El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-03

er east where the rainfall is abun-
dant
This arises from another well known
principal in farming. namely, that I'M
der semi-arid conditions, the proper
handling of organic matter in the soil
and the maintenance of the proper
amount of humus or nitrogen in the
soil IS a constant difficulty, for the
reason that the amount OF moisture is
not sufficient TO hasten the rapid de-
cay Of vegetable matter and yet the
burning sun rapidly dissipates its eff
feotiveness as soon as it has been
brought to this stage through proper
decay or decomposition.
In California. for example, the wheat
straw cannot be thrown back on the
land. because the moisture is not suf-
ficient to bring its decay by the fol-
lowing season, and yet the soil is in
need of nitrogen or humus, the
source of which is this decaying or
ganic matter.
Preparing Land.
Last fail. in the Toyah valley, I put
sod land in cultivation for alfalfa, but
although this land has been irrigated.
and although the sod was chopped up
thoroughly with the disc harrow, much
of it is still there undecomposed. This
emphasizes the fact that sod land
should be cultivated a year in ad-
vance If possible. without any crop on
it. and yet this statement exemplifies
again the necessity of good judgment
on the part of the farmer. Indeed.
there is no avocation other than farm
ing, which so frequently calls for the
exercise of good horse sense. perhaps
the most uncommon OF all sense, in
=, Ia
many farmers cultivate the soil two
years for one years crop. This is not
so expensive as it would appear, be-
cause after the. first breaking, the
surface soil is Easily kept in condi-
ton. and in order that as much rain
fall as possible may be absorbed. I be-
lieve it Is well to throw crosslevies
with the plow as close as may be neces-
sary to insure saving the entire pre-
cipitation.
Selecting a Field.
OF course, in selecting a field for
cultivation every farmer knows that
he cannot ignore the topography or
lay of the land. not only of the field
itself, but also of the surrounding
country, valley that receives the
drainage from the surrounding hills is
perhaps most desirable. If properly
handled or treated II gets not only the
water that falls on it, but much that
comes from the surrounding surface.
Besides this. it sometimes happens that
one is fortunate enough to find a sub
irrigated tract of land, where the wa
ter that seeps in on the hillside is
carried along an imperviOus layer of
rock or clay beneath the surface to the
valley below. It is particularly i'm
pOrtant in the actual management of
the farm crops, that we should not
wait for rain, either to get our land
in condition or to plant it after 1t is
in the proper condition. If the seed
are in the ground, ready for the first
rain, 1t may mean one OF two weeks
advance over an adjoining field that
has been waiting for the rain, and this
difference may constitute the difference
between success and failure.
The Best Crops to Grow.
After having properly prepared the
soil, upon carefully selected fields. the
next step is the selection OF such crops
as viii offer the greatest resisting
power in dry weather. Among the green