The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-06-08
SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS ON
DRY FARMING
BY l.. n. Merrill

state has been greatly stimulated be-
cause of the passage of the Enlarged
Homestead Act, which enable mar
to use his homestead right to select
800 acres OF non.irrigible land The
passage of this Act has enabled many
homesteaders to secure land and
there has been general movement
towards the selecting of these lands
and placing them under cultivation.
The Act, fortunately, provides that a
certain amount shall be cultivated
each year until at least one.half Of
the farm is under cultivation. Home.
steaders are allowed to take 800 acres
under the provisions of this Act. The
fact, too, that the tests made by the
experiment stations has been uniform.
ly successful has given encouragement
to the movement.
There has been those in the state
who have felt that dry-farmng could
rot be made profitable venture, but
since the successful experience 81
1910 there is almost universal sen.
timent in favor of the movement. This
interest has occasioned great many
inquiries. not only from people of our
own state but from those outside, re.
garding the methods to be practiced
III dry farming. II is therefore thought
desirable TO include here some prac-
teal suggestions with the hope that
it will be helpful to those who are
contemplating engaging in this branch
of farming
II should be born in mind that dry
farming is simply a problem of mois-
ture conservation In this state with
the excessive evaporation, it is not
wise to select a locatio nfor dry-farm.
ing where the average annual preci.
pitation is less than ~ inches and
even then there are great many con.
ditions that affect the yield
Selecting the Land.
In selecting "A site for dry-farmng
one should make an attempt to secure
record of annual precipitation. In
many localities it will be found i'm
possible to secure accurate data OF
this subject since weather stations
have not been long established. How
ever by selecting number of sta
tons in various directions from tn,
contemplated site, II is usually pos
sble to get fairly accurate idea a,
TO the amount of precipitation. O
course it will be found that the preci
pitation varies considerable for vari
Gus localities and from year to year
Only by taking the average for
number of years can accurate inform
alton be had on this matter.
The next important consideration /,
TO secure soil of great depth. The roots
OF the wheat plant penetrate the sol
to depth of ten or twelve feet under
ordinary dry farming conditions. Dur
ing the past season Mr.. +. A. Wyatt
graduate of the Agricultural College
under the direction of the writer. FOL
lowed the roots of a stool Of Turkey
wheat on the Juab County Experiment
tai farm, down to a depth OF Savei
feet, Here very heavy blue clay wa,
encountered and it was found i'm
possible to trace the roots further
though 1t was known that they pene
trated this clay. Very deep and I'M
form soils should be chosen and FOL
tunately most OF the soils in this stat
are of this characted, There are, q
course, some shallow soils The puI
pose in securing a deep and uniforr
soil is to store the moisture for tn
use of the crop, and that this is POI
sible is shown by DR.. Widtsoe in tn
publication previously referred to.
In selecting soils, depth is OF prlm
Importance, however, it is very in
portant that fertile and product,
soils are selected as well as to secu,
soils of proper physical properties
order that the moisture may be 7