The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-11-01
ARID-LAND FARMING
Much Ground Cultivated Where
Rainfall Is Deficient.
Some Of the Moro Important Facts
Bearing Upon Subject 40 Brought
Out by v. 8. Department Of
Agriculture.


By W. II. BEAL. Office OF Experiment
Station)
The Importance OF extending the
productive area Of farm lands In the
United States has been especially en-
phasized in recent years, with the
result that much land hitherto consid-
cred unsuited to farming has been
brought under cultivation. In this
class are the large areas in the west
ern half Of the United States, where
the rainfall Is deficient. 1t was EVIL
dent that II these lands were to be
profitably utilized for agricultural pur-
poses other than grazing, new meth
DDS OF farming must be adopted. With
this object In view this department
and several of the experiment sta
lions situated In arid or semi-arid re-
gions have carefully studied the agri-
cultural conditions and possibilities
of these regions and made extensive
tests of the crops and methods OF cul-
ture adapted to them. These investl,
cations, as we'll as the practical ex-
perience of settlers on dry lands. have
now gone far enough to make 1t pos
sible to lay down some general prin'
ciples and to indicate certain meth
DDS which must be observed In order
to guard against failure In dry farm
Ing The following is summary OF
some of the more important facts
bearing upon this subject as brought
out by recent reports Of this work
by the department and the expert
ment stations:
Dry farming Is also called dry-land
farming or arid-land farming. 1t Is
generally defined as farming without
irrigation in regions where the annua
rainfall is between eight and twenty
inches. The fact that rainfall alone
is not the only moisture condition
which determines the crop production
Of a given locality Is indicated by the
Investigations of the office Of forage
crop Investigations of the bureau O
plant industry of the department
which states that Tor the production
Of such drought-resistant crops Al
alfalfa, slender-wheat grass. tall-oa
grass and bronze grass the "investiga
tons indicate that the minimum rain
fall is approximately 16 inches IN thu
Dakotas, 10 inches in Nebraska, q
inches in Kansas and up t.
30 inches farther south" In othe
words, to produce a given crop tn
amount OF rainfall necessary Is mucl
greater In the warmer regions, wher
evaporation removes 30 much mois
turc.
Dry farming Is made possible Il
two ways: (D BY careful tillage, an
(2) by the Introduction of drought
resistant crops or drough-resistant va
rieties. Even where dry farming I
followed, irrigation is usually recon
mended for the small areas to be dc
voted to garden crops to carry tn
household through years Of GRO
failure, which are more frequent i
these semi-arid regions than In r.
gions where the rainfall is greater.
The principles of tillage are almos
exactly the same as for other regions
or even for the semi-arid region
where irrigation Is practised, wit
emphasis laid upon the conservatio
Of moisture: (D Because the suppl
Is low, and (2) because one and one
half times as much water Is require
to produce a pound of dry matter
the plant in these drier regions as
required In more humid climates.
Surface cultivation Is constantly r.
sorted to in order to maintain mule
or lid to prevent the escape of moi
ture and to keep down weeds, whic
drain the land of its water. TIL
mulch Is renewed as soon as possibl
after each rain, but should not
made sufficiently fine to allow tt
wind to blow the soil from place
place. This Is especially to be guar
, ed against on sandy SOIL which shou
, be worked sooner after rain has
stroyed the mulch than the clay So
which is more inclined to puddle, bal
or otherwise get out of good physic
condition. The third advantage ari
ing from frequent surface cultivate
Is the admission Of air to the roo
of the crops supplying them with o
ygen. This air also encourages u
, growth of the friendly bacteria whit
, prepare plant food by breaking dow
, humus and forming the nitrates whit
can be readily taken up by the roo
of the plants.