Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-05-03
HOW TO GROW CROPS
WITH LITTLE RAIN
Depa rtment of Agriculture Gives
Free Instructions on Dry
Land Farming.

Rogue River Valley needs irrigation
hut until that can be had much of tn,
land in this Valley can be made tC
produce very good crops by system
of conserving the natural moisture o.
the soil, that comes from the Winter
rains, through what is known a.
the dry land method of farming The
Department of Agriculture has fol-
several years past been giving much
attention to devising methods for sc
storing the rainfall in the soil that
crops may be grown in semi.srid sec.
tions. Those interested in this new
method of farming should address the
secretary of Agriculture at Washing
ton for copy of Farmers Bulletin
No. 266, on the management of soils.
1t is particularly designed for semi.
arid regious. Being a document of
80 pages, We cannot reproduce it, but
it is an exceedingly useful document,
which gives the philosophy of many
practices employed by the best
farmers who may never have read
anything on the subject and should
save those who have got some part Of
the art to learn great deal of very
costly experience. The object of titlh
is to conserve moisture in dry soils,
and get rid of the excess in those
which are too wet aud also to assure
the free admission of air to any depth
penetrated by roots, without leaving
large air spaces to promote evapora-
tion. This bulletin, however, devotes
most space to the management of soils
in countries of dry Summers and to
that form of agriculture known as
dry farming" The better the
farmer the more he will learn from
this bulletin. The problem of dry
farming is the storage of water in
the soil, and certain methods not
usually praotioed in humid districts
or on irrigated land have been found
by experience most expensive. 1t is
well to know them and the reasons for
them. The Summary at the end Of
the bulletin is as follows:
"A deep soil OF good, tilth will
absorb and hold for the use Of plants
large part of the rainfall. Such soil
is In good condition for the growth
of common crops.
Soils can be put in the best of
tilth. when in proper state Of moist
ure, by deep blowing. disking and
narrowing.
Evaporation from soils can be
lessened by covering them with
mulch. The best mulch and the only
practicable one on large scale is
soil mulch, This can be produced and
by surface cultivation. To
be most effective, the cultivation must
be repeated after rains that puddle
the surface soil To reduce the labor
of frequent cultivation, implements
that cover large surface may be EN-.
ployed.
In semi-srid regions special effort
should be made to utilize the rainfall.
The ground should be plowed soon
after the removal of a previous crop;
it should then be settled aud smoothed.
By frequent cultivation uf fallow
land moisture may be stored for
crop the next year. In this way crops
have been grown in semi-arid regions
once in two years when crops every
year on the same land have failed
In dry climates the corn crop sue
ceeds better when put in with the lis
ter. 1t roots deeper, stands up better
and the work in growing crop is
less than when planted in level
powed soil.
"Strains of plants that have
or been grown for many
years in dry climates should be Sc
ltCbtu lOT luc selul-allu ItElohnb anu
the rate OF seeding should not be
more than one.half that common IN
humid regions. Stronger, io,tc
rooted and more hardy plants viii
thus result. Organic matter should
be maintained in soils to improve
their physical condition. This icay
be accomplished by green manurinp.
and by the plowing in of mauure
straw, stalks and other vegetable Re
fuse.
"Leguminous crop, such as clover
alfalfa and cowpeas, used as green
manure. not only increase the humus
of soils, bot supply nitrogen from III,
air. This is the cheapest way Of
adding this important fertilizer in
gradiapt -.'--- --a.- 49, --ss.4- a--7' sa
hANN''A'' s-|H-H.as7-rH
Any one who proposes to begin
farming without irrigation in re-
pion Of ligh rainfall should. be
properly cautious. He should not be
misled by glowing accounts of large
crops he should inve.tiate carefully
the possibilities Of the particular
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