The Raymer enterprise., 1911-03-02
DRY FARM METHODS
Good Results Obtained in Mon.
tana and North Dakota.
Brought About BY Keeping Top Soil
Loose In Sort Of Mulch, Sealing
Ground and Preventing Es-
cape Of Moisture.

] received letter recently from
one of my valued friends, who writes
concerning the good results obtain
ed this season in portions OF North
Dakota and Montana. by the practice
Of those methods which are known
today as dry farming methods. writes
o. c. Gregg In the Northwestern Ag-
riculturist. This system Of soil han
ding will soon come to be regarded
as manifestly correct and as absolute
ly necessary to be observed in the
many portions Of our great west. The
reason for 1t Is quite manifest to
those who will give it thought. This
Is In substance the constant keeping
Of the top soil loose. This loose top
soil is, sometimes called mulch.
This, as We have stated before, seals
the ground against the escape Of the
moisture that lies beneath. We can
think Of 1t as bottling up the mois-
ture that we need so that 1t cannot
escape US. This loosening Of, the soil
is made early In the spring SO there
will be no escape of moisture before
planting or sowing is done, and Is still
kept up after the plants are sown or
planted. In that way the moisture
is held in the soil and only escapes,
practically, by ascending through the
system and leaf Of the plants that
We desire to grow. When water SO
ascends 1t acts upon the plant very
much like water that may be held
in the dam but Is allowed to escape
through sluice and over the water
wheel and so turns the machinery
Of the mill. When we have an abun.
dance Of water why then we let ma
ture do As 1t should without our In.
reference, but when we are short
Of water we can stop the escape. very
much as the mill man closes the run
ming stream and makes the water ac-
cumulate in pond where It shall be
used at his will. With this prin.
ciple in mind we also can unite an.
other fact which will become more
prominent as time goes by. There
will be a growing Of those plants
which have tendency Ito resist
drought more than others. Our ex.
pertinent stations are working In de-
veloping this class Of plants which
will be decidedly helpful to US in the
future. The outlook now is. that
that plant which has become SO prom.
inent in recent years In dry regions.
viz: alfalfa. will be grown by va.
riety that has In 1t a good measure
OF drought resisting qualities. 1t
should 60 without saying, that we
also use implements upon the farm
that are favorable to the growing Of
plants during the dry season. The
best Of drills will be used and we
will not regard for one moment the
use of broadcasting. We will also
SOW our grass seeds In drills. rather
shoh W Saot ~ upOu tuc 6IUuuu u
be dragged In at subsequent time.
The hoed field crops will be grown
with fiat culture. The hilllng up Of
potatoes and corn will be regarded
as wasteful and costly method.
Such hills or mounds are easily dried
out, while surface cultivation favors
a system Of loose soil that we have
before referred to. We will plow
deeper than when we have abundant
rainfall, SO as to give ample storage
for the water that We wish to descend
into the soil for future use. That
soil too will be repacked to that ex.
tent that there will be good capillary
action 80 the water can readily as
cehd when drought comes, and then
be stored or retained near the sur.
face by this mulch or loosened soil.