American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1907-12-14
Dry Farming.

"y Al @suS.
Elias Nelson was far from being
well, but his talk on dry farmiug was
full of instruction. There are two re-
quisites To successful dry farming, viz:
First, fitting the soil TO take up moist
ure. and, second, cultiyating so as to
retain it.
BY means of chart he showed the
composition Of soil, and how water and
air surround soil particles, and what
conditions tended to increase, and what
TO retard evaporation. To retain moist
ure soil must be well pulverized. Disc
ing before blowing he recommended,
because il pulverizes the soil and elimi-
mates clods. which facilitate evaporation
Packing the soil, to make better con-
tact between that turned by the plow
and the underlying soil was recon-
mended, so as to permit moisture TO
pcrcolate through the soil, and then the
/ formation of a dust mulch by frequent
cultivation TO keep it from escaping, are
4 lfc SsHt19tfH3 AtdAAi sE- biSt haiio" .
may be converted into packers by set
ting the discs straight and weighing
them down. Adequate tests had not
been made in Idaho, but Washington
records reported increases of IS per
cent following packing.
A piowed field should be packed and
narrowed the same day If possible. Let
the packer follow the plow. and then
harrow. two or three times If necessary,
1 10 make the first two inches very fine.
A spike-soothed harrow was recon.
mended for light soils. and disc fo'
J heavy soils. A large disc is not 81
effective as a smaller one. for the reason
! that the smaller circumference travels
faster. He preferred the ls-ineh size
Three methods of dry farming are:
, First Late plowing, or plowing under
weeds for fertilizing, and no cultivation
Second Flowing early and eultivat
: ing.
: Third Discing before blowing. ther
. euitivating. and packing If necessary
! The latter ia the best of the three. The
r plowing under of weeds or brush is sd
vised against because it facilitates
l evaporation.
/ Winter wheat. he said. general,
c welded four or FIVE bushels more thai
: spring varieties. About half as muel
e seed should be used as on irrigate'
LANDS, because the roots would requir
more room to search for moisture thal
e when it WAS abundantly supplied by ir
rigation. Spring seeding should be
= little heavier than fall.
Tests made of soils treated differ
i emily were given. The amount of waite
Il In the soil was originally Ia per cent
and in April the following losses b
It evaporation had occurred:
r On soil disced, plowed and cultivated
:, s: disced and and plowed, l.2; plowe
only. "a. unhroken land, rs.
r The following tests showed the amour
= of water retained in the soil by fall an
spring plowing:
d Fall blowing, AZ inches, spring plo0
he ing, s.7-a difference of nearly 25 ps
lie cent in favor of fall plowing. A ru
" that was followed, providing the wat,
r all went into the soil, is that every inc
r. of rainfall will produce two and on
tn fourth bushels of wheat.
Is F. r. Meadows, generally acknow
en- edged to be the best dry land farmer
DIS this immediate section. gave his met
of DDS, which were plowing early and tho
It. ough narrowing. He raises a crop !
in half of his land one year, and the 9th
or half the next, and raises fall wheat e
e, elusively. BY thorough narrowing al
lc- farming thick dust mulch is produc
a which keeps moisture within thr
fe inches of the surface. Last year
a raised twenty-five bushels of Gold CO
Iot wheat per acre This year the gras
re- hoppers damaged his grain so that t
as yield was smaller, but it gave prospes
is of going AS high as forty bushels eal
ID. in the season. His recommendation
lily are.
ng Plant only winter wheat and let "
,g, soil rest every other year.
ny Ground for spring planting should !
ole be plowed too deep unless the soil
Of packed.
to Use y pounds Of seed per acre.
of Keep ! thick dust mulch. In
ON spring harrow. especially If the Ercu