Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-03-20
TRY MODEL FARMING
IN SEMI.ARID SOUTHWEST
Campbell System" sveeessfui In
Extreme Drouth.
tchiiicothe,ili, Bulletin

Wantland. Texas, Mar. ii. O1.
To In Sale Prairie Farmers:
In my travels, heretofore ] have
seen some crops raised that thought
might he Of some profit to you. but on
this way out In the semi.arid south
west I have run onto some informa'
ton that / feel certain will prove Of
great benefit AMI well worth a trial.
My information comes from Mr.. w.
II. Campbell who Is directing a mo
del farm" at Wantiand In the inte'
rests Of the Santa Fe. Mr.. c. Is
probably a. high nm authority on crop
raising as We have In this country.
and his iabors In directing" model
farms have taken him into all sec
ton OF our western and northwestern
states east OF tho Rocky mountains.
These farms are treated by the
Campbell System" which. briefly.
means:
ist-Preparing the ground TO take
In the rains.
bookkeeping II in shape to retain
moisture and deliver ID to the crop az
required. ever to the extent OF over
coming the effects Of an extreme
drouth. The implements required
are: an ordinary pillow, II inch disk
pulverizer. ordinary harrow. sub sur
face packer.
Mr., c. proves that Il II inch disk Is
superior 10 a disk OF larger size-that
The will not allow a 2o-inch disk on
farms under his direction: the two
row c%u!tivator Is necessary to enable
the work to be done quickly at the
right time. The sub-surface packer
Is made by the Ideal Farm Implement
Co. at Knowlton, Ia. and resembles
a disk pulveriEer excepting that its
cast iron wheels are shaped to pack
the subsoii and not materially dis
turb the surface. and Ia not an ex
pensive implement. The one-horse
c%ultivator Is for use In event Of rains
after corn IL too high TO cultivate In
usual way. The Acme harrow Is not
an absolute necessity but In superior
to the ordinary harrow for certain
work.
The Campbell system Is as follows:
Corn: AS soon as the frost Is on,
double disk the ground by tapping
disk half way: between disking ant
blowing keep surface fine and mellow
by narrowing after rains. Plow 7 t
s inches deep following each hal
days blowing with the sub-surfac.
packer and follow the packer will
the Acme harrow before leaving tn,
field for the night. Plant with checl
rover, . kernels preferred. Keep
or ; inches Of dirt OF surface in thu
form of a fine, loose blanket" owe
NHC Fit'IbF SCdSbU uStiA% Hal wv tllIi
corn Is too high and cultivator after
wards. Keep acquainted with yyOu
field and allow no crust to form eth
er on the surface or on top of tn,
packed subsoil below the blanket.
This under crust will not happen ex
cept in long continued extreme hea
without rains.
Mr.. c. says In an instance Of near
ly 100 days with extreme heat ant
no rain at a time when his teams
were busy harvesting, he allowed hi
orchard TO remain uncultiyated fo'
nearly three weeks and noticed tn,
leaves OF the trees were losing theiI
color. investigation revealed the fac
that an under crust had formed ar,
he Immediately disked the remainder
with excellent results. With frequen'
stirring Of the blanket during DIR,
times this under crust Is. prevented
Any crust. whether on top or under
meath, greatly increases the loss o
moisture by evaporation, hence fire.
quent stirring is desirable.
From the foregoing we learn thai
Mr.. c. first thoroughly pu'verizes the
surface and keeps 1t so until II |:
plowed under and uses his Acme har
row on the soil turned up, being par