The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1907-05-23

the ufy farming cult, would no
doubt assume that the crust so
formed would act as protection
against the drawing" influence Of
the air and sunshine, and would
therefore prevent evaporation. The
reverse Is true, and herein is the key
that unlocks the secrets OF dry farm
ing, The crust so formed Is cellu-
lar, It Is full Of little holes through
which practically all OF the moisture
beneath passes out into the air,
In the arid and seml-arld West.
particularly in the rare atmosphere
OF the higher attitudes, the eyapora-
ton takes place so rapidly that the
residents Of those regions almost in
yarlably under estimate the annual
rainfall. The average altitude OF the
arid and semi-arid region is about
one mile above the seas level.
Since dry farming has been re-
duged to a science, 1t will not be
amlss to use scientific terms where
they elucidate rather than obscure
the subject. The process OF eyap-
grafton through the cellular crust
above referred to is the result OF
force known as capillarity, A IA
millar and effective example of cap
illary attraction Is that Of holding
the edge of lump OF sugar in water
and watching the moisture move
steadily toward the top. Or, a bet
ter example still, in which capillary
and evaporation are both illustrated,
is found In the lamp, the flame OF
which consumes the oil as fast as II
rises in the wick, through capillarlty
lust as the warm, dry air consumes
aiI the moisture in the ground by
means OF the cellular earth wick"
| wIt must be evident, then, that IL
provision is made by which the pre-
cipita,ion, which rapidly passes into
the soil, is prevented from passing
out by capillary attraction and eyap-
grafton, we are in a position to use
this moisture and produce a variety
of crops, It having been demonstrate
ed conclusively that agriculture can
be carried on successfully and prof
itably with a minimum OF twelve
inches OF precipitation, II all Is de-
voted to the right use.
AS a rule, it is better to let a
piece OF ground, whether fall or
spring blowing, lie fallow during the
summer, seeding each alternate year.
During the fallow season the surface
of the plowed ground should be
narrowed or stirred after each heavy
rain or big snow, thus forming a
dust mulch or blanket, as 1t were,
by which capillary attraction is de-
stroyed and evaporation reduced to
the minimum. Even the casual or
Indifferent student OF agriculture
will see that the effect OF narrowing
after rain or snow prevents the form
ing OF crust and the consequent
cells which accelerate evaporation.
Thus the secret of dry farming is
the conservation of the moisture
that falls and the secret of the con-
servation is the destruction of the
little cells at the surface through
which evaporation is so active, and
the secret OF the destruction of the
little cells is frequent narrowing OF
the surface, which prevents the form
ing Of the crust.
The soft dirt, or granular condi-
ton, permits the moisture to pass
rapidly into the ground, and like
wise holds 1t where 1t will do the
most good. That, in brief, Is the
science Of dry farming, which, after
all, is not dry" farming, but the In
telligent retention and application Of
all the moisture that falls in a sec
ton of country whose agricultural
possibilities have heretofore been con
sidered more than doubtful.
One of the most successful cattle
growers once said to me; II think
the Lord knew what he was about
and left the right side of the sol
up" This remark illustrates the
prejudices which the would-be farm
err in the arid West had to encounter
and is only one of the many diff
culties which he must overcome.
Land which has been sold for
$3.50 per acre is now growing thir
ty-five to forty bushels OF wheat tc
the acre, fifty to sixty bushels o.
oats, forty to sixty bushels Of barley
bountiful crops OF field peas used al
winter feed TOR sheep, $50 bushels o.
POTATOES to the acre, and as fine
stand OF alfalfa as have ever seer
in an irrigated section at the same
period of growth.