El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-27
Dry Farming WiIl
Reclaim West Texas
BY Hon. Ed. R. Kone, Agri-
cultural Commissioner for
Texas

, open and unabstructed that leads to the
time when Texas. from border to Dor
der. viii with the exception of spot
here and there) be eheckered with
| thrifty farmers
ON q Small Rainfall
P. H. Linfield, director of the Mon
: tana agricultural station says: In
! answer to the question as to the crop
possibilities with 1914 inches annual
precipitation. 1 would say that. could
It all be utilized for crop growth, 32-S
bushels of what per acre could be
grown. If only half the total moisture
: of a year could be retained, 1914 BUSH
els, a very paying crop, could be rails
ed"
according to bulletin No. 81 of the
7 New Mexico College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, y inches of rainfall
nuaIly are sufficient (if all could be
( conserved to raise 27 bushels of grain
: to the acre The bulletin then CON
I tiDUes: If only half is kept in the soil
I there is possibility Of more than g
bushels to the acre. which is a very
! profitable yield. BY the employment
I OF proper methods of tillage, 10 inches.
( or considerably less. may be so con
] served in the soil as TO yield good
/ crops
! Bulletin No. 75 of the experiment sta
. ton Of the Agricultural College Of
/ Utah. says: Twelve inches of rainfall
should produce in Utah. conditions be-
, ing favorable for the retention of moist
ure in the soil, not less than IS bushels
! o. wheat 10 the acre; 1850 inches should
I produce % bushels; 10 inches, 25 BUSH
/ els, and so on"
I The annual precipitation over the
! greater portion of semi-arid Texas is
much greater than in Montana. New
! Mexico, Utah and other dry farming
states, and away above the 10 inches
/ that the New Mexico and Utah bUlle-
tins say profitable crops can be raised
Texas Rainfall Figures.
I At Eagle Pass ard Fort Duncan the
/ 2nEUal precipitation was 27.26 inches in
/ 1905; 2f.G5 inches il 1906: 1925 inches
in 1907 and 1858 inches in 1908; and
! the mean annual rainfall over SO years
! has been 20.87 inches
I The anuaI rainfall OF Laredo and
] Fort Mcintosh was 2S.O1 inches in 1905;
24-10 inches in 1906 1887 inches in
5 1907 and 20.14 inches in 1908; and the
mean annual rainfall during SO years has
been 1857 inches
! The annual rainfall at Fort Clark
and Brackettville was 24.23 inches in
i 1905 1858 inches in 1906: 25-43 inches
T in 1907, and 1906 inches in 1908; and
, the mean annual rainfall during SO
years has been 22.52 inches.
+ The annual rainfall ct Big Springs
vas 30-SS inches in 1905; 1886 inches in
1905 and 24-54 inches in 1907; and the
mean annual rainfall since 1891 has
/ been 20.39 inches
These figures illustrate the differ
e1ces in favor Of Texas through the
whole extent OF its area in which it is
I proposed to establish dry farming
To succeed on the farm in west
+ Texas. in the first place, the soil Of
/ the farm should be deep and rich The
/ location selected should be such as TO
/ afford adequate transportation faci1-
+ tiles for obtaining supplies and market
+ ing products. The right kind OF irsple-
merits and machinery should be pro-
cured and properly used, the main ones
being the following. or others that VIII
take their place: SubsoiI pillow. subsur-
face packer. roller. hoe, drill or seeder,
disc surface cultivatOr. acme harrow.
: tCOthed harrow, weeder, harvester and
threSher- The most approved methods
, CT blowing. harrOrSfng. planting and
cultivating should be followed. not neg
! Letting to break the land deep IN the
! fall and winter and Immediately go over
I IT with the disc harrow. as the heaviest
) RENTALS occur in those seasons and
] they are tle--times for the moisture TO
I penetrate deep into the ground Less
/ seed should be planted than is custom
airy n humid regions. Cultivation
should be shallow and frequent and a
/ good mulch maintained
How to Control Water
! An authority says: Soil moisture, by
proper handling may be moved from
one layer of soil TO another. BY loos-
ering the lower layers of the soil the
I tendency of the water " 81 be downward
during the rainy season. but should the
farmer desire to bring portion CT that
nIoiStUrei quickly TO the surface in or
der, for example. 10 cause the speedy
: termination Of seed. he can do so by
packing the surface soil The upward
movement may be checked by again
forming loose surface"
Every drop of water that falls should
be caught ard held as long as possible
and made to do as much work as posi-
bic.
Forage Crops nnd Stock.
Stock raising should constitute, not
a subsidiary, but perma nent incident OF
Cry farming. and of all other farrins,
II west Texas This section can be
made TO yield immense forage crODs bv
intensive farming. and these should
be raised and fed to all kinds of Dror
table livestock of the best breeds. in
/ Guiding poultry. Wherever feasible
daiTying should be practiced on a
/ commercial scale Where it can be done
Gotten should be raised as a money cron
Other crops should be such as Will as
nearly as possible, supply the food
required by the family and help. and
should embrace all veseta bIes frrits
and other products that can be grown
70 advantage under prevailing soil and
climatic conditions.