The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1912-01-25
TO CONSERVE WATER
Practice Dry Farming When
There Is Plenty Rain.
Application OF Humid Methods In SEMI
Arid Conditions Means Repeated
Crop Failures Lessenlng Prof.
Its to Farmers.


The question is sometimes raised:
shall We practice dry farming when |
there is plenty of rain?" Most assured. |
ly, writes J. II. Worst of the North |
Dakota Agricultural college in the Wal
laces Farmer. The time to conserve
moisture is when there is moisture to
conserve. A farmer remarked to me
the other day: "I have got the mois-
ture on my farm down to depth OF
more than three feet already" That
farmers idea is exactly right. He is
conserving moisture now for next
years crop, while his neighbors are al
lowing the moisture that has recently
fallen in abundance to go its usual
way. according to the laws Of chance.
Next spring his neighbors will plant
their wheat and other small grain and
depend upon the clouds to furnish
moisture as the grain may need IT,
This famer will get just as much rain
from the clouds as they, and will, in
addition, have large quantity OF wa
ter stored up in the subsoil to nourish
the crop should dry spell occur dur
ing the growing season. And that dry
spell is very apt to come. will ven
ture that this particular farmer will
have big crop next year. whether his
neighbors do or not. If they get a
big crop, he will get bigger crop.
II has been fully demonstrated that
a considerable portion of the rainfall
of any one year can be conserved and
carried over in the soil for the benefit
OF the next years crop. Where the
average rainfall is eighteen inches, IT
should be al Easy matter to carry four
or FIVE inches of autumn rain water
over the winter for next seasons crop.
Four inches OF water represents ap-
proximately 450 tons OF moisture per
acre--a sufficient quantity to nourish
the growing crop during weeks OF pro
tracted drought.
As long as we apply humid methods
to semi-arid conditions. we may expect
repeated crop failures, or partial fail
ures that will materially lessen the
profits which farmers should realize
from their business
lars per acre to grow crop. This in
cludes interest on investment, cost oi
seed, wear and tear of farm ma
chinery. labor. etc. BY adding one ad
ditional dollars worth of labor to eacf
acre, there is little question but thai
the average profits would be doubled
In other words, as much profit should
hn
dollars worth of labor as Is now real
ized from the seven dollars worth
unavoidable labor and investment
Consequently. II farmers would devot
one-third of their land to the CROWN
of corn and alfalfa, neither OF whic
interferes with the time and labor en-
ployed in farming wheat, and put one
third more labor, thus made available
on only two-thirds as many acres
wheat, they would grow more whef
than where they spread their energie
over the one-third larger area. tn
corn and alfalfa fed to live stock woul
insure them large additional incom
and one that is not often adversely i
fiuenced by climatic conditions. whi
the fertility deposited upon the far
resulting from feeding the corn al
alfalfa to live stock would vastly II
prove the productiveness OF the so
Corn and alfalfa usually can be
tended to when the wheat needs
care. thus distributing the labor mo
equitably throughout the season.
Another thing, shockthreshing
generally bad business. for the reas'
that all cannot thresh at once VIII
the grain is ready for the machin
consequently, all who cannot thre
early stand a good chance of hayi
their grain injured in the shock a
also are hindered from plowing un
their grain is threshed. Fully half
farmers are thus hindered from plo
ing early, many of them being co
PEELED to postpone plowing operatio
until the following spring. Better
stack the grain as soon as fit and sta
the plow
Plow deep, and follow the plow w
drag. The drag will conserve me
moisture than will get into the S
from melting SHOWS. Besides, wat
thus conserved is where II is need
instead OF on the surface. where
will speedily evaporate.