Gunnison news-champion., 1907-03-22
CAa We Uss ~ Csa0As1 4vsas.
= Csaninsa Couaav

On the eastern plsiHs of the Colo
rsdo and IN wesaerG ksDsss sRd
Nebraska, there 10 q woaderf.l btosp
on, caused by the saccsss oi the 40
called Campbell system Of dry farm
ing, " or soil CULTURE Even in sections
where the rainfall is much lsss than
we have at Gannison they are rails.
ing splendid crops Of wheat aud
other grains once in two years by
thorough tillaRe system and . pecw-
lisr method II cWlture which s.ores
" the soil the rainfall Of one -ssson
80 holds II sAese W ssppsemsns
49, Of the next year when cvops are
plosssd.
lAsa fall News Cham pion pablish-
u - interview with Mr.. j A Hay
maker of osr city in which he suk
essAsd that they had discovered on
y nssa where water WAS abundant
until July first and then failed that
thsy coald raise a good crop Of
graia sad one crop of alfalfa with
oct ssseSvoir water. This was done
BY thorough irrigation from Lost
Csaoa - long ~ the flood water
lasasd. Ii occurred TO the editor
thst Gsnnison county had thou
aaaAs and thousands of acres Of fine
wsaa land subject to just these con-
ditioas and perhaps by combining
the Campbell system with the
. aossAant flood water, which the
plaiss people do not have, we could
msks ssccessful ranches Of these
trsa4s. Accordingly we Wrote Prof
Csnpbell and publish below the
letter. and his reply While moth
ing definite is yet found out, the
subject is a fascinating one and
worth investigating
GGNNirON. Colorado. Oct - 1896.
PROf. II. ". Campbell.
. Lincoln. Nebraska.
lAear Strip in this mountain ss-,-
tion we have been followeng with
much interest the wonderful discoV-
cries VI dry farming but realize
thot ouI NoI'fti'ur htf' "iiiut-
and that IL the theory applies to us.
it must t,e with notifications.
venture to call your attention to the
enclosed clipping from our paper and
to ask your opinion Of it.
A. 4 rule the bottom lands in Gun
nisOA county and in fact throughout
the Rocky mountains are unusually
porOus. Water runs through very
quickly. 1t can rain hea Willy in Gun
nison aud in an hour or two the
streets be peri city free from mud. i
take il then that unless such soil is "A
good many feet deep IL would be use
TO attempt to store water Tor any |
length Of time under the Campbell
system. But ON the other hand We
have Immense me~a lands and high
bencAes and open parks, where sprinx
water In abundant and easily and
cheaTAy applied. The melting snow
water could be diverted upon these
Lands until July first and any
amount Of moisture applied. BY the
middle or latter part Of July at this
altitude u. .osW feet the summer rains
begin and the higher the altitude the
more rains ~ our southwest anti !
trade winds are constant and rising
into colder. higher regions. In fact
three or four Thousand feet above
GunntsOH the native grass grows
waist high from natural rainfall
" hen Il II parched and dry arousA
town.
What I wish .Iscially to inquire 10
whether you think that by irrigat-
ing TIN the first of July. the subsur-
face packing and cultivation will en-
able ~ To farm the mesa lands and
higher parks. II so it will Open n
vast new field to agriculture in this
section Of the Rockies.
Yours respectfully.
II. r. LAKE Jg-