The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-25
RESULT OF DRY FARMING
Where it is Followed With Care and
Intelligence Crops are Shown to
be Much Heavier.

averaging 20 TO 90 bushels an acre,
wheat yielding IL to 80 bushels. SUI
gar beets running 10 to 10 tons an
acre, and other crops showing re-
marAable results without irrigation,
are reported in Lincoln county. Col
orado, by w. S. Pershing, a promin-
ent farmer OF Limon and county sur
veyor OF Lincoln county. Mr.. Perish
ing, who has been an enthusiastic
dry farmer in eastern Colorado for
twenty-three years, will be a dele
gate to the Third Trans-Missouri
Dry Farming Congress at Cheyenne,
Wyo., Feb. %. "a and rs.
In Lincoln county there are ex-
ceptional opportunities for arid land
agriculture, according to Mr.. Perish
ing, who has sem an elaborate re-
port Of the progress OF the movement
in his region to Secretary John T.
Burns, Of the Board of Control of
the Congress-. In the entire county,
which is n of the largest in eastern
Colorado, there are not over 100
acres under irrigation. Ten thous-
and acres of so-called dry farming
land is under cultivation and Mr..
Pershing reports that there is 3d.
600 acres possible of development
by dry farming methods.
The mean annual rainfall accord
ing to the records for the last ten
years is II inches. From Sept. 1,
1907, to Sep. /, 1905, the precipita-
ton was only AIS inches, which,
Mr.. Pershing says vas the lowest re-
corded in thirty years. The major
portion of the precipitation occurs in
March. April and July. Several
thousand acres along Big Sandy
creek can be supplied with water
from an underflow, which is found
five to twenty feet below the surface
and is easily available through pump
ing plants, but has not been taken
advantage of to its fullest possibili-
ties.
Dry farming in Lincoln county
has been carried on for the last
twenty years with satisfactory re-
suits where intensive cultivation has
been practiced. Among the best
crops for the dry farmers are al
falfa, early varieties of field corn,
wheat, oats, barley, kafhr corn,
maize, amber cane, beets (both the
sugar and the mangel wurzel varie-
ties.) These have been raised in
this district for the last ten years in
steadily increasing quantities.
Mr.. Pershing gave the crop aver
ages for some of the leading prod
ucts as follows:
Durum wheat, Is to 80 bushels
an acre; spring wheat, 10 to %
bushels; winter wheat, 10 to SO
bushels; spring rye, 10 to % bush
els: winter rye, Is to % bushels;
spelts, 30 to 4S bushels; oats, %
to so bushels; barley, Is to AS
bushels; corn. Is to 40 bushels;
fodder grasses, 1 to 2 1-2 tons an
acre; sugar beets, 10 to Is tons;
other beets, Is to 80 tons; turnips
10 to 20 tons; potatoes, 8 to s tons
Small fields Of dry farm alfalfa have
been cut three times a year, the
average yield being four to four anG
one-half tons an acre for the season
Mr.. Pershing has an orchard o.
225 apple trees which have beer
bearing for eve years. The las
two seasons late frosts killed the
crops but this is. an unusual condi
ton which prevailed in all the frui
raising sections OF the state. The
trees are thrifty and with norma
climatic conditions have proved
profitable. The trees were wateret
the first two years by pumping.
Land prices have appreciated ma
terially in Lincoln county during thu
last five years, especially in those
sections where dry farming has beer
applied. Five years ago land coult
be obtained for $1.25 to SIS an acre
The same land now sells at SIS to 81;
with increasing demand.
This section of Colorado, says Mr.
Pershing needs an experiment sta
ton for the development of plant!
and seeds adapted to the local con
ditions. He recommends an effor
to secure federal aid toward the es
Enlistment of such an institution
with special attention to be paid tt
experiments with arid land, or so
called dry farming methods ant
crops.
Mr.. Pershing draws the followin.
conclusions from his own experienc,
and that of his neighbors who hav'
pursued dry farming methods:
Do not pillow when the ground il
very dry, but when it is moist, bu
not muddy.
Plow deep. Mr.. Persl-ing says hi
plows three to five inches to breal
sod and later six to nine inches. Thu
deeper the blowing, the better the
results.