Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-10-21

heaviest, two and three crops are fire.
quently raised each time the land IL
summer t"Iiowed, Corn, beans and
potatoes are grown as cultivated
crops in a limited way in some of The
more favored districts.
The fwO Extremes of Dry Farming
At the present time the wheat ba1t
OF the Columbia river basin presents
the two extremes Of dry farming.
Beginning near the Columbia river.
on the one hand, where the pre- ,ipita-
ton is but or inches and where
the soil is light, deficient in vege-
table matter and subject to drifting.
we have a condition which appears to
be beyond the limits of successful
dry farming. In the higher altf
tudes, on the other hand, where the
soil is fertile silt loan and where
the precipitation is sufficient to grow
cultivated crops instead of summer
following, we have conditions where
intensive agriculture is possible, con-
ditions that are scarcely proper to
| designate as dry farming.
The Surface Run-ofT
As previously stated the most Of
our annual precipitation comes during
the late fall and winter. While an
excessive winter precipitation is usu-
ally considered indicative Of a good
crop yield, it must be remembered
that much of the winter rain and
snow water is frequently lost by sur
| face run-off. The warm Chinook
winds to which the Pacific Northwest
is subject during the winter months
frequently cause d heavy snow to
melt very rapidly. If the ground is
frozen solidly at the time Of these
rapid thaws, the soil can not take up
the water and much of it runs into
the rayines and is lost. When we
remember further that the crop can
use only that portion of the rainfall
that the soil takes up and retains,
lessening the surface run-otf by stor-
ing the water in the soil becomes a
very important matter. From this
point of view the depth to which the
winter precipitation sinks in the soil
is the true rain guage for the dry
farmer 1t is one of the best indica-
tors of the chances for a good crop.
Methods of Lessening the Surface
Run-off
In order to check the surface run
off the soil should go into the winter
in a loose, open, receptive condition.
Land that has produced a cereal crop
is put in this condition by fall disk
ing and blowing Disking and ploW-
ing loosens the surface soil so the
water can penetrate it. The pillow es-
pecially leaves depressions in the sur
face which catch and retain snow
water when the ground is frozen.
The stubble and other organic matter
are mixed with the surface soil.
This tends to keep the surface loose
and porous so that the ground will
not freeze 50 hard as when it is COM
pact. When treated in this way the
soil often thaWs out quickly enough
to take much of the snow water. In
several instances we have known the
moisture to penetrate twice as deeply
ly the first OF February on land tnat
was fall plowed as it aid on the same
kind Of land that was not ploWe1.
Early Spring Tilio2e Important
Another essential IN dry farming IN
the Columbia river BASIN a InatIeI
that is not as universally appreciated
by our farmers as 1t should be- IS
checking the loss Of soil moisture by
evaporation in the early spring AS
soon as the frost is out OF the ground
and the soil has settled and drled
Gil FIJI pipDtlV To hermit of cultivation,