The Lamar register., 1910-06-08
Dry Land Farming in Eastern Colo-
ado.

Dry land farming Is a continua
fight against relentless, unfavor
able conditions. Success depends
upon the man; his courage. hii
knowledge and judgment. and hi,
persistence. Physical strength ant
endurance of both men and womeI
is large factor in this struggle
With the best seeds and methods oi
tillage there will be some years Of
total failure and many others oi
short crops. 1t Is the safest to
lay plans that will furnish q living
with an average of two failures eacl
five years. There have been three
consecutive years of no crops fol.
lowed by as many years of goot
crops.
Conditions are much more favor.
able than they were twenty or even
ten years ago. There has been nc
increase in the rainfall. but the
methods of storing and holding
moisture in the soil are better un-
derstood. Today there are dry land
plants that will produce crops with
limited rainfall and seeds of these
crops that have been selected and
bred under arid conditions.
Thousands of failures have oc-
CURED on the Plains that have been
due to other than climatic causes.
Men came and used seeds and meth
DDS adapted only to humid regions
and persisted in the face of con-
tinuous failures until they los.
their all. Men came without tn.
capital absolutely accessory to car
ry them over poor years. and theii
first seasons we're ones OF severe
drought Men arrived with fami-
lies. and after paying the freight
on their few household goods had
no money left. They had not been
thrifty enough to save anything IN
, humid country. where they had
been familiar with profitable meth
ods from childhood. They started
In An arid climate. penniless. with
out any knowledge Of the methods
needed. and with seed. feed and
family SUPPLIES to be purchased for
from six months to two years be-
fore any revenue could be expected.
Men came with little money TO
raise grain exclusively. The surest
income In eastern Colorado Is made
from dairying and poultry.
A man unfamiliar with dry land
farming should not settle on the
Plains unIess he has. sufficient cap
'tai to erect the buildings that are
absolutely necessary. to buy the
needed teams and Implements. and
after making these expenditures,
have sufficient money left to pay
for seed. feed and living expenses
for two years
Men have taken claims in east.
ern Colorado who had little or nc
money. and after years of pinch.
ing and hard work have secured q
comfortable home and good living
They have been men Of dogged per
severance and good judgment, and
usually their families have suffered
hardships which no man has right
to ask Of his wife and children
Thousands of other men have come
with little money: their first years
were during drought. and after los
ing their little. moved eastward
often with the help of friends.
In most dry land counties there
are farmers who have lived on theii
farms for many years. studied 10
cal conditions carefully and have
comfortable homes with fruit. gar
den and shade. The new settler
should get acquainted with sucf
men at once and should watch ant
study their operations month b,
month. The average old settler
has not succeeded in making mucf
of q home and usually what h
does and says discourages the new
neighbor.
The Director of the Colorado Ex
pertinent Station. Fort Collins. ant
the Superintendent of the U. s
Dry Land Expsrament Station. AK
ron, Colorado. will be glad to furn
ish any information they or theil
associates may have and should b.
consulted often. Reliable book
on Dry Land Farming should b
thoroughly studied.
A Few Figures