The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-11-16
DR.. CHAS. w. ROOK
Reports Dry Farming Congress
Held at Colorado Springs. Colo,
October 1920, 1911
CONTINUED from last week, }

DIR. Theodore kryshtofovich, Russian
Commissioner of Agriculture, gave Il
most interesting address upon agricul
ture in his country. He said that in
both European and Asiatic Russian
possessions there were large areas of
land which until recent years was net
considered habitable. on account of the
scarcity of rainfall; the precipitation
not exceeding l6 inches. But by modern
and scientific methods of agriculture.
these lands are now being brought un-
der cultivation. He mentioned phe-
nomenon, which, for many years puZzl
ed their wise men, namely, that in
areas where the precipitation did not
exceed II to l6 inches annually, the
evaporation of moisture from those
lands would reach Us high as 30 to Sc
inches annually. Recently, one of the
Russian Scientists observed that when
the soil for depth of 6 to inches was
made into a condition most suitabalc
for the termination and growing of
plants, that such soil freely admitted
the air. and that the air in passing
through this loosend soil, the particles
of which, being much cooler than the
air, would thereby cause condensation
of IA portion of the moisture always
present in the air, the same as when
in the heat of summer a pitcher of ice
water will cause condensation of the
in the air coming in contact with the
pitcher. By thus placing their soil in
the best possible condition for plant
growth. the Russian farmers areabie TO
profit by this additional source of soil
moisture. | doubt not but that the
principle here noted by this Russian
Agriculturalist might not prove to be
a fundamntal one in successful practice
Of dry land agriculture.
One of the most interesting address
es delivered at the Congress, was that
Of Mr.. f. r. Parson, "A farmer and
fruit grower, living at Parker, Douglas
Courty. Colorado. the elevation of which
place is 5000 feet, and it's annual precip-
itation lag inches. Mr.. Parsons was an
Englishman coming to Colorado from
South Africa in 1886, He at once began
experimenting in tree growing, but not
till 1895 did he set out his first com
mercial orchard of 1000 trees. This has
gradually been added to, untilit now
numbers 1000 cherry trees alone In
addition to the cherries of sevral var
icties, he is growing several varieties
of apples, pums, grapes, currants, and
other smaller fruit. He advises deep
plowing. two years of summer failow-
ing before the planting of trees, in
order that the soil may be moist to a
depth of at least three feet. He plants
his apple trees in rows 40 feet apart
cherries and pums 90 feet apart smaller
fruits 10 feet. He gives the soil between
the rows at least twelve civilizations
annually. In 1910 Mr.. Parsons sold from
his orchard over 5 100000 worth of
fruit.
Prof II. NJ, Bainer, late of the Colo
Agricultural Demonstration for the
Santa Fe Railway, and located at ANA
rillo, Texas. spoke of the work being
done upon the demonstration farm at
Amarillo He placed especial emphasis
upon the need Of deeper plowing in
order to prepare suitable seed bed in
which plants would terminate and
endure the periods of drouth so COM
mon in these semi-arid lands. For deep
plowirg. Prof. Bainer recommended the
Spalding Deep Tilling Machine, saying
he had eight of those machines, and
that their work was entirely satisfac-
tory.
This Mr.. Editor, is only brief review
of the proceedings of the Sixth Inter
national Dry Farming Congress. the
next session of which will be held in
1912, in Lethbridge. Alberta. Canada
Very truly yours.
Charles W. Rook,