Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-08-15
"DRY FARMING" HERE.

L
stration of "dry farming" on con-
siderable scale by Sam Krpmmann
on his farm right here at the edge
of town, an account of which APP
peared in yesterdays Journal, ought
to be studied by every farmer in
this region of the corn beit-in
fact, by farmers throughout the
land. We naturally associate dry
farming with the dry country far
west where rainfall, without special
treatment, is regularly or generally
insufficient to the production OF
crops, but its methods are of no less
Importance right here in the area
Of large rainfall.
When Mr.. Krummann is able by
dry farming methods this trying
year to produce an average of 100
bushels of fine potatoes on twenty
acres, and proportionate yields Of
tomatoes, cabbage, ETC., the demon
stration admonishes practical farm
ers that here is something worth
attending to. There is no mystery
about it, no costly new equipment
required. The method is scientific
and strictly practical, open to any
one who will apply it.
All there is to it is simply keep
ing water in the soil by preventing
evaporation. Rapid evaporation re-
suits through capillary action.
which dry farming foils simply by
breaking the crust and keeping in
it's stead covering of fine sofia
"dust mulch" as it is called. All
there is to it is repeated cultivation,
particularly and Immediately after
rains. in addition, of course. to
proper preparation of the seed bed.
which there must be anyhow
This surmounts the great, ever
possible difficulty in farming in this
region where the rainfall, though
in gross amount it may be abundant
and superabundant. yet may not be
properly distributed during the
growing season, leaving long dry
periods fatal to crops. This is pre-
cisely the case this year, and is IL
able to occur here any year.
What Mr. Krummann did for his
twenty acres of potatoes was to keep
the surface of his soil finely broken
up by frequent borrowings and Gull
tivations-six of the former and
eight of the latter, he says--form-
ing thus barrier that conserved
the moisture from the rare rains to
nOurish vigorous growth in his po-
tatoes at the very time when other
fields, not so treated, were Destroy
ed. This is dry farming. This is
why he has big crop and others
have not
1t involves some labor-yes, GER
tainly. There is always the posi-
bility that rainfall may come at the
right moment--certainly But, ev-
en- in that case, you still have the
benefits of thorough cultivation,
weed destruction. aeration OF the
soil, release Of plant food, etc. Dry
farming infallibly does win in the
exigencies to which we are unescap-
ably liable. Against these, it affords
the highest form of insurance. at
the lowest rate, available to us.
Moreover. every intelligent farm
err in this region knows that we
have got henceforth to cultivate
better-get more crops from small
er acreage-if we are to hope to
maintain or increase fertility. That
is to say. we have got to increase
the area of clover and heterogeneous
growths, and to increase them Inn
mensely. We in Iowa, as we'll az in
the older settled parts of South Da-
kota and Nebraska, are right up
against this problem. and nothing
more helpful than dry farming"
has turned up for its solution.
rovor no,ro rad h,y C<o-~.