The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-07-16
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.

Interesting experiments with what
Is known as the Campbell system OF
soil culture are being made this sea-
son In the region Immediately ada
cent to the Black Hills, in Western
South Dakota. The experiments are
being carried on under the direction
| Of the Business Mems Club of Rapid
! City, the experiments being super
| vised by a committee of the club.
Probably not one farmer in ten
fully understands what is known as
| the Campbell system of soil culture.
| Many appear to believe that 1t is an
| attempt to raise crops on dry ground
| in dry seasons, with special ma
chinery, and that by some hocus-po-
| Gus it may be successful. and then
| again it may not. The fac is, the
| system is simplicity itself, and where
tried In Nebraska and Texas 1t has
increased the value OF lands three
fold and f%our-fold, and in some places
[ men are selling their irrigated land
and buying the cheap dry land, AS
they know by experience what can
be done with it by the Campbell sys-
tenn.
It means that the soil is prepared a
season ahead by breaking. subsoil-
ing and narrowing, SO 1t is In cOndi-
ton to catch and retain rains. Then
in the following spring when the land
is put into crops the moisture Is
there. instead of having been permit
ted to flow down to the Gulf Of Mex
leo.
While Eastern South Dakota has
had ample moisture during the past
seven or eight years. there are thou
sands Of acres on the divides" that
remain uncultivated, and that can
with sufficient moisture be made as
productive as any soil on the face Of
the earth.
In order to demonstrate what these
lands will do under the Cam bell sys-
tenn Of farming. the Rapid City bust
ness organization mentioned has
leased two tracts of land near the
city for a term of five years. About
two acres of each tract has bee
plowed and subsoiled to n depth
Of twelve inches. which is three
times the depth that soil usually Is
cultivated in Western South Dakota.
Alongside these tracts of ground
a small tract has been plowed in the
usual way; another piece OF black
gumbo soil about eight inches deep,
and a small tract in the center about
three inches deep. In another place
an acre of white gumbo soil has been
plOwed to a depth of twelve inches.
All three tracts that were cultivated
the deepest were thoroughly discnd.
and since recent rains are simply
loose mud twelve inches deep aud tho
moisture is penetrating into the hard
pan below.
As soon as it is dry enough the sur
face will he well narrowed to form
a dust mulch, which will prevent The
moisture from eVaporating. This
narrowing will be repeated after each
rain until next November, or as orteu
as it is needed. Then the ground,
being wet. will freeze, and alternate
freezing and thawing is what is need
ed TO thoroughly %pulverize the hard
Jumps, and right here is shown one
or the reasons why irrigated lands
produce more than land that is not
irrigated. Dry soil never freezes.
In the spring different crops will
| no nnt into thnSn eraofC th,,g t,ootoI
and into those adjoining that have
been plowed in the ordinary way. AT.
ter the crops come up, should the sea-
son be unusually dry, the crop on
the deep cultivated land will be har-
rowed and treated as Campbell, the
world-repowned soil culturist, advises,
but the tracts on the side will not be.
These comparative tests, side by
side, will show conclusively which Of
the two methods is the proper one
to adopt in Western South Dakota,
and will also show why 1t is that re-
gions much dryer than Western South
Dakota are fast settling up with sue
cessful farmers. with fourishing and
growing towns all around.
Those who have charge of the ex-
periments state that this method is not
visionary. but a reality. The whole
thing. they point out, consists In saw
ing the moisture that falls so abun-
dainty in Western South Dakota at
times and preventing 1t from passing
away by evaporation during the hot
winds Of midsummer.
1t is estimated that the cost, the
first and second years, Of this scien-
tifc system Of soil culture and pres.
%ervation of moisture, will not be one
half what it would be to build a dam
and TWO miles of ditch, and, after the
first year, there it no subsoiling to
be done. which really is the chief
item of expense. The cost will not
be one-half what 1t would to keep a
dam and ditch in repair and the cost
of irrigating.