The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-06-17
SIMPLE RULES FOR
CONSERVING WATER

moisture. Twice as much precipitation
falls on 20 square feet as on 10 square
feet. Then supposing of course that
the roots can cover the distance, trees
planted 20 feet apart get twice as much
moisture as those planted only 10. This
is self evident proposition which
holds in all branches of dry farming.
We can sift this matter still further
and by actual experiment demonstrate
the amount of water used up by any
tree or plant and then show how to
accumulate and conserve this water.
Those who have not had experience
think sometimes it is rather tall talk
when we say that we can raise any
thing we wish by dry farming For
instance, one desires to raise cauli-
lower: we find that if we plant a
cauliflower in box and keep it out
of the rain; we can raise a very fair
vegetable of its kind by allowing it
the first month halt pint of water
a day; the second month full pint,
and the third month quart day
This totals up los pounds of water to
make cauliflower of the early variety
maturing in three months from the
time of planting out from the seer bed.
In order to secure this moisture. we
plow the garden in lands five feet
apart, making a dead furrow every
five feet, and after replowing this dead
furrow to deepen it and mixing in
some humus in the shape of leaf mold
or black coral dirt, we plant the cauli-
flowers two and a half feet apart In
the row. By this means each plant
has space of itself of five feet by
two and half, total of twelve and
half square feet.
! If we get only three inchs of rain
during the growing season it amounts
to about fifteen pounds on each square
foot or lS7 pounds on the area allotted
to each plant. Supposing, however. we
have an inch and half or even two
inchs already accumulated in the SOIL
then all we would need in the grow.
ing season would be about two inches.
This rule will apply to all vegeta-
bles When planted by this method in
rows in the dead furrows the water
naturally gravitates from the ridge
between the rows right down to the
roots of the plants in the burrows. and
there soaks in. We use the same meth
DDS in planting an orchard, giving ap-
pie trees 40 feet, pums and cherries
20, and small fruits TO-
| The ground must of course be kent
well cultivated and all crusts broken.
In dry years the garden may suffer to
some extent, but an orchard with the
roots of the trees two or three feet
underground is dronth proof if proper
I ly looked after. Tender plants such
as lettuce can be very easilv shaded
with a board during the heat of the
ho
When trees are received from the
nursery they should be heeled in damn
earth up to the branches for several
! days before planting. The art of
planting tree is to make a eompact
connection between the roots and the
earth. Damp earth thoroughly tamped
/, is much better for this purpose than
mud and water. Two-thirds at least
should be cut off the top in order to
balance the root The roots sbould
never be exposed to the air unless kept
In wet condition.
Trees that bud out and afterwards
die have usually been mishandled in
the nursery 1t is poor policy to buy
from nursery you know nothing
about. The Kansas and Missouri trees
seem to do the best.
-Nu' niht VI IIuiL OF Sndue tree can
be planted that does not winterkill in
your nighborhood, but bottom land
trees such as the cottonwood, willow
and box elder should be avoided.
The land for the orchard should be
plowed year ahead of time to accu-
mulate moisture, but on old land that
has been properly farmed for mois-
ture and has accumulated during the
fall and winter two or three feet of
moist soil, it would be quite safe to
plant An orchard.
TIL land for garden should be
plowed in the fall as deeply as pos
sible, or at least very early in the
spring.
1t is waste of money to dynamite
holes for trees over three feet below
the surface, for the roots will 90
through any subsoil that is kept moist,
and cultivation will not only do this.
but will accumulate more moisture
every year until there is enough to
carry them through any drouth that
comes.-E. r. Parsons, in Dry Farming
Bulletin.