Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-09-27

lvery small as the total quantity for
the year is increased, and factor
that will demand your attention and
force your consideration OF this new
theory is that evidence easily obtain
able by any farmer shows that all ex-
periments and tests during the past
few years lead to the one conclusion
THAT the quality OF crops for feed
ing man or beast increase almost in
proportion as the amount of water
dsed for irrigation decreases to the
required minimum.
| DIy-farmed wheats show a higher
percentage OF protein and milling glu-
ten than wheats under irrigation or
excessive rainfall. a large number OF
milling tests made in 1910 by the Rus
sell Miller Milling Company of Mon
tana show an average OF seven and
one-quarter per cent more milling
gluten in dry-farmed than irrigated
wheats. The average protein content
of United States wheats is IL per
cent, grown under all conditions,
while in Utah in 1910 winteT wheats
grown under dry farming methods
tested I6I7 per cent of protein. In
England in 1893, an exceedingly dry
year, the wheat tested 1900 per cent.
Ill protein as against II.o4 per cent for
the whcats from the humid districts
OF the country.
What the farmer wants is results.
/: by tillage or dry farming he can in
crease his crop value and at the same
time increase the service of his water
it should be business proposition
for him to study. The irrigationis,
depends upon having plenty of surface
water for distribution when needed.
The dry farmer depends upon retain
ing the moisture in the soil. Why not
both conserve moisture and, where
you have water for irrigation, distrib
ute ii il you need il and only as you
need it,
History of farming shows that unit
for unit, irrigation water is not so
valuable to the crop as that which
falls from Heaven; but water is wat
er. 80 matter how obtained. and az
Irrigation is the most expensive sys-
TEN OF farming. the irrigation farmer
Is Obliged as a business proposition.
to secure the maximum amount oi
crop from every acre. We claim that
| by storing the natural precipitation
in the earth for use OF the plant
during the growing season, we hav,
the most efficient and economical
system OF moisture supply and that
| these factors ssould be considered III
the additional use OF irrigation water.
The Department of r Agriculture
through its experiments with tillagc
and supplementary irrigation, has abs
solutely proved the theories of the
Dry Farming Congress and its experts
that the phrase Dry Farming" GOV
ers the most practical system OF ag-
riculture ever conceived. in that the
methods are a. necessary TO the irri
gationist and the rainbelt farmer a.
to the farmer in the sub-humid dis
trict where no irrigation is possible
and where crop production is not pos
siblc under the oldfashioncd meth
ods.
The Dry Farming Congress stand,
for more than tillagc and cropping.
1t holds that the farm must become 4
great business institution, managed
on a business basis; only the crops
produced that are considered profita-
bic and marketable. crops adapted to
locality. distance. transportation, soils
and climate. We are endcavoring to
make of every farmer layman-sci-
enlist, to help him know his soils. his
crops, his stock, his possibilities a.
thoroughly as does the head of the
great mercantile establishment every
phase of the line of commerce in
which he is engaged.