Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-06-13
"DRY FARMING m IDAHO
BY ELIAS NELSON,
lrrigationist. q

In the western part of Nez Perez
county and throughout southern
the precipitation is small and arid
i conditions prevail. g e
Farming without irrigation in
| those portions of the state may
therefore be termed dry farming.
In Idaho dry farming has been
quite successful with IL inches Of
annual precipitation. 1t is practic-
ed in eastern Oregon even with but
9 to 10 inches. The average annu-
al precipitation for southern Idaho
Is 1926 inches. Dry farming
should be successful in Idaho ON all
soils that are to feet deep and
suitable in other respects provided
proper methods of cultivation are
pursued.
Dry farming has been practiced
successfully on various soils ranging
from heavy clay to sandy. The depth
of the soil is of more Importance
than the kind. The average soil
in southern Idaho is capable of alb
sorbing inches of water for each
foot Of depth. OF this amount 2
inches is available water and may be
used by crops. The remainder Is
not given up by the soil. To absorb
~ inches of rain and hold it as
available moisture requires 6 feet
of SOIL While a deep soil is a great
advantage dry farming has been
successful on soils of lesser depth
than that. The equivalent OF an
inch Of rain stored in the soil Is
capable Of producing. 21s bushels OF
wheat per acre If it be utilized
With good methods it should be
possible to conserve at least one
half Of the precipitation to do duty
in crop production. In actual prac-
tice not much more than one-fourth
Is generally utilized, the three
fourth being lost by surface evap-
Grafton or by run-off.
The amount of moisture that Is
absorbed by the soil and retained
very largely determines the yield.
deep percolation is therefore to be
desired and surface. cultivation to|
prevent unnecessary losses by evap-
Grafton should be practiced. Deep
blowing favors the storage of water
in the soil. Maintaining dust
mulch over the surface tends to con-
serve that which the soil has alb
sorbed. It is important to preserve
this dust blanket over fields byl
and especially on the
summer fallow should this be done.
That will prevent the soil below the
mulch from drying out. Leaving the
summer fallow lie rough during the
summer allows the soil to dry out.
With such practices there is a large
loss OF moisture and no particular
gain in fertility for the elaboration
OF plant food does not take place in !
a dry soil.
Summer following alternate ears
Is recommended for all loca tiles
with less than Is inches of annual
Where there is more
than that it is generally possible
70 grow crop every year. Growing
cultivated crop every other year
Is more profitable than a single cropI
system. For every cropping the
blowing should be in the fall. For
the bare summer fallow the plow-
Ing may be either in the spring or in
the fall. The former has been most
successful in the Columbia Basin
uplands: the latter has proven the
better system in Utah.
With fall blowing the soil settles
during the winter and good capil-
lazy connections with the subsoil
Is thus insured. With spring plow-
Ing the lower furrow slice does not
become Arm enough. Packing tol1
close up the air spaces is therefore
an advantage. Either the sub-sur-
lace packer of the corrugated roller
may be used for that purpose Pack
Ing In connection with spring plow-
Ing is recommended for the lighter
soils In Idaho.
Rotation of crops in dry farming
should be practices at leas. In the
more favorabl localities, as the fer
Utility of the soil is then maintained.
While continuous wheat growing for
several decades in some districts
has not exhausted the soil there can
not be much dependence upon such a
system.
Winter wheat generally yields 1
70 8 bushels more per acre than the
spring varieties. The most promising
winter wheat for southern Idaho are
Turkey Red, Forty-fold. Gold Coin,
LIGHTHOUSE and Odessa. The best
spring varieties are Kubanka Durum.
Bluestem, Little Club, Red Chaff and
sonora.
Other cereals havo hoor c,,o,o.e,I