The Raymer enterprise., 1912-06-27
DRY FARMING SYSTEM.
Condition of "Any Old Way" is
Rapidly Changing.

tain Facts and Principles Which
Must Be Observed to Secure
Profitable Crops.
tBy PROF. A. NJ. TEN EYCK. Superin-
tendent Western Kansas Experiment
Station.)
Western Kansas in 1911 expert
enced, as old settlers affirm. the driest
year in Its history since its settlement.
The almost total failure of all crops
has compelled the farmers to study
dry farming as never before.
The great fault with western Kan
sas agriculture up to the present time
Is that there has been no regular sys-
TEN or method of farming. In fact,
until the last few years. any old way
would fairly describe the method Of
cropping and soil culture In general
practice.
This condition is rapidly changing.
The study Of the science Of dry farm
Ing has served to establish certain
facts and principles which must be
observed in order to grow profitable
crops The most important Of these
Is the fact that the moisture which
falls as rain or snow must be stored
In the subsoil and conserved by a
proper system of soil culture in order
to insure against crop failure due to
drought during the growing period
Of the crops.
1t has become wellestablished and
generally accepted fact that profitable
crops cannot be produced for long
period in the Great Plains region by
a process of continuous cropping
which depends mainly upon the rains
which fall during the growing season
to produce crop each year. In Or
der to insure against great loss from
drought and often total failure OF
crops, 1t Is necessary to store the rains
which fall between the harvesting OF
one crop and the planting Of the next.
and even more than this. 1t becomes
necessary occasionally to fallow the
land or rest from cropping for a
season with the purpose Of storing the
rains Of one whole year in the sub.
soil and thus accumulate soil moisture
In order that there may be sufficient
supply to insure the production Of a
crop when It is planted and grown.
The most important factor in dry
farming. which has been greatly neg
lected by our western farmers. Is get.
ting the rain water into the ground
and safely stored or conserved in the
subsoll where 1t may be drawn upon
by the growing crop.
The plan Of producing soil which
Is to conserve the moisture which is
in the soil has been taught and more
or less successfully practiced for many
years. But in very dry season this
method failed because with no mois
ture stored In the soil. surface cult
vation to maintain mellow soil mulch
gave little or no benefit. There was
| no moisture 10 conserve!
Now the plan should be In the be
ginning Of the preparation Of the seed
bed to put the soil in the most favor
able condition to receive the rain and
carry 1t downward into the subsoil
This Is accomplished by disking soon
after harvest, or late In the fall. OF
early in the spring. Deep plowing a
long time before planting, leaving the
soil mellow and rough. enlarges the
water reservoir and favors the alb
sorption of heavy rain. but the best
plan OF storing moisture. as ! have
determined by experiments and as
brought out by the experiences ol
farmers at the Institutes Is the meth
cd Of listing the soil in deep burrows
and ridges Immediately after harvest
or In the fall after the corn or kaflr
Is cut. or If this work cannot be ac
complished In the fall. then early
spring listing Is desirable.
Soil which Is opened out in listed
burrows Is In the best possible condi
ton to catch and store the rain. which
as 1t falls runs quickly to the bottom
Of the burrows and Is rapidly absorbed
directly into the subsoil without hav
Ing to pass through six or eight inches
Of fine. compact surface soil. The sub
soil Of our western plains is usually
checked or stratifed In a vertical
plane. hence the water in the bottom
OF the listed burrows penetrates rapid
ly downward and Is protected from
evaporation because less evaporatine
surface Is exposed and also the ridges
especially II the burrows run east and
west. protect the burrows from the
wind and direct rays Of the sun.
On the other hand. the surface soil
is an unstratifled mass OF fine soil
grains which does not allow the rain
water to percolate readily. Also a
heavy rain quickly packs the soil a,
the surface SO that It will not take
water rapidly. with the result that toe
much OF the rain water is drained of
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