Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-09-20
DRY FARMING IN KANSAS.

at Hays is a branch of the one at
Manhattan. The object Of the sta
ton is to find crops suited to semi
arid conditions and to learn the best
methods in growing them. The OBJ
jects of the association are to inter |
change ideas on the best methods
of farming in semiarid regions.
The station comprises $500 acres,
most of which is devoted to raising
crops. One Of the most striking fea-
ture Of this farm is the absence Of
weeds. Weeds are great devourers
Of moisture and usually beat the
crops to whatever moisture there
may be in the soil. The station work
shows that one of the best methods
to conserve moisture Is to kill the
weeds.
There are very few native trees
in Western Kansas, and the station
is trying to find the best drouth re-
sisters. The honey locust does well.
Some box elders, elms and cotton
woods grow. Apple trees grow fairly
we'll when properly cared for, but the
early frosts catch the embryo
fruit.
Kafir corn and sorghums are
among the best drouth resisters. In
July and August only about 5 inches
Of rain fell, yet the kafir and cane
gave no evidence Of injury from the
drouth. Wheat yielded bountifully
this season, going about 20 bushels
to the acre. A species Of dwarf corr
gives promise Of a fair harvest this
: fan.
Superintendent TenEyck is resod
ding some portions of the farm Il
buffalo grass. He thinks a mistake
has been made in destroying so mucl
} of this sod. Strips Of sod are laid il
prepared ground and 1t gradually oc
cupies the space between the rows
Buffalo grass may get dry and browl
= in the hot summer, but rapidly re
recuperates in wet weather. PaStur
age is a serious problem and the six
must be depended upon for assuranc
of roughage for stock. The statiol
has several silos and is putting Vi
two additional cement silos this sum
t mer.
About so horses and mules pull a.
almost limitless variety of dry farm
: ing implements over the ground. TIL
. mule stands hot weather as well a
. kafir stands a dry climate. When tn
gentle zephyrs Of the plains thrus
I" air at a temperature of 12O degree
against working teams, it needs III
usual hardness to stand the strain.
A double disk pillow drawn by 81
mules, three abreast, turned up tn
=, ground from a depth Of 13 inche
% This deep tillage increases the waite
=, reservoir and promotes better ron
- development of the crops. Such dee
. blowing is not necessary every yea
: hut it produces excellent results
~ occasionally stir up the ground to
!. ereat depth. AS a result of the dr
70 farming methods previously practic,
n on this field, the soil on this whei
- stubble was quite moist.
! A small building on the farm
> constructed for the especial care
VI the dry land agricultural experimel
a station of the United States depar
- ment of agriculture. Here are r
- corded the speed Of the wind, Il
"A maximum and minimum temperatul
Tor every day, the rainfall, the ha
record, the rate of evaporation al
rs the number of hours Of sunshine D.
d day. Apparatus is i'm use for dete
is mining the amount of moisture
different soils which is very nece
sary information in the different d
cesses of dry farming.
At the station are kept herds
Shorthorns, Angus, Galloway al
Hereford cattle. The feeding expe
ments now in progress will doubtle
be reported in subsequent bulletin
Superintendent TenEyck believ
in conserving moisture by listing t
stubble ground for wheat. He thin
this method gives better resul
than following or blowing.
With a double lister a man Ct
go over ten acres Of ground a da
When rain comes the burrows W
gather the water and allow it to So
into the subsoil for the next zeal
CROP" explained the professor. 9TH
the ground is listed a second tin
leveling off the ridges. The harrC
follows, ridden by the driver goi
lengthwise with the lister furrov
Wheat put in on listed ground yiel
nearly as much as on failowed grou
and it can be cropped every year.
Summer following is practiced I
tensively BY dry land farmers. A.