American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1908-02-15
THE PRINCIPLES
OF DRY FARMING
Only Two in Number, But Must
Be Observed.
Brief History Of Dry Farming, Civins
Results That Follow Rigid Adher-
ence to Scientific Soil
Treatment.

WIN lfle quarter Vi Il HiliilU,l acres Oh
land surrounding American Falls that
are admirably adapted to dry farming
operations, and the large number here
who are engaging for the fist time In
dry farming, the following article will
prove valuable. And TO those who have
given the subject little or no thought it
will prove interesting and may open to
them the door of opportunity. The ar
ticle is taken from the Denver Daily
Mining Record and was written by one
familiar with the proper methods of
soil treatment and with the results that
have been achieved:
The principles of dry farming are two
in number First, to keep the surface
of the land under cultivation loose ard
finely pulverized. This forms soil
mulch that permits the rains and melt
ing SHOWS TO percolate readily 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 hot, dry air. The
second is to keep the sub-soil finely pull
verized and firmly compacted, increas-
ing its water holding capacity and its
capillary attraction, and placing it in
the best physical condition for the germ
ination of seed and the development of
plant roots. The dry farmer thus stores
water not in dams and artificial reser-
voirs. but right where it can be reached
by the roots of growing crops.
Through these principles, rainfall of
u inches can be conserved so effective
ly that it will produce better results
than are usually expected of an annual
precipitation of "a inches in humid
America The discoverer and demon
strator of these principles deserves to
rank among the greatest of national
benefactors He has not merely made
two blades of grass grow where only
one grew before, but has made it possi-
BILE TO cover with wheat and corn, alfal-
fla and other useful crops, tens of thous-
ands of square miles of fertile land on
which nothing but sage brush, cacti,
Kansas sunfiowers and bunch grass are
now found.
Water moves in the soil by capillary
: attraction-up as readily as down. To
prevent it from rising to the surface
after it 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 Ind on the
natural reservoir, preventing the moist
ure from rising to the surface, and thus
evaporating in the hot, dry atmosphere
At the same time. this soil mulch
forms an open. porous bed upon which
and rains and SHOWS fall, permitting 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-soi and for stirring
and pulverizing the surface, but de-
tailed description of these would be
aside from the purpose of this article.
; Dry farming is essentially scientific
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 without unceasing and tireless
diligence. The remark once made of
the lands of the Dakotas. tickle them
with hoe and they will laugh with a
Concluded on Fifth Pagel