Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-09-07
DRY FARMING
MAKES GOOD

lu0 repOrtS lEOlu JIG lSI1 IuIeSAAu6
machines are not such as to make the
average farmer jubilant. large yields
were not expected. Many farmers
thought they had fair yields, but some
of the estimated yields have had to
be cut down so per cent or even
more.
At the Dickinson experiment sta
ton we were figuring on some OF our
pieces going from 10 to II bushels to
the acre, but find instead of that,
yields nearer five or six, Some of
the old timers have told us, who have
recently started in farming, that they
guessed this was their last year of
farming, the yields were not encourag-
ing enough for them.
1t is unfortunate that we have such
years as this but they seem to occur
most everywhere. Crops fail from
some cause or another; when it is
not drouth it is something else equal
ly as bad. However, if the dry wealth
er is not too severe it is possible to
avoid some of the il effects of drouth.
And to learn how to do this was one
VI CuO 4O(1SOu6 lOA O0tdOlloAluE kuc
experiment station at Dickinson. This
is really the first year where the con-
ditions have been good for determin-
ing whether some of our dry farming
theories would work out in a really
dry year. We are glad to report that
at least some of them have worked
out to our great satisfaction, and it
hn iHno ~ uiv 80
our results.
The yields of wheat after corn were
generally decidedly disappointing. We
had hoped THAI even in a dry year
that wheat after we'll cultivated corn
would show up pretty wei, but this
has not been the case in 1911. The
average yield of wheat after corn
has been around bushels per acre.
Our land that was farmed strictly
according to dry farming methods
tells different story. AS many read
ers know our best looking wheat was
grown on clearly cultivated summer
fallow. During al of 1910 the land
was kept cultivate after rains, pro-
viding soil mulch which kept in the
moisture. Wheat on such land did
we'll in 1911.
We have one four year rotation,
growing three crops in four years.
The rotation is as follows: Corn,
oats, summer fallow, wheat. Wheat
on this rotation yielded 25S bushels
per acre. The average wheat yields
on our summer fallow plats yields
% h,,chn1c 80
tainly very good considering the sea-
son. Please do not forget that these
yields were secured not because they
were grown at the experiment station,
but because certain methods were FOL-
lowed Any farmer that followed the
methods that we followed would Sc
cure as good yields.
1t is to be hoped that in the future
farmers will pay more attention to
moisture conservation than they have
in the past, and as soon as they do
this they may figure on securing larg-
er yields. 1twould not be wise to lay
down any hard or fast rules asto
the methods that should be followed
Eut certain principles must be well
considered, if farming is to be made
a success in this district
1t would smttheeaaie ethodmsW.
1t would seem that it might be a
good idea for the farmer to insure a
certain portion of his crop upon clean
ly cultivated summer fallow, barring
any unforeseen accidents, he may rely
on getting a good yield. In certain
S11r I~ h~ ~
ter to make the system pay, but. in
wheat yielding Is bushels per acre
such year as 1911, 20 {" 20 acres of
would be a godsend to many farm
ers.