The Elbert County tribune., 1912-08-16
FRUIT ON A DRY FARM
Method Given to Make II Abso.
lutely Drouth Proof.
ssfors Planting single Tree TIVE
Years Moisture 10 Secured BY
Flowing Year Ahead and Keep
Ing Ground Cultivated.
By e. r.. PARsoNs.)

CBy E. n PARSONS)
twenty years ago published
statement that trees and crops could
De 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
mint. 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
It Is true. but quite enough for proof
and now after twenty years every
word of this statement ia accepted ~
fact
Now 1 mako 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 il capa-
BILE of proof and wni be generally 40
cepted in another twenty years. and
that lie 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 tho enlightenment
OF Mr. W. @. Curtis, Mr. Wallace and
others who AFFECT to sec little or no
good In dry farming but for the bens
nt OF the few who can grasp truth
In advance of the popular belize and
turn 1t to their own advantage.
Before planting = single tree We 90
to work and secure two years mois
turs for that tree by plowing . year
ahead Of time. keeping the ground cut
uvatei and digging the holes in tho
fall to catch snow and moisture ali
winter. Now is the tims to get to
work Plow the ground a. deep ~
you can and arrange your lands 90 As
to bring your dead. burrows where ohe
row of trees ID to be; BY doing this
the surface IL d1shed toward the tres
and II there is any run OF It drains
towards their roox. These dead fur
rows are also Of great advantage -
snow catchers.
Now a piece Of land prepared in
this manner WIN accumulate during
an ordinary season from three to four
feet Of moist earth from the surface
down. and in the holes after . wet
winter oven fivs or six reet-
Now 70 dry III this moisture out In
cultivated area without cropping
would take two years or more without
drop of rain. 80 that whom . young
tree is planted two or three feet deep
In all this moisture It ID a. contend
absolutely drouth proof, for In the
past thirty years the longest drouth
has been only q 1ew months duration.
drying out no mCre than tho top stx
or eight inches. which is Of NO valus
whatever to the tree anyway.
Then we 20 to work and impound
every year ten times ~ much mois
ture as the tree needs. - 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 md that It
amounts to about so tons per annum
Now an apple tree from is to 20 year,
of age will use up only from 80 to ~
tons per annum, and can live, II
necessary. on half Of that. 80 that It IL
easy to understand that whibe the tree
Is growing up the orchard IL gaining
an enormous amount OF moisture for
future use and even when the tree IL
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 30
or 40 years OIL. they can be thinned
out to so feet tsaIart, which would give
each tree about 240 tons per annum.
SO that there In no need Whatever To
take any chances. You make the
moisture question In the orchard a.
exact science as building bridge OF
a battleshfp. In fact. II l knew q man
would follow these instructions i'm.
phcitly. / wouid pay him THOUSAND
dollars for every tree lost by d3outh.
We keep every weed out OF ylhe or.
chard and cultivate from ter, to twelve
times during the season with q home
made cultivator about ten feel wide,
which cultiwates about tSpsnty acres
q day.
Every year from the 81 art uie sur
plus moisture sinks deep Or and deep
er into the subsoil.