The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-09-21
VALUE OF DUST MULCH
Many Crops in Tine Of Drought
Saved By Method.
F.--lfty q esi. Slthszss E5ts -tsiy y
Rs,stts-y. 10 Nst sr Hsrs hss5-
e Thsn t.e P-spsf En,ssrt
- Hcirtgre

Ordinarily ube1 0-s ttl-ks q ne
syo1Iuarf thst are imperative %
insure tas pr11sc-5gE n fsrz
srg2 - any Ert thzf uay - grown.
- f.rkf u tbs fertile sol a. tbe
-losa lr1pgraui - al Ard q "a. q
eDgrEe. a5E1lufeiT nscesEarT that a
sDl sra ss-u1zrt plant foos -
Dssuts1 o. 70 get crop
Bgt ths sctl. o. rzttsr tbs plant
fo0s. aittDoEt a5soigtsly uepesEary.
4 Il rC- q ~ more - ttz1 he
usa5sl Amount q rnolEturs EsyE
writer ir the Fnr- Pr1sreaA
Fgrzgrately EAtsr h "a Egf cent
supplT a. . rsls 70 make TIE orci
rzry orogs On uoEt q TIE srzble
lad " Dourbe in the ard regSOus
trs water Egpply is Obtained from
streams created mainly bY melting
srOWs. ard ~ q rule TIE irrigation
no1paaies knOE 5gEi about shat
water car ~ sappIsd ard ths nan
sho hzt = farm On shich bs can pgt
~stsr fr0n a. irrEsti0n plaui is far
more certain u results than Cne Who
gsfH bis water supply b. The acts q
Providence
The Irrigation farmer is therefore
far more certain a. " the outcome u
Ms crops than th9se IN The rain belt
who gef little Or much water. accord
Ing 70 the rainfall
The water supply II therefore the
rnoas uncertain and most important
In the greater portion u The arabic
lands q this country. This f. 20 well
known that no farmer who has
farned o. irrigated land having an
abundance Of water. II willing 10 go
back 70 The Old method and put bis
dependence on -Proyidsnoe
II Ia most important point TO
known whether. under normal eOndi-
tons. farming Ia any humid section
can be az safe. free from risk. and
profitable az the business can bs
made when one can turn on the
water az he needs without reference
10 rainfall
! think that all farmers who have
studied the water question IN oonEse-
tiOn with crop making. will agree
with me. that a great deal can be
done 20 conserve the moisture from
all natural sources. and that often a
fairly good crop can be made by
proper management
II H. hardly safe 20 say that the
rainfall that II usual In the spring Is
SUFFICIENT TO make crop without
more rain. but all obseryant men
have learned that the rational con
seryation Of moisture can often make
good crops. when by the neglect Of
this. they viii be certain 10 cause a
failure.
This is a very important point, and
In some seasons II Is absolutely vital
10 the making Of a fair crop. There Is
no mystery about this; the point 10
keep in mind II 10 prevent eyapOra'
tion OF tho water from the soil
II cannot be done entirely; much
water viii eyapornte In spite Of US,
and much will go on down below the
reach Of plant roots; but in seasons
or only ordinary drought it Is posi-
bic to conserve enough moisture 70
make fair crop Of corn. tobacco. po-
tatoes and other hoed crops.
The dust mulch" or blanket OF
nnoly pulverized soil on the surface
say three 10 four inches deep. will
atop the waste OF water almost en-
ureiy. In fact. n the soil is kept
stirred on the surface quite often. II
may be truthfully said that all the
moisture may be kept IN the ground
for the use OF the crops.
or course. we can never tell at the
beginning Of the season whether II Il
going 10 be wet season or a dry
one, but II man cultlvates with
reference 10 keeping the moisture In
the soil, II will be all the better In
case OF very wet season. and II may
be the salvation OF the crop In case
Of severe drought so II Is wise tc
keep this In mind
n IL therefore very important fol
one to plant no more land than h'
can cultivate perfectly, and alwayi
In dry season to keep the sol
stirred 90 depth Of two or thrc'
inches. No matter whether the cult
walton Is actually needed or not
stirring as often as possible a few
inches OF the surface viii stop the
escape as absolutely as cover o
sheet iron
Those who doubt this method o
saving crops from suffering by
drought should try this methoC
thoroughly II takes labor, but Il
may save the crops. know from ex
perience