Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-30
USED NEW METHODS
FOR FORTY YEARS
George L. Farrell Was a "Dry
Farmer" Before System
Was Unearthed.
HIS ANNUAL PROFIT, $4,000.
Seventeen Hundred Acres at Dollar
And a Quarter Each Arc Now
Worth S15O.0OO.

The following interview with a we'll
known Utah dry farmer appears in the
Denver Post:
George L. Farrell of Smithfield. Cache
county, Utah. the appolntee of Gov.
Cutler as the delegate to the Dry
Farming congress, is in a better posi-
ton to prove that dry farming is a
success than any other attendant at the
convention.
For Il years Mr.. Farrell has labored
with the soil of 100 acres with nothing
theoretical or visionary about his
work. He simply labored long and
hard. and demonstrated years before
the scientists came into the limelight
with their fanciful theories, that dry
farming would pay. and that it would
continue to do so indefinitely.
Mr.. Farrell settled on 100 acres in
Utah and paid SLIPS an acre. The land
is now worth $4,000. and the profits
each year net $4,000. There is not
drop of water on O foot OF his ground,
and his experience is the more valu-
able and his story the more reliable
because of the fact that he has no land
TO sell.
Mr.. Farrell describes his methods as
follows:
Il pillow 10 inches deep after breaking
the land, and then / usually have six
inches of sub-sol. ! use horses and
disc plows altogether. With a four
gang disc and eight horses / can pillow
from eight to 10 acres per day, In a
strip half a mile long. The fall plow-
ing is done on the stubble land. after
the stubble is allowed to grow about
two feet high. In the fall that is turned
under, and in this way gets all of the
winters precipitation. the snow, rain
and frost,
~ leave the rough blowing until the
spring, and Just as soon as it is dry
enough to work | put on my disc. |
use a different sort OF disc than raany
of the western farmers. It Is mna,i-
featured in Logan city. Utah. and is
known as the six gang disc. 1t throws
the dirt all one way. leaving no space
for weeds TO grow.
THE boy with six horses puts the
harrow ON and continues 10 harrow
lengthwise and crosswise through the
season for the purpose Of killing weeds
and pulverizing the soil, as well as
conserving all OF the moisture possi-
BILE.
Els METHOD.
About the 1st OF September each
year put on the leveler and level the
earth. the drill IN the meantime being
run In front and the seed drilled into
the ground. We SOW wheat at the rate
of IS or 40 pounds TO the acre, and let
II get the next winters precipitation.
and In the spring, when II is two inches
high, take the harrows and tip the
teeth backward at an angle OF about 80
degrees, so as not 10 tear up the soil.
"This method breaks the crust and
pulverizes the soil. and II there are
weeds II Will kill them. We generally
harrow II both ways, as It gives fresh
life and vigor 10 the grain. We then
leave II TO harvest time.
by the methods ] have described
average 80 10 Is bushels OF wheat to
the acre, 30 TO 80 bushels OF barley.
three to three and one-half tons OF mill
let, and have plenty OF good pasture
for my cattle. | have between 1900
and l400 acres under cultivation. and
rest them every other year.
II put I'm wheat last year and cut 30
acres on ground that started to farm
Al years ago and have been farming
II every other year since that time
The crop raised last year WAS far bet
ter than any year that / remember,
broke UP a piece OF alfalfa ground
sowed two bushels ~ spring wheat on
about two acres, and harvested SO
bushels OF the finest quality.
II kept all OF that seed and the mil
lers offered me 10 cents bushel more
for II than the price OF any wheat In
the country. The farmers association
at the meeting last year named II Far
rell's Golden Wonder ] got a teacup
full of seed from the north OF England
and continued 10 raise II until got
TWO bushels. then planted the two acres
with the result that / have given"
Mr. Farrell despite his 70 years. In
one OF the most active men NJ the con-
ventiou. He was born IN Hewelsheld.
Gloucestershlre, England. and came 10
America In 1853. lie farmed In Harri-
son county, Ia, for several years. and
then moved 20 Utah. He was county
recorder OF Cache county, Utah. from
1850 10 1854. He IL life member OF th6
Deseret Agricultural society. He was
also postmaster Of Logan for seven
years, from 1867 10 1874,
Mr.. Farrell also has fine military
record. as no served for many years in
the Nauvoo Legion, and has held all
It's Offices. In 1904 he was elected colonies
and commander OF the Cache military