The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-17
FARMING DRY LANDS
Cultivation Puts Land in Condi.
ton to Retain Moisture.
Summer Tillage Furnishes Period for
Preparation of Soil Before Crop is
Sown, Storing Enough Water
to Carry Crop Through.
BY Prof. E. A. Burnett.

The development of the agricultural
resources of western Nebraska seems
to depend largely upon adapting the
crops grown and the methods of TIL
lage practiced TO the natural condi-
tons of the country. While there are
large areas of land which are too
sandy for cultivation, there are still
great areas of good agricultural land
unoccupied except for grazing pur-
poses. There can be no question
about the possibility OF using much
Of this land for cultivated farms pro-
vided these farms are intelligently
handled and considerable area of
each farm is held in grass for pasture
purposes SO that the live stock indus
try shall continue to be one of the
principal industries of the country.
Where there is shortage of mois
ture, from whatever cause. it will
readily be seen that anything which
can be done to store the moisture as
it falls and save it for subsequent use
will be of very great value in grow
ing crops. 1t has been found beyond
question that cultivation puts the land
in the best condition to take up the
rain as it falls and also to retain that
moisture in the subsoil until such
time as 1t is needed by the crop. Cul-
tivation Of the land makes the surface
porous, so that it easily takes in
water. This same porous condition of
the surface also very greatly retards
evaporation of the water by the sun
and winds. The tests which have
been made, both in crop production
and in the weighing of soil samples
to determine the amount of water
contained, agree as to the result Of
tillage upon conserving water in the
soil Under the best methods of til!
lage, very little moisture is lost from
the soil by evaporation when no crop
is growing upon the land.
The use of water by the crop is
fairly we'll understood by all farmers,
and still it is probable that the
amount Of water required to grow a
crop is not very well understood.
While it is difficult to determine eX-
actly the amount OF water used by any
crop, it is probable that from 400 to
600 pounds of water will be required
in the dry regions to produce one
pound of dry matter in the plant; in
other words, from 400 to 600 tons of
water will be required to produce one
ton of hay, cf corn, or of wheat, in
Guiding both grain and forage. Stated
in a still different way from four to
six inches Of water passes through the
plant for each ton OF dry matter pro-
duced. 1t will be seen, then, that if
eight OF ten inches OF rainfall is avail
able for the use of the plant when
needed, this should produce nearly
two tons of dry matter per acre.
1t is probable that not much more
than half of the rainfall of region
is available for the use of plants, even
under the best methods Of cultivation,
so that the necessity of using the best
methods of conserving the rain which
falls is apparent.
The advantage of summer tillage is
that it furnishes a period for the prep
aration of the soil before the crop is
SOWH, StOilIS UP eNOllSu WdltI Ill Inc
land to terminate the seed readily
and provide for it's growth until 1t is
strong and we'll established, and often
furnishing an amount beyond this to
help carry the crop through any pc
Rod of drought, until the seasonable
rains will carry it to maturity.
Where crop is grown every year on
the land, it will be seen that the mois-
ture in the soil is continuously
drawn upon, SO that in every dry pc
Rod the water is reduced to mini
mum-to SO low point, in fact, that
the plant is unable to get any more
water out of the soil and is injured by
drought. A season of summer tillage
stores the water of one year SO as to
add it to the natural rainfall of the
season following, using the rainfall of
two seasons to produce single crop.
Often it is not necessary to use so
long period of summer tillage as
this; but this method makes possible
the cultivation of great areas of land
at profit where the land could not
be cropped every year.
Horses Hard to Handle.