neighborhood OF Cape
Town on rainfall of fourteen or
fifteen inches and the growers there
are well able to compete with the
wine producers of California.
came TO Denver In 1880 and event.
ually settled ON my present ranch
near Parker, Colo, in 1886, with the
Idea of raising stock and perhaps
enough feed to carry my cattle
through the winter. Ny neighbors
came around as usual and began to
give me advice. always listen to
my neighbors, for | have never yet
round the man from whom | could
not learn something. These neigh.
bors were mostly weak on agricul.
ture and strong on stock. One said.
You can raise nothing here but fod-
der and pretty poor stun at that"
Another said. This country is fit
pnifhap
fool or | wouldn't stay here" This
man put In most of his time playing
high five. Another neighbor offered
to eat all the oats could raise. For
tunately for himself, he backed out
of his bargain. Still later, when |
started to raise alfalfa, was given
up for lost
But what impressed me more than
the remarks of my neighbors was the
fact that huge healthy weeds and
sunflowers were growing all over the
place and it was only natural to AZ.
sumo that where weeds would grow
without cultivation, crops could be
made to grow with cultivation.
Three Cuttings Of Alfalfa.
The first spring on the ranch
planted corn and raised a quantity
of fodder. In the fail planted rye,
cutting about twenty tons the follow
ing June. | then commenced on al
falfa, putting In about twelve pounds
of seed 10 the acre. The second sea-
son | made a good cutting and then
continued planting until had about
thirty acres. | always believed in
good seed and plenty Of horse power.
plowed from nine inches to foot
in depth and narrowed the ground
finely on top before planting. | like
alfalfa for dry ranch because the
roots grow deep and do not depend
on the rain which falls today or yes
terday, but, like trees. may he living
on the moisture of year ago.
In three years some of tne alfalfa
roots planted nearest the gulch began
TO reach water at twelve feet and
some also got down into damp clay
on the side hills These patches
therceforth yielded three cuttings ev-
cry season.
In the meantime. while awaiting the
development OF the alfalfa. | raised
winter wheat. barley, spring wheat
and oats. Ny usual method for spring
grain was TO plOw in the fall as deep
yas possible. | always considered 1t
better policy to plow half an acre a
foot In depth each day than two acres
six inches. ! left the land rough
plowed in order 10 catch the SHOWS
all winter, then disced and harrow
ed II in the spring and cultivated the
grain in with corn cultivator.
After the alfalfa developed suffl-
ciently to supply my winters hay. |
turned my entire attention to the
question of grain and finally decided
on corn as the easiest and most eco
nomical to handle. reserving. how
ever three acres for wheat or barley
and using the products therefrom to
feed my chickens.
Good Yields Of Germ.
pillow for corn generally with
three heavy horses averaging from
/ 100 to 200 pounds and drive a
walking plow as deep as 1t will go.
This is generally from nine inches
to foot. plant the corn one grain