The state herald., 1907-03-08
peonle l;v;po in ,;,;os ho. MA

People living in cities hear very little
about any kind of farming and care less
Many living in Denver are under the
impression that dry farming started a
year or two ago with the publication of
the Campbell system, whereas nothing
could be more erroneous. There has
never been time in the history of Col
orado when successfuldry farmers could
not have been discovered, If the demand
had been Forthcoming. The system of
one man in all important points is the
system of all. for climatic conditions
drive us all into the same groove, and
an intelligent man naturally follows the
course Of least resistance.
The only difference can see between
our system in Colorado and that Of Mr..
Campbell in Nebraska, is that here we
plow deeper, since we have less precip.
itation, and il we go to Utah, where
the precipitation runs as low as 10 inch
es, Prof. Jardine will tell Us to plow
deeper yet.
Mr.. Elwood Mead made sevaral re-
markable statements without offering
any substantiations whatever. One Of
them was that the dry farm provides no
method Of protecting the orchard in
times Of drouth. He also made essen
tally the same remark about dry farm
crops.
We will take the trees first, as that
is the line Of work that ! have been Civ
hg my special attention to for the last
20 years, and have evolved system
gathered here, there, and everywhere.
modified by the climatic conditions pres
ent in this state, by which any intelli-
gent man may raise shade trees, forest
trees, or bearing orchard in any coun-
ty Of Colorado east or west Of the Rocky
mountains without drop Of irrigating
water.
In starting an orchard or plantation
Of trees we plow the ground at least
foot. subsoil another six inches. " you
can, but this is hardly necessary where
the precipitation is over Is inches.
Where this land is first plowedit is usu-
ally pretty dry. but after years sum
mer following in an ordinary season Of
l2 or IA inches precipitation, the ground
will be found soaked with moisture two
or three feet deep. from the top down.
This is simp y water bottled up by eul-
tiyation for future use.
After these two or three feet Of moist
earth have been secured you can plant
your trees with perfect safety, for II
takes whole year without single drop
Of rain to dry GU, one foot Of ground
properly cultivated. according to this
method, the cost Of which Is about one
tenth that Of irriga,ing' Therefore we
fully insure all our trees agains, years
drouth from the start, as woplant them
two feet deep To begin with. This 10
also part Of the system not to take any
chances.
Three years ago we made an addition
To the orchard Of 400 cherry treen. The
original 400 are nll alive today. except
three, and last year bon = gallon Of
cherries apiece. The three that died
represented the loss In transplanting.
In planting trees they should be given
more space than In the irrigated orch
ard. or larger area To exploit for. moist
urc. and every year. by carefully bot
tling the moisture m Il comes. you re-
ccivc more than the trees can uac up.
Therefore you arc pcrpctually gaining,
not losing. moisture. and the ground
will keep soaking up deeper and deeper
until after 10 or 10 years the trees be.
come large enough 10 absorb all that
comes and the precipitation and absorp.
ton balances. Then. " the trees show
signs Of depletion. they must be thin.
ned out, and Il becomes simply ques-
ton Of 20 much bearing wood TO the a..
ere Of precipitation.