The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-02-28
Principles Of Dry Farming.

The principles of dry farming are
two in number. First, to keep the
surface of the land under cultivation
loose and finely pulverized This
forms a soil mulch that permits the
rains and melting SHOWS to percolate
rapidly through to the compacted
soil beneath; and that at the same
time prevents the moisture stored in
the ground from being brought to
the surface by capillary attraction,
to be absorbed by the dry, hot air,
The second Is to keep the sub-soil
finely pulverized and firmly COM
pacted, increasing its water holding
capacity and its capillary attraction,
and placing in 1t the best physical
condition for the termination Of
seed and the development of plant
roots. The dry farmer thus stores
water not In dams and artificial res
ervoirs, but right where 1t can be
crops.
Through these principles, rain
fab of IL inches can be conserved so
effectively that 1t will produce bet
ter results than are usually expected
of an annual precipitation of "a
inches in humid America. The dis
coverer and demonstration Of these
principles deserves to rank among
the greatest national benefactors.
He has not only made two blades
of grass grow where only one grew
before, but has made 1t possible to
cover with wheat and corn, alfalfa
and other useful crops, tens Of
thousands of square miles of fertile
land on which nothing but sage
brush, cacti, Kansas sunflowers and
bunch grass are found now,
Water moves, in the soil by capil-
| larry attraction--up as readily as
down. To prevent it from rising to
the surface after is has been stored
beneath is the primary object of the
loose soil mulch, composing the top
two inches of soil. This answers
the purpose of a. lid on the natural
reservoir, preventing the moisture
from rising to the surface, and thus
evaporating in the hot, dry atmos-
phere.
At the same time this soil mulch
forms an open, porous bed upon
which rains and SHOWS fall, per-
hitting the moisture to percolate
readily through into the compacted
ground beneath. Special agricultural
implements have been designed and
brought into use for packing the
sub-soil and for stirring and pulver-
izing the surface, but detailed de-
scription of these would be aside
from the purpose of this article.
Dry farming is essentially scien-
tific farming. and for that reason
the term scientific soil culture" Is,
perhaps more truly descriptive than
the popular term. Nevertheless its
principles may be and are, applied
just as successfully by men who
have little of the education Of the
schools as they are by the college
graduates. However, no farmer in
the arid belt need hope for even
moderate success with unceasing
and tireless diligence.
After the land has been deeply
plowed, the surface soil packed by
the sub-soil packer, and the surface
narrowed and pulverized, full year
should elapse before the first crop is
planted in order to obtain the best
results. This season Is needed for
the collecting and storing Of water.
In the winter and early spring heavy
SHOWS cover the ground. When
these melt in the spring, instead OF
draining off the surface or evaporat-
ing, as they have done for ages,
they sink into the reservoir pre-
pared for their reception. AS soon
as the surface is dry enough, the
ground is narrowed over again and
again, to place the soil mulch In
proper condition. This Is repeated
after each rain until seeding time
arrives The seed is then drilled In
just deep enough to place 1t below
the soil mulch in the moist COM
pacted soil beneath, causing germ
nation In the quickest possible time.
After planting. the dry farmer
does not trust to luck, and Prov
idence to do the rest and blame 1t
all on the weather II the final result
is failure. but he continues to har-
row over the ground after each rain
fall until the growing crop is too far
advanced to permit of this without