The evening times., 1911-08-02
WORST IN
ARTICLE ON DRY
FARM|N
Agricultural College Head
Deals With That Subject
in Concise Manner
(By Pres. ]. H. Worst)

So long as nature furnished suffi-
cient moisture at the exact time the
plants required it and in sufficient
qusntity to supply the growing crop
the subject of dry farming attracted
put little attention. The general
drought that prevailed last year and
the partial drought this year, how
ever. has given the :ubject of dry
farming a new significance. In To-
calities where sub-soil moisture was
almost wholly lacking on account of
last summers drought, it must be
patent to any thoughtful farmer that,
in those localities, spring and summer
showers and the moisture resulting
from the winter snow would have to
be depended upon for the production
of this years crop. There was no
foundation in the way of sub-soil sat-
uration to supplement the showers
and sustain growing plants during the
somewhat protracted intervals that
occurred between showers.
Furthermore, light showers of half
an inch or less have a tendency to
product a shallow roofing system,
which causes the crop to quickly suf-
fer when the weather gets hot and
the surface becomes dry. This con-
dition doubtless will continue until
a wet season occurs with precipitation
sufficient to reach the sub-soil with
abundant moisture. and to a consid-
cradle depth.
This accounts for the saying that
we have alternating cycles of fruitful
and precarious seasons. Once the
subsoil is thoroughly saturated with
moisture, no wide awake farmer
should ever allow it to become dry
again. He will conserve the sub
soil moisture by methods of cultiva-
ton recognized as necessary to in
sure moisture conservation.
In localities where the average pre-
cipitation exceeds sixteen inches and
in view of the known fact that less
than seven inches of water is requir-
ed by the plants to produce a profit
able crop, it is sheer folly to allow
weeds and crusted soil to waste more
than nine inches Of solid water. More
over, it has been determined that
where half "a pound of dry matter in
the form Of weeds can be found on
each square yard Of ground, the wa
ter necessary to produce these weeds
is sufficient to produce twenty BUSH
Ell crop of wheat. The folly Of grow
ing weeds must, in view of these
facts, be quite apparent. If fields
are clear of weeds and have been
plowed deep enough to accommodate
a heavy shower of rain without any
run-off, and have been sub-surface
packed as the ground is being plow-
ed, (in order to insure capillary con-
nection of the furrow slice with the
subsoiD and then if from the time the
ground is plowed and sub-surface
packed in the fall dust blanket be
maintained until the grain is too
large to be dragged in the spring,
there can scarcely be a possibility of
crops being injured from lack of
moisture about their roots.
To insure sufficient moisture to
plow the ground with ease and to the
proper depth, the disc should follow
the binder. This will fill up the
cracks and also pulverize the sur
face so that, should it rain, the ground
is in proper condition to receive it,
and when plowed, the pulverized sur
face will materially aid in producing
proper seed bed. -
I have estimated that with modern
machinery, it will not cost to exceed
one dollar per acre to give the land
tsll the additional cultivation here
recommended, viz: discing after the
binder, with at least four draggings
later, to maintain the soil mulch.
Under any circumstances, the farm
er must invest in land, must plow the
ground, certainly in some old way,
must drag it at least twice, furnish
seed and drill it in. This will cost
between five and six dollars per acre.
This investment of labor and money
must be made under any circum-
stances. l feel confident that by add
ing additional expense to the extent