Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-25
DRY FARMING.


now reaI izing millions from lands once
thought hopeless, reproductive, mere
" desert. Dry farming is recognized
now the country over as a science. a
practical business method of getting
results from refractory soil by apply
ing brains to agriculture.
What Dry Farming is. is summed
| up as follows in a leading editorial In
; the Chicago Drovers' Journal. one OF
the leading livestock publications of
the west:
There are vast areas of arid and
semi-arid land in the western and
| northwestern states that are being
| brought under agricultural develop
ment by the two systems Of irrigation
and dry farming. The general gov
eminent is spending millions of dol
lars in Montana and other states in
the construction OF vast irrigation
work that will reclaim millions OF
acres of fertile agricultural lands that
only need water to yield golden har-
vests of the earth'S most valuable pro-
ducts.
There are immense districts of
western lands where the rainfall Is
inadequate for annual crop production
and yet the land is fertile and easy OF
cultivation. Agricultural experiment
stations have been farming these lands
with the object OF evolving a system
by which they could be made valuable
for agricultural purposes. II has been
demonstrated that land under deep
cultivation absorbs more water than
unbroken land seeded to grass. Deep
blowing prevents the water from rum
ming off and more easily conserves
II for the season of drought. 1t pro-
vides more feeding space for plant
roots and liberates a great quantity of
plant food.
1t is also demonstrated that land
under cultivation loses but a small
amount of water by evaporation. pro-
viding the surface is maintained with
a fine mulch. Keeping the surface
soil finely titled decreases the vol
ume of evaporation and enables the
plant roots TO make available the
moisture stored In the soil
1T is not possible to obtain normal
crops every year under the present
system of dr. warming, Alternate
seasons the land needs TO be summer
fallowed. This improves the fineness
OF the soil. kills noxious weeds and
conserves the rainfall for the follow
ing years crop. In districts where
the rainfall Is only fifteen inches an
nually the system OF hummer fallow-
ing makes available the moisture of
two seasons for one years crop. The
rainfall on titled soil penetrates be-
low the cultivated depth and encou-
RACES deep root growth of the in
digenous crop.
II is necessary TO add organic mat
ter to the soil to increase the humus
and absorbing properties of the land
lowed land the moisture of a fifteen
inch rainfall penetrates as deep as
six feet and Is available for alfalfa
and other leguminous plants. The
best organic matter is stable manure
and clover turned under. as they add
nitrogen. humus and porosity to the
soil.
The principal object of summer fall
lowing is to conserve water in the sub
soil. which is OF greater advantage TO
crops han moisture near the sur-
face. The protection of crops against
drought is in proportion to the water
available in the subsoil. as an inch Of
rainfall will not penetrate below the
surface mulch and is soo evaporated.
Livestock Industry should be followed
in conjunction with dry farming"