The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-02-09
TO CONSERVE WATER
Practice Dry Farming When
There Is Plenty Rain
ApplIcatloN of Humid Methods In Semi
AID Conditions Means Repeated
Crop Failures lsseenino Prof.
IL % Farmer.

The question u sometimes raised:
~shan We practice dry farming when
there IL plenty of rainf" Most assured
II. writes J. H. Worst Of the North
Dakota Agricultural college in the Wal
lace's Farmer. The time to conserve
moisture II when there II moisture to
conserve. A farmer remarked to me
the other day: II have got the mois-
turs on my farm down to q depth OF
more than three feet already" That
farmers idea IL 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 a. the grain may need II.
This famer will get Just as much rain
from the clouds as they. and will. In
addition. have a large quantity OF wa
ter stored up In the subsoil to nourish
the crop should a 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. II they get
big crop, he will get a bigger crop.
II has been fully demonstrated that
a considerable portion Of the rainfall
of any one year can be conserved ana
carried over In the soil for the benefit
OF the next years crop. Where the
average rainfall is eighteen inches, 1t
should be an easy matter to carry four
or five inches of autumn rain water
over the winter for next seasons crop.
Four inches Of water represents APP
proximately $50 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.
II requires approximately seven dol
lars per acre to grow a crop. This In
cludes interest on investment, cost OF
seed, wear and tear of farm ma
chinery, labor, etc. By adding one ad-
ditional dollars worth Of labor to each
acre, there is little question but that
the average profits would be doubled
! In other words, as much profit should
/ be realized from the one additional
I dollars worth OF labor as is now real
tied from the seven dollars worth OF
unavoidable labor and investment
/ Consequently. II farmers would devote
/ one-third OF their land to the growing
! Of corn and alfalfa, neither OF which
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 Of
wheat, they would grow more wheat
than where they spread their energies
over the one-third larger area. The
corn and alfalfa fed TO live stock woult
Insure them a large additional income
and one that is not often adversely In
!fiuenced by climatic conditions. while
the fertility deposited upon the farm
resulting from feeding the corn ant
alfalfa to live stock would vastly i'm
prove the productiveness OF the soil
Corn and alfalfa usually can be al
tended to when the wheat needs d,
care, thus distributing the labor NOR
|, equitably throughout the season.
Another thing. shock-threshing
generally bad business. for the reasol
that all cannot thresh at once whel
the grain il ready for the machine
consequently. all who cannot thres
early stand a good chance OF havin
their grain injured In the shock an
also are hindered from blowing unit
their grain is threshed. Fully half tn
farmers are thus hindered from pillow
ing early. many of them being con
PEELED to postpone blowing operation
untn the following spring. Better
stack the grain as soon as f1t and stat
the plow.
II Plow deep, and follow the pillow wit
o drag. The drag will conserve NOR
moisture than will get into the so
from melting SHOWS. Besides. waite
thus conserved is where It Is needle
instead Of on the surface. where