Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1909-12-23
DRY ! FARMING ! ! 4 [ ]
The SOLUTION.

'7rSaEns
BE RECLAIMED THROUGH NEW
METHODS OF AGRICULTURE
St! Paul, Mimi, Dec. 19. When
private and governmental irrigation
in the west has been extended to the
limits of the available water supply,
there will still remain 2O0,O0Q,000
acres of excellent land, rich in fer
tility and capable of producing crops,
in districts where rainfall is light and
where irrigation is impossible. What
is to be done with this great empire?
Dry farming has answered this
query, demonstrating that any land
with a total OF 10 inches of rainfall
per year can be made to grow crops.
Such lands exist according to Secre-
5 tary Wilson Of the agricultural de-
partment, over half Of the United
States. In practically all Of these
districts of insufficient rain supply
!. the new method of farming has gain
ed foothold and proven its worth.
Here are a few OF the wonderful
things dry farming has already
done: q ,z
Near Billings, Mont, it has produc-
ed AZ bushels of wheat on lands a
few years ago considered absolutely
I worthless. Nm
! On five experimental farms main
tanned by the Northern Pacific rail-
way for five years, it has produced
a general average of 37h bushels
of wheat. with other crops in proper
ton. u
On 81 demonstration farms in
North Dakota grain yields have been
increased from SO to 100 per cent.
On one western North Dakota ex-
perimental farm the new methods
have produced yields of AZ bushels
Of wheat, 80 bushels Of oats and $50
bushels of potatoes.
These are official figures and they
indicate that science has done much
to overcome natural DEFICIENCIES Of
rainfall.
"Dry" farming is misnomer.
President Louis w. Hill Of the Great
Northern railway has this year con-
Quoted an energetic campaign against
the use of the term urging the dry"
farming is not dry farming, but the
scientific application of intelligent ag-
riculture to exc out the natural rain:
TALL, and that farming in regions of
scant precipitation would be impos-
sible without the natural rainfall and
g the conservation of the usual precip-
itation. Farming by conservation OF
moisture would in Mr.. Hills opinion,
better describe the method, but his
campaign failed and the "dry" farm
ers at their fall congress, decided not
to change the name which has made
many eastern farmers believe the
new method will grow grain in desert
regions. !.
'tDry' farming is really an exceed
inly simple matter in principle. Crops
will grow If moisture can be had tor
vitalize them. The "dry" farmer
seeks two main objects. to prevent
4 the loss of natural rain fall through
3 waste by drainage and evaporation,
4 and once the natural rainfall has
4 been saved to protect it and apply
has needed to his crops. To do this
he plows his land, breaking up the.
soil and leaving it in such condition
I that the rain as 1t, falls, sinks In in
stead of draining off. To save the
moisture thus caught, he employs
surface cultivation with special farm
machinery which stirs the earth to q.
. depth Of only two inches. "A dust
elanket is thus created which pre-
{ vents evaporation and keeps the mois-
Y 5ture In. the ground where it will help
]. tie roots. Summer following is ex-,;
tensively employed and upon the.
\ same fields, plowed one summer and
Il cropped the next year, it. is proved
that the average yield for four or
six years Is much greater than in
many districts where with, plenty Of
( rainfall the farmers crop their lands
] yearly. TO accommo date farmers who
employ the summer following method
the government allows them to home
8 stead 80 o acres instead OF 4 g Q, give
ing them the equivalent OF an or.
Sdinary farm in crop each year. With
4 the large farm the farmer crops one-S
|. half while hea summer fallows the
other Hall.
that this simple method will Dc Is
n really marvellous. IN eastern Montana
this year wheat stood shoulder high
I on dry farms, rye stood qually high
I; ;thickset and strong, and really won \
Y derful crops of pota atoes. beets and q
4 garden veg bles sare grown, md ~,