East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-09-11
PROPER SYSTEM OF SOIL CULTURE
From the Industrallst, ssued by the Kansas State
Agrlcultur al College.

So far as cultivation Is concerned,
there are three principal steps in the
conservation of soil moisture:
/. The soil must be loosened to a
considerable depth ia order to pre-
pare a reservoir to receive the rain
and to carry the water downward in
TO the soil. This Is accomplished by
deep plowing or by dsking unplowed
lands
2. The water which is carried
downward into the subsoii must be
brought back again into the surface
soil where the seed is terminating
and the roots are growing, and 10 ac-
complish this, a good connection must
be made between the furrowslice and
the subsoil, and this is the purpose
in the use of the subsurface packer.
3. Finally, in order that the wa
ter which is drawn up toward the
surace by capillary action may not
reach the air and be wasted by evapo-
ration. the upper two to four inches
OF soil must be kept mellow, in the
form of a soil mulch, which is accom-
plished by frequent cultivation, and
this Is applicable not only to corn
and other intert,lled crops but also
10 wheat and other smallgrain crops.
Systematic Tillage.
Disking the land before plowing
puts the the soil of the furrow slice
into better condition to reunite with
the subsoil when the furrow is turned
over The smooth, hard furrow bot
tom, as left by the ordinary plow, is
unfavorabie 10 the proper union OF
the fuYrow-slice with the subsolI. in
order TO cause more complete union
Of the furrow-slice with subsoil. the
bottom OF the furr5w may be loosen
ed by means Of shallow subsoiling
attachment to the plow.
Such a system of culture is intend
ed 10 favor the conservation OF soil
moisture, and is thus especially adapt
ed to regions where a limited or ir-
regular rainfall makes the most care
full methods of soil culture necessary
in order to store and conserve the
water in the soil and get the most
use from It in the production of
crops.
Tillagc and Fertility.
The principles stated above have
been known and practiced more or
less for a long time and are mostly
included in what is known as the
Campbell system of culture" Mr..
II. w. Campbell was among the early
apostles of "dry-land farming" in the
west and has perhaps done more to
call the attention of western farmers
to the necessity and advantage of
thorough cultivation Of the soil than
any other investigator.
The method of culture advocated by
Mr.. Campbell is in fact simply good
tillage and thorough cultivation OF
the soil at the right time, in the right
way, and in a systematic manner,
Good farming pays, everywhere
The writer believes in the practica-
bilty of thorough tillage and good
cultivation on every farm, and the in
crease in crops by such farming Will
more than pay for the extra labor,
and in a series of years should leave
our farms in a better state of fertil-
ity and more capable of producing
crops than may result from the care
less and shiftless methods of farm
ing which are yet too commonly prac-
ticed by many farmers throughout the
west.
Simple tillage however. will not |
maintain the fertility of the SOIL In |
fact continuous cultivation as pro-
posed by Mr.. Campbell, ought to ex-
house the native fertility of soil more |
rapidly than may result from less in
tensive culture.
1t is the judgment of the writer, af-
ter visiting the Pomeroy model farm |
at Hill City, Kansas, upon which an
intensive system of soil culture has
been carried out for the last six
years. under the direct supervision of |
Mr.. Campbell himself, that the soil
of this farm is already greatly ex-
hausted in fertility, and will soon be-
come less productive than neighbor-