The Greeley tribune., 1908-12-23
AFEW SUGGESTIONS
FOR DRY FARMING
GOOD PROSPECT COMING YEAR
Puup to Irrigate Five Acres is MOST
Important Feature.

aettler said yesterday that thete was
loss rainfall last season than in an!
wear since he came to TINS country
in 1864. AS the dry farming IN
dustry will result in many ne"
homesteads the coming season le"
hmReestions along the eXerimentai
line will be of much benett.
In ALL semi-arid regions, such as
found in the eastern part OF our
state. the amount of rainiall varies
considerably from year to year, ana
ito occurrence is very irregular, as
shown by the records of the weather
bureau. Under such conditions II
is to be expected that there Will De
wears of drought occasionally III
which practically all crops Will De
decreased or entirely destroyed, ana
unless the farmer has small area
under irrigation which will furnish
tbe necessities of life, both for HIM
self and stock, his position may
become very precarious.
To show the great benefit derived
from small water supply the United
states Department of Agriculture es-
tablished farm at Eads, IN Tue
eastern part of Colorado in 1906,
one at Cheyenne, Wyo., and one at
Newcastle. Wyo These farms were
n,aced under the direct supervision
of the irrigation Investigations OF
the Office of Experiment stations,
no effort was spared TO equip each
farm completely. so that the WORK
could be done scientifically and with
no hindrapce. A we'll was sunk at
Eads and a deep well pump installed.
A gasoline engine furnishes power
for lifting the water which is stored
temporarily in a reservoir near by
This well furnishes enough water to
irrigate a little more than five acres
of land, upon which, it is maintain
ed, enough products can be raised
to carry small family over winter
should the dry farming be curtailed
by drought.
The farm at Eads embraces about
fifty acres of representative land and
borders the town on the south.
About As acres are farmed after
dry farming processes. part of which
are cropped annually while the re-
mainder are fallowed: that is, the
part that is cropped this year is fall
oil
year is planted to crops the follow
ing year. so that one-half only IS
cropped each year. Fallowing is the
underlying principle advanced by so
many dry farming experts. The
plowed ground lying open receives
the moisture from the annual snow
and rain. and it is retained by Great
ing a soil mulch over the surface
with harrow or some similar i'm
plement The moisture, then, fol
two years. is suf1cient to produce
one good crop. During the season
Of 1906, it is claimed. there were
enough visitors at Eads farm con
vinced that following was one wa
to make dry farming a success, t
justify the whole years expenditur
at Eads There are many peopl
skeptical and must see thing t
believe it, The farm at Eads.
seems, has indeed been worth Will
to this class of citizens
As yet the eastern part of our stat
IN practically unclaimed, but hui
Areds of people are coming in al
nually to take up homesteads whit
they hope will be converted into r
sourceful farms by proper handlir
Of the soil. Once before few Sc
tiers tried to conquer this semi-ar
country, but more or less ignoran
Of the subject of dry farming W
the cause of failures. Since tn
processes of dry farming have be-
studied scientifically by the Depal
ment of Agriculture and throui
other sources, but in connection wi
this we believe the Department
ASrisulture Is doing good wo
for this state In Its exerfments alo
the lines of utilizing small wat
supplies for the irrigation of 4
crops TO carry the farmer over
period when he has had the MIST
tuns to labor against an uncontr
able drought.
We understand report of thu
expssiuents vii soen be publish
and Il should be in the hands OF
cry farmer in the state and especia
the newcomer. for it 10 to agric
ture, perhaps even more than to m
ing or any other one industry, q
Colorado owes its future prosper
and greatness. 1t is, therefore,
our interests to keep the good cl
Of farmers when they come to loc'
with their families, by helping tn
to help themselves when dry fal
L., not haau a SUCCESS heCa