The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-04-23
Continued from yesterday

There is quite as large a range or
adaptation, amelioration inc breeding
with dry farming crops as with those
grown under humid conditions. The
necessity for such effort is far more
urgent, and the reward quite as prom
isi1g.
Crops must be selected or develop
ed that will fit the environments, and
there seems to be quite as large a
field for investigation in the improve
ment and development of crops suited
to the various conditions in the dry
farming sections as in the improve
ment of methods of handling the soil
In other words the pedigree of the
seed is quite as important as the cul-
tural methods. Neither should be neg
lected. Certain machines are design
ed for certain kinds of work. Certain
breedS of animals are selected for
special results. No one would think
of trying to harvest wheat with a
threshing machine. No one would for
a think of placing a thorough
bred Hereford COW in tSe city dairy.
So VIZ must select kinds and classes
of seeds for Dur particular purposes.
If the rainy season is short, early ma
u IIS SlopS US oC1CSIOu,
having a short period of growth;
If the rainy season is preceded by a
rather long period when the moisture
content of the soil is rather low in
spite of the means employed to in
crease it, then crops should be chosen
that will make the necessary early
growth with a minimum amount of
moisture and later be pushed forward
to rapid maturity when the rainy sea-
son sets in. Still other crops or
strains of seed must be selected wher-
" the moisture content of h soil
is ample throughout the growing sea
son. Under such a condition it would
be quite useless to grow crops bred
for and adapted to a very short sea
sons growth. h dry farmer must
not neglect the cultural methods, but
he must not be lee to the idea that
the way in which the soil is handled
is the only essential. The kind of
crop and the class or strain of seed
used are, factors which ultimately
will nave much to do with the result.
1t has been demonstrated by repeat
ed experiments that crops can within
certain limits be adapted to new and
different environments. Aquatic
plants in time have adapted themselv-
es to and become dry land plants.
oO ", tpldILS IHdl IOI CShIuIi0S nave
grown in conditions of abundance of
moisture, have gradually become ad-
apted to conditions where there was
very decidedly less moisture. This
very wise provision of nature supplies
the means whereby man is able to
transport and adapt crops to new and
heretofore untried conditions. He is
only barred in his progress by the linn
itations nature has set.
There is little doubt but that strains
of seed Of certain crops which have
been successfully grown for Years un-
der trying semi-arid conditions will
be in great demand. AS a result of
his demand we may reasonably ex-
pect pedigreed dry farm crops to ap-
pear and they will fill an important
want.
To give a list of crops suited to dry
farming for all sections and condi-
lions is practically impossible. Crops
that are well suited to a certain class
of conditions would be wholly insult
ed to another. Therefore. the follow
as Suggestive:
1. CereaIs.-Wheat stands at the
head among the cereal crops for dry
farming areas n it probably stands
at the head of all crops for this pur-
pose when everything is considered
ad~aptability to dry farming conditions
cost of production profits, etc. There
are certain classes of wheats that do
best under drouthy conditions. The
durum or macaroni wheats to
do exceedingly we'll when compared
with other classes, yet there are varie-
ties among other classes which also
do well OF dry farms. Spelt, oats,
rye and barley are all used on occa-
sion. Barley is probably the poorest
crop mentioned because it is compare
lively a shallow rooted crop and for
this reason, likely to prove less valua
BILE than a crop which forages nor
deeply for its food. For methods of
seeding see Fall Seedlings of Cereals
2. Sorghum.-Botn Sacchari1e and
non~-saccharine sorghums are grown.
Fodder cane, kafir corn, Jerusalem
or and ioura belong in this class
They should be sOwn for hay with a
hoe drill or planted with a corn plant
er and cultivated. The sorghums
may be double rowed. l. e., planted in
grounps of two rows bou eight inch
es apart and cultivated.
5. Miilets-Among the millets are
found some of the most paying dry
farm crops. Some of them grow and
mature with a remarkably small
amount of moisture present ia the soil
and at the same time the period of
growth is very short.
4. Legum es.-There are a few leg
umes that have shown value as dry
farm crops. Peas, beans and alfalfa
are the most promising although in
order to secure a stand of alfalfa it
will very probably require summer
following one yea in order to ccumu
late suficie1t moisture to insure per
feet germi1ation. After a stand is
secured alfalfa has given good results
in some sections The alfalfa should
be sown with the hoe drill and rath-
er deeply for such small seed.
S. Observation-Disclosures vegetables
form an Important group. They add
-~&1- - hrunfoouu table SIM