The Raymer enterprise., 1912-05-23
FRUIT ON A DRY FARM
Method Given to Make It Abso.
IuteIy Drouth Proof.
Before Planting Single Tree Two
Years Moisture is Secured by
Flowing Year Ahead and Keep
Ing Ground Cultivated.
lRy E. R PARsoNsa

(By e. R. PARsoNs.)
Twenty years ago published q
statement that trees and crops could
be raised anywhere on suitable soil
between the Rocky mountains and Mis-
souri, river. without irrigation. Every.
body laughed. some went as far as to
say that such exaggerated statements
only hurt the state. few took the
hint others besides myself had ar
rived at this truth, and there are now
shade trees and family orchards all
over the state. few and far between
1t Is true. but quite enough for proof
and now after twenty years every
word OF this statement Is accepted as
fact.
Now | make another statement.
which even the Colorado writer's and
professors are afraid of, and which
the eastern papers altogether decline
to print or believe. yet which is capa-
bio Of proof and will be generally &C.
cepted In another twenty years. and
that is that any man can plant dry
orchard according to the following
method and make It absolutely drouth
proof.
This knowledge will do you more
good now than twenty years hence and
l submit 1t not for the enlightenment
Of Mr.. W. c. Curtis, Mr.. Wallace and
others who affect to see little or no
good In dry farming. but for the bene-
1T Of the few who can grasp truth
In advance Of the popular belief and
turn It to their own advantage.
Before planting q single tree we go
to work and secure two years mois-
ture for that tree BY plowing a year
ahead Of time. keeping the ground cul-
dvated and digging the holes In the
fall to catch snow and moisture all
winter. Now is the time to get to
work Plow the ground as deep as
you can and arrange your lands so as
to bring your dead burrows where the
row Of trees is to be; by doing this
the surface is dished toward the tree
and II there is any run OF 1t drains
towards their roots. These dead fur.
rows are also OF great advantage as
snow catchers.
Now a piece OF land prepared In
this manner will accumulate during
an ordinary season from three to four
feet Of moist earth from the surface
down. and In the holes after a wet
winter even five or six feet.
Now to dry all this moisture out In
a cultivated area without cropping
would take two years or more without
a drop OF rain, so that when young
tree is planted two or three feet deep
In all this moisture 1t Is as contend
absolutely drouth proof. for in the
past thirty years the longest drouth
has been only few months' duration,
drying out no more than the top six
or eight inches. which Is OF no value
whatever to the tree anyway.
Then we go to work and tmpound
every year ten times as much mois.
ture as the tree needs, az follows:
A young apple tree Just planted
uses up few hundred pounds OF
moisture every year. but we give
these trees an area OF 40 feet square,
plums and cherries. 20. small fruits
10. Now II you figure out the pre-
cipitation on an area Of so feet square.
1000 square feet, you will find that 1t
amounts to about 80 tons per annum.
Now an apple tree from Is to 20 years
Of age will use up only from 30 to ~
tons per annum, and can live, II
necessary. on half OF that. so that 1t is
easy to understand that while the tree
Is growing up the orchard is gaining
an enormous amount OF moisture for
future use and even when the tree is
full grown you will have several tons
to the good each year, which you hold
BY cultivation In your subsoil. and
even II your trees should need more
moisture yet when they get. say ~
or 40 years old. they can be thinned
out to 80 feet apart. which would give
each tree about 240 tons per annum,
80 that there Is no need whatever to
take any chances. You make the
moisture question In the orchard as
exact a science as building bridge or
q battleship. In fact, II l knew man
would follow these instructions i'm.
plicitly. would pay him thousand
dollars for every tree lost by drouth.
We keep every weed out Of the or.
chard and cultivate from ten to twelve
times during the season with home
made cultivator about ten feet wide,
which cultivates about twenty acres
q day.
Every year from the start the sur.
plus moisture sinks deeper and deep
or into the subsoil.
have followed 1t down foot by foot
year BY year. until now It reaches q
depth Of nearly twenty feet. The ap.
pie trees that are forty feet apart
stand In a cube OF moist earth 40 feet
square by twenty feet deep, contain.
ing between 200 and 800 tons OF wa.
ter. we make our eatimafoa nv tak,r0