The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-19
SCIENTIFIC CULTURE
Dry Farmer Does Not Raise
Crops Without Water.
Great Difficulty with Which Agri-
culturist in semi-Arid Regions Has
to Contend Is Lack Of Moist.
ure When Needed,

While the term dry farming has
taken root so firmly that it seems i'm
probable that any other name will
ever be applied to farming the lands
of the semi-arid region without irriga.
ton, yet 1t Is a term to which Mr.
ii. ID. Campbell-"the father of dry
| arming"-strenuousl objects. 1T
means nothing" says he, lit stands
for nothing but farming in dry coun-
try and trusting to Providence for
results" From this 1t must not be in
ferred that Mr.. Campbell puts little
trust in Providence. But he does be-
lieve that faith without work is a
poor crop producer. Not only does he
believe in work. but that work must
be intelligent. 1t must be performed
at the right time, in the right way,
with full understanding of the rea-
sons for every step. Hence he prefers
to call 1t scientific soil culture"
The dry farmer $50 called) does not
farm without water us some have
expressed it. If he is a follower of
the Campbell system he uses as much
water as any farmer in humid regions
or even in irrigation districts. He
differs from the hap-bazard plains
farmer, from the irrigation farmer and
from the farmer in regions in which
the rainfall is abundant, simply in
the particular that he has learned how
to make use OF water. He has learned
lesson that all other farmers ought
to learn. Ii the irrigation farmer
would learn 1t, he would save the half
or three-fourths of his expense for wa
ter and the reservoirs now construct
ed would suffice for two or three times
as much land as at present If the
farmer in humid regions you'd learn
1t his crops would be insured against
drought (Which sometimes comes, even
IN the most favorable places) and In
normal seasons his harvest would be
much greater. The, principles of scien-
fiflc soil culture are universal.
Throughout the semi.arid region they
must be applied or failure is inev-
table In other regions they may be
neglected and certain measure of
success yet be attained; but if they
were applied everywhere the rewards
OF the farmer would be far greater.
The great difficulty with which the
farmer in the semi-arid region has to
contend is the lack of moisture at the
time his crops need it. The rainfall
even though 1t be but ten or twelve
inches--is sufficient II it would come
at the right time. Sometimes it does,
and then the farmer who follows the
traditional methods of humid regions
rejoices In good crops, More often
1t does not, with the consequence of
crops ranging anywhere from fairly
good to total failures. depending upon
Just how untimely the rains fall.
Under such conditions farming Is a
hazardous speculation and the usual
fate of spectators is ruin. 1t is the
claim Of the eXponents of scientific
soil culture that the element of risk
can be almost entirely removed; that
no matter at what time the rains
come, their moisture can be stored
in the soil, where it will be available
for plant growth whenever needed.
SO that prolonged drought need never
cause disaster,