The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-06-20
CORN ON DRY FARM
Conservation of Rainfall Is Key
to Success.
Enough Live Stock Should Be Kept to
Pay Most Of Farm Expenses In
Semi-ArId ReQions-Hay and
Pasturaqe Short.

In all dry farming areas the conser-
walton of the rainfall In the soil where
1t becomes available to growing crops |
Is the keystone of successful agricul-
ture, writes w. r. Porter in the Farm,
Stock and Home.
This is generally done by the cult
walton of the soil during the entire
growing season. II no crop Is pro-
duced on the land this operation is
called summer fallow or summer cul-
ture. Over most of the dry farming
area nearly II not as good grain
crops can be grown following a cult
waited crop as after the summer fal-
lowed land.
When the bare fallow system is
used whole year elapses without any
returns either on the investment or
for the labor performed. II a cult
waited crop can be grown with as good
crops following it should more than
pay It's expense, which will consist OF
seed, planting and harvesting; the cul-
tivation would have to be done any
way, SO this would not be counted
against the cost Of production of a
crop of corn. Corn is pre-eminently
this crop, first, because 1t produces
an abundance of cheap feed; second,
it shades the soil during the exces-
sively hot days Of July and August,
thereby preventing loss Of soil fertil-
ity, and third, a corn field has cool
ing rather than a heating influence on
the winds that blow across it. This
may have a very beneficial effect on
surrounding crops when the tempera-
ture is near the 100 degree mark.
On most farms In the dry farming
area enough live stock should be kept
to pay most Of the running expenses OF
the farm. Hay and pasturage are very
short in such areas and consequently
too dear for cheap live stock produc-
ton. Enough corn should be grown
to supply, first, the work horses with
roughage during the winter If not the
working season; second, to supple
ment the pastures of the summer and
fall as a soiling crop or in the form
Of ensilage and to from the bulk of
their winter ration; third, to supply
the sheep and hogs cheap fattening
food for finishing them off in the fall
The first essential to corn culture
on the dry farms is live stock, for
without such there Is no way of util
izing the corn crop, but If live stock
are kept feed must be had, the corn
crop can be converted into beef, pork
mutton. wool, butter and eggs, com
modities that can always be convert
ed into cash or its equivalent. The
by-product Of live stock (manure,
should go back onto the land to re
plenish the diminishing supply Of hu
mus and fertilizing elements SO essen
tial to large yields.
The second essential to corn culture
is a conviction that 1t will pay to grow
live stock on the corn crop produced
and a determination to grow corn a.
their chief feed in spite Of advers
circumstances. In order to be success
full in growing corn on dry farm tn
selection of the proper variety Is es
sential. In western North Dakot
and eastern Montana Squaw, Gehr
Mercer, King Phillip and Trump
will probably prove the best flint We
rieties, while Golden dent and NORTH
western dent will probably prove tn
best dent varieties. Good seed is yer
important. 1t should always germinat
strong and IS per cent. or better.
The time to seed is from the tent
to the fifteenth Of May in well pr
pared seed bed which has bee
MANFRED and plowed the fall befo1
and which has been narrowed at int
walls from the time the soil had thawe
out in the spring until the time
seeding Thorough cultivation Is vel
important as it warns the soil, d
creases evaporation of soil water, ar
forces the corn ahead very rapidly.
the dry farms the corn should be CT
tivated after every rain as soon
possible in order to bottle all wat
possible in the soil. AS soon as IL
corn is cut the land should be disk,
lightly but it should not be plowe
Should any heavy soaking rains con
after this in the fall the land shou
again be narrowed. In the spril
wheat should be sown as early as pc
sible but very rarely should the CO
land be plowed before seeding wheat