Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-01
SUCCESS IN DRY FARMING.
Farmers of BoxcIdcr County Have
Been Using This Method for Years.

I'VE have been dry farming in Box
Atty. Neis Jcnson "Of course much
OF IL was hapnazard, mucn OF IL un-
successful, anG yet lor all that many
farms in our county where irrigation Is
Impossible nave sustained homes and
taImlleS Tor a long ume past. Tneir
SUCCESS does not approach lhat attain
ed Win the modern Scientinc methods,
out they Ut least wrunS u living from
the earth.
since the BoXelder farmers have been
adopting mouern MISUNDERSTANDING,
narrowing and resting the soil with It's
accumulation of moisture, they have
been rewarded with wonderful crops.
Now 80 to 80 bushels OF wheat 10 the
acre Is common, While 40 bushels is
not an unusual yield from some of the
best of our dry lands.
"One of our most successful dry
farmers is Mr. Eliason of Brigham City
who owns u 1900 acre tract In Pocatello
valley In Boxelder county west OF Port
age, and near Snowville. Near Bear
River City some of the most successful
dry farmers are John Holmgren, David
Holmgren. ole Jenson and Albert
Holmgren. Some of them have maoc
successes of their dry farms for many
years, yields of 80 bushels of wheat to
the acre being common with them.
''As to the methods of soil treatment
employed by our most successful Box
elder county dry farmers:
In the fall or early spring the
ground Is thoroughly and deeply plow-
ed. 1t is permitted to rest until the
following August when II Is planted
to wheat. But in the meantime the
ground is gone over several times with
the harrow. This Is to keep down the
weeds. and to break up and pulverize
the soil so as to retain the moisture
accumulation of the winter and spring.
The breaking up and pulverizing OF the
soil forms a sort Of surface blanket
that retains the moisture from the
rains and SHOWS. so when the wheat is
planted in August this moisture, often
assisted by early fall rains, causes the
wheat to sprout. and when the first
snow flies 1t finds the green spears
often six inches high.
This is covered with the winter
SHOWS, and when they are dispersed
in early spring by the warm rays of the
sun the grain shoots upon and natures
before the scorching days of August. 1t
is cut in July generally. q month or
moro before the irrigated wheat. Then
there are special varieties of wheat that
have proven to be best adapted for our
dry farms. After the crop Is garnered
the land is permitted to lie Idle until
late fail, or early next spring. when
1t Is again thoroughly plowed again
the narrowing Is instituted and the
planting of the next crop postponed
until the following August. So you see
1t is an every other year crop with our
dry farms.
Attempts have been made TO get
crop every year, but as far as l nave
observed, all such have proven failures
One big crop every alternate year is
far more satisfactory than two scanty
crops, with failure staring you In tho
accumulation OF year to insure a
crop on our dry lands
Alfalfa, or lucerne, can be success
fully raised on our Boxclder dry farms
1t is a rather slow process. however.
recurring. unless the land Is specially
we'll adapted for the purpose. three
years to get a good stand. Often. how
ever. the second year yields fair crop
OF hay. The raising of luccrne seed by
this means has proven to be a success
After n strong stand has been secured,
the first crop is cut for hay. the second
allowed to mature the seed, which
Yields a crop sufficiently heavy even on
our dry lands to make 1t q very profit
able industry.
"Thc past two or three years there
has been a great impetus given to dry
farming In Boxelder county. Vast
stretches OF land that never before
wore looked upon az worth taking. are
now being homestcaded. or grabbed up
by large corporations. until today there
remains In our county but little that
can be put TO agricultural uses