Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-04-14
The Campbell system Of Soil Culture.
1By H. w. campbelll


In the period from 1883 to 1898
our efforts were mainly along the line
of preventing the i'll effects of drouthy
seasons upon the general crop yield,
and in this line of research much has
been accomplished. In 1898 we be-
gan a broader and more elaborate
study Of scientific soil culture.
We became fully convinced by. the
results of our work in 1896 and 1897
that the average yield of fields.
whether in the more humid sections
with their greater rainfall, the more
arid or semi-arid sections having
lesser rainfall combined with grave
uncertainty as to tfmeliness and
quantity, or under irrigation-in
short by the common methods Of soil
treatment practiced under all condi-
tons and all sections Of the country
that the average yield of grain was
not half what it might be or should
be If the methods of tillage were ma
terially changed.
Prompted by these conclusions.
reached after fifteen years Of expert
ence and observation, we started out
to prove by practical demonstration
that the average yield Of all farm
crops could easily be doubled by
simply changing the method of tilling
the soil and without resorting to COM
mercial fertilizers. That these last
ten years Of research have not been
in vain is evidenced by the results
achieved at numerous places all over
the semi-arid belt
RESULTS IN ALL REGIONS.
In seasons Of drought when others
by more common methods of farming
have grown from nothing to or 10
bushels of wheat there has been
grown under our method of tillage
from 80 to 40 bushels per acre.
In the more favorable seasons,
when others have produced by the
common. methods from is to 25
bushels per acre. there has been
grown under the methods of tillage
we have outlined from 40 to 60 and
over bushels of wheat per acre.
1t has also been proven by expert
ence that by the application of the
same fundamental principles the yield
Of all crops can be proportionally in
creased.
The fundamental principle of the
Campbell system of scientific soil Gull
ture apply to crop growing in all sec
tons, and we are fully justified in
claiming that the average yield can
be materially increased; but when we
turn to the semi-arid section these
principles become vital. In evidence
Of this, we will present in our next
issue a large number Of statements
from many farmers in many sections
showing marked results.
LOOKING TO THE SOIL.
Our present system Of tinage is not
combination Of rigid rules outlining
certain mechanical work that must be
done under any and all conditions
the result of continued experiment.
in deep ana shallow blowing. deer
and shallow cultivation, etc. It look,
rather to the conditions of the sol
as maintained from year to year
In 1896 we conducted experiments
in eleven different places along tn,
Burlington railroad, the Northern
Pacific and the 500 Line. receivin,
financial aid from all Of these com
panies, the fields being located il
North Dakota, Nebraska. Kansas an,
Colorado. In 1897 the Fremont an,
Elkhorn railway came in for a shar
of the work and more stations wer
added on the other roads, making
total of over thirty.
Through chain of circumstance
connected with these farms we reach
ed the conclusion that the GRO
growth and grain yield was governe
largely by the physical condition Q
the soil, and careful experiments tn
past ten years have shown this to hav
been an important step by leading IL
to Investigations along this specis
line.
MOISTURE CONSERVATION.
While the conservation of the moi
ture is an important factor, it is b
no means all. 1t is only one Of man
vital things to be carefully considere
if we are to reach the high limit
yield in all fields the now seems DO
sible
While we do not wish to convs
the idea that our system is so ell
borate and full of details that IL
farmer cannot grasp it in its entiret
for 1t is not. Yet there are so al
details. everyone of which must
fully understood. that it is entire