The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-26
ARID SOIL CULTURE
Dry Farming Produces Crops
Where Rainfall Is Limited.
immense Tracts IF Land Hhic', Can
not Be Brought Under Irrigation
and Utilization as Farms
Vastly important.

Dry farming, sometimes called
arid" or soil culture farming, is the
production of crops without irrigation
in regions that possess but limited
rainfall. The economic Importance OF
who considers how much land in the
west comes under this category. The
results attained by individual farmers
and government agricultural stations
are such as to encourage effort and in
spire hope on the part of those direct
ly interested in dry farming And the
community at large is hardly less in
terested than the farmers who are
toiling at a solution of the problem.
considerable portion of the west
is desert land. now, or soon to be, un-
der irrigation and wonderfully fertile.
A large portion Is irreclaimably bad.
And there are immense semi-arid re-
gions which cannot be brought under
irrigation and where there is less
than 20 inches average annual rain
fall The utilization OF these lands for
other agricultural purposes than graz
ing would mean highly important ac-
cession of wealth to the United
States.
Farming IN the semi-arid regions
was formerly of the shit or miss" vari-
ety-the growing of wide acreage of
crops with rough husbandry and with
profits practically wiped out in dry
years. But better farming methods
are being applied, the aim of which are
mainly to secure the collection within
the soil ofgall the water falling on it,
the retention within the soil of all the
water absorbed, and the growth of
crops suitable to semi-arid conditions.
The method pursued is summer
following "-planting every other year,
but cultivating every year. The soil
is plowed deep, narrowed three or
four times a year and covered with a
blanket of soil mulch to conserve
the moisture.
The selection of the right crops and
the right variety Of each is of prime
Importance. The durum or macaroni
wheat and Turkey Red are well adapt
ed to semi-arid regions. In corn, 9
small, early maturing variety is recon
mended by experts, with Kaffir corr
and sorghum for feed crops. There Is
| greatl likelihood that certain varieties
of alfalfa are widely suitable. Oats
barley. millet. field peas, western
wheat grass, potatoes and other roo
vegetables have given good results or
the plains.
The necessity (under proper meth
DDS Of dry farrning) OF cropping tn,
soil in alternate years, made the 16,
acre limit OF the homestead law seen
unsuitable to the needs of the farm
er of the semi-arid regions. "A. recen
amendment to the land laws permits
the homesteader to enter 800 acres o
dry land In specified. localities, tina
amount being generally considered a
needful for the successful application
of the summer following" method. /,
The results of dry farming must OF
viously be proportioned to the thol
Oughness. experience and intelligenc
Of the individual farmer--a condition
A which. Of course, applies more or les
to all farming. Those, about to er
i gage in, dry farming are reminded b
the United States department of agr
culture that the farmer should inves
tigate carefully the possibilities of tn
particular region in which he expect
to settle; he should have clearly Ii
mind beforehand the kind of Gro
which he will produce. and he, shout
not undertake dry farming II fai
ure Of crops at the beginning vii
mean to him complete and perms
nent disaster"