Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05

OF the semt-arid belt is that Of more in
telligent, hence more scientific, tillage OF
the soil. All else is incidental or leading
up to this vital truth. We have here to.
day these reports of large crops, better
yields, more profit, greater prosperity. be.
cause men who study behind the pillow
have come to know the inestimable value
OF scientific soil culture in making and
maintaining fertility OF the soil.
/ say to you that in the near future
larger yields of grain will be obtained IN
the great plains region of the west than
has ever been known; not by accident. but
by knowledge along right lines.
official Commentator,
I regard it exceedingly unfortunate that
encouragement from official sources should
be given those who are crying down and
belittling the work you and 1 and all of
US have been doing I'm recent years I'm rela-
tion to dry land tillage. In a Washington
dispatch last month the head of the De.
partment Of Agriculture is represented as
voicing this sentiment: The Campbell
system OF dry land farming he pronounces
wrong and hurtful."
He is quoted as condemning cropping
every other year because he says this
means burning out of the vegetable matter.
l say such suggestions coming from WASH
ington are unfortunate, because IT Is evil
dent that Mr.. Wilson knows nothing OF
Il at which he condemns. The plan of crop
ping every other year, which he holds to
be a fixed part of our work. is not an
essential Of the system and is resorted to
only incidentally as known conditions de-
mend It. Evidently. TOO, he draws his
conclusions regarding the burning out of
the vegetable matter from experiments with
the old familiar summer fallow, which is
as different from the true summer tlllage
that we advise as night from day
Field for Investigation.
And again Secretary Wilson speaks of his
plan OF changing the character Of the soil
and improving conditions IN the dry regions
by turning under drouth resisting plants,
perhaps imported from Russia. lie refers
especially to the sweet clover and the Rus
sian thistle as useful In this scheme. l do
not know, and l do not want to dispute
him as to the utility Of these familiar
plants, But am willing to leave the field
OF Investigation Of the usefulness Of the
thistle and sweet clover and similar plants
from siberia and the far north to the De-
partment Of Agriculture.
l do insist, however, that II is wrong and
nuflIult ana WnOliy lneNCuSdDie, Tor the
TO be given at Washington for
attacks upon the work that we
Of the west are doing. Better that aid and
encouragement be given us In our work Of
development Of scientific soil culture by
and through which we have already accom-
plished so much that is OF permanent value
Never In the history Of all our WORK
has our desk been 80 flooded wiln reports
n success and expressions OF gratitude
from all over the country as during the
ninety days. Which shall we be
guided blythe theory OF the one great
nan at Washington. OF facts from hun
OF practical men filling the soil
light out here in our great west?
soil Culture for All Lands.
II behoOves us to go on IN our own way,
making study OF the problems OF soil Gull
uTe as applied first 10 the dry lands,
hen also as to irrigation lands, and then
o the humid regions. Methods we must
adopt, for results In the area OF limited
viii always be found immensely
profitable, also where there IL abundant
Scientific soil culture Is never in
sense dry farming. IL is farming
with just enough water.
We have made some progress In a quar-
.er OF a century, much of IL since this
vas organised. which has aided
n the publicity the movement so greatly
needed. / can see there has been a Won
ierful advance made. Persons in the east