Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-09-30

DRY FARMING.
EDITOR CUSTER CHRONICLE

/
had intended when he wrote the article
appearing August 9th, 1911.
Any system that cannot stand search
ing Investigation, thorough trial and q
full discussion had better find its way
into the discard and we rather think that
this fact was the reason that Harry"
started the dry farming column
Frequently we hear some overenthus-
iastic person claiming for any new thing
benefits and possibilities not supported
by the facts. While dry farming is not
by any means a new thing the name is
a recent invention and has been worked
in season and out Of season by those
who let their hopes run away with their
judgment.
The theory of dry farming in localities
where under normal conditions an an
nual rainfall of seventeen inches may be
expected are these:
Plow when the soil is in good condi-
ton to depth of eight inches harrow
ing the DAYS blowing before you leave
the field. Allow the soil to settle for
six or eight months before planting
crops. Harrow or disc the soil after
heavy rains. Plant the first year to q
crop You can cultivate. Keep the ground
as level as possible. A granulsted GOV.
ering of loose dirt is the ideal one, too
fine dust is liable to blow. Work the
soil level after harvesting the crop. Plant
to small grain the following year. Double
discing the ground will be preparation
enough for year or two after the deep
pIowing. These are only the points that
are of vital Importance.
First, you must have your ground in
such condition that the moisture can
get in. Then you must get the rain
After that it is a question of keeping it
there till the crop can mature.
The name "Dry Farming" is respon-
sible for much misunderstanding of its
possibilities. In practice it means the
raising of crops with no irrigation. The
name is bitterly opposed by all COW.
men, most land agents, some railroads,
many merchants and few farmers.
Scientific Tillage" would suit all class
es except the farmer, but if a name like
that was hung onto it we farmers
wouldn't touch it with ten foot pole.
The Forest Service is keeping record
of rainfall at Custer. 1t is to be hoped
that Supervisor lines will hand the
CHRONICLE monthly summary for pub
lication. The director states that rec
ords are also kept by cooperative OBJ
servers at Elk Mountain, the Pleasant
Valley ranch, Martin Valley ranch and
at Hermosa.
The records for the last two years are
mighty dry reading, and in this connec-
ton will say that Mr.. Parsons, who
lives in Colorado where he gets thirteen
inches of rain under normal conditions,
and who is high in the councils of the
dry farming fraternity has said repeat
edly that it is plain gamble to plant
any crop if there isn't enough moisture
in the soil the day you plant it to ma
ture it.
Ordinarily we get twenty-five inches
Of precipitation. Last year the rainfall
at the four stations above mentioned
was l3S and this year to date inches.
Under these conditions no amount of
fancy farming would insure q crop this
year on ground where all the moisture
was used last year growing vegetation.
This is good deal like locking the
stable door after the horse is stolen.
told us we ought to 60 fishing
this year and not plant potatoes. Hicks,
Peruna Almanac, The Prairie Dog Mound
and all the other fellows we 20 by were
strangely silent.
If there are any in this locality who
tried dry farming, good
farming, scientific tillage or any other
system that held last years moisture to
help out the scattered local showers of
this summer it would be half hour
we'll spent to let US have the benefit of
their experience.
The writer got into the game during
the last of the dry years of the COS and
during the wet years of the last ten had
fair crops any old way he put them in.
After the oats were of, the weeds suck
ed every drop of moisture out of the
baked dry ground but the next year usu-
ally rain fell and always some crop was
the result. If he were able to farm ex-
tensively it would be his idea to grow
either hardy crops of long season such
as fall rye or short growing crops such as
barley or millet and to feed every pound
of it to stock on the farm. The region
west of the River will always be used
principally by the steer, the honyocker
and the dry farmer Notwithstanding.
A "DRy" FARMER.