The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1910-03-19
DRY AREA FARMING
Certain Broad Essentials Which
Farmer Must Observe.
More Careful That cultivation Has
Been, More Completely VIII MeIs-
ture Be Preserved That Has
FaIlsn-orowins Alfalfa.

ture Be Preserved That Has
FaIlsn-orowins Alfalfa.
When growing winter crops in dry
areas. a certain course Of tillage must
be followed to bring success with II.
writes Prof Thomas Shaw In Dakota
Farmer. The winter crops which In
northern areas consist Of wheat and
rye must be sown early. The object
sought in sowing them early Is to give
them time to form good strong top
and root that they may 60 through the
winter safely. Wheat in northern
areas should be sown in August. Rye
may do little later, but 1t may also
be sown earlier II It Ia pastured. In
order to insure termination at that
season when the weather ia usually
very dry the ground especially for
wheat should be summer-fallowed.
When summer fa1lowed every care
should be taken to keep all the mois-
ture In the Land that was there at
the time when the land was plowed
and all that has followed subsequent
ly. which means that It must be
pressed down AZ soon az plowed. and
frequently narrowed especially after
rain. It may also be a good plan to drill
wheat in among the standing corn. the
corn being cut subsequently. but the
value of growing 1t thus has not ap-
parently been proved under dry farm
Ing conditions. is
The wheat and also the rye. espe-
cially the latter. may in some instances
be drilled In stubble. as for instance
hulless barley stubble. and still pro-
duce good crop. But this can only
be done safely when there is enough
moisture to terminate the seed The
amount to SOW will vary with the soil.
but usually from three to four pecks
of wheat per Acre will be enough.
Considerably more rye is wanted, as 1t
does not stool SO readily as wheat
Both wheat and rye should be har-
rowed early in the spring and possibly
once again after It has made consid-
cradle growth. The object is Of course
to retain moisture.
Spring crops. as wheat, barley, oats
and speltz are sown ON summer.fal-
lowed land. or on land that was cul-
tivated. while It grew the last crop
taken from It. This means that 1t will
follow corn, potatoes. roots. field peas,
beans and In some instances sorghum
or kaflr corn. The success Of grain
following these will be mcasurably de-
pendent on the carefulnesS Of the cul.
tivation given to the preceding crop.
The more careful that the cultivation
has been, the more completeiy viii
the moisture be preserved that has
fallen. A. . rule, the ground should
not be plowed after the cultivated
crop. but simply prepared by disking
and narrowing. To pillow after these
crops would tend to liberate mois-
ture. These cultivated crops may be
grown on land that was cropped the
previous year. The cultivation given
to them while growing aids in keep
ing In the sob the moisture necessary
to produce them.
Whether peas have an important mis-
SION in such areas has not yet been
worked out. It Il pretty certain that
they will grow well ON the soils OF the
semi-arfd country, but It has not appar-
entity been proved d to whether the
Yields when grown In rows viii BE-
such a.. to justify growing the FIELD
crop thus. There should be NO doubt,
however. ~ to the proAtable results
that would accrue from growing gar
dem varieties for seed or for canning.
The peas would put nitrogen in the
soil. They could be planted with the
grain drill, using only such tubes ~
were necessary. The distance between
the rows would be ~ to 20 inches 10
cording to the variety.
While alfalfa may BE- started on new
breaking Of the AYst year, II II better
to put It on older land. The land
should Be fallowed for It the previous
year, and 1t will add to the strength
and sureness Of tie stand II 1t can
b mAnurcd. Alfalfa comes In nicely
after tho potato crop IL well cared for.
Corn would do a. well. but for the
stubs remaining in the land. A nice
smooth seeded should Be made In
the spring. and the alfalfa drilled IN
alone ct the rate q about 10 pounds
per acre. II should b clipped on once
and the next year It should furnish
. crop. It u improved BY disking and
narrowing each spring. setting the
disk 70 - not to destroy many Of the
plants.
Potato and corn crops should b
put rsasonably well down. II Il spe-
cially important that the harrow shall
be used On them freely and judicious-
". Thess crops shouA Be very ex-
tsnsively grown in tho dry country
because Of their intrinsic value and
because of the inausace which the