The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-03-08

Prof. Thomas Shaw, agricultural
expert of the Northern Pacific Rail-
way, has put into writing a few
points in regard to dry land farm
ing that will materially help the
man who seeks to recover this year
some Of the losses of last season.
Prof. Shaw has laid out the plain
facts for the farmers guidance. If
our farmers will follow his sugges-
tons, it is confidently believed that
the yield will be not only satisfactory
but in many cases astonishing. 1t
is sincerely hoped that every one of
our farmers will not only carefully
read the following but clip it out
and paste it where it will be referred
to sufficiently often to be a constant
reminder.
Prof. Shaw states that it is his
c conviction that in the semi-arid
country, where the annual precipi-
tation is II to Is inches, it is easily
possible to farm land SO as to elimi-
nate the element of uncertainty or
hazard in growing crops. Where
the rainfall is not more than IL
inches in year, it may be neces-
sa ry in many instances to grow but
one crop on the land in two years,
b ut where the precipitation is not
less than Is inches on the average,
it is quite possible to grow at least
three crops in four years.
The element of hazard-that is,
the element of failure-may be prac-
tically eliminated by growing small
grains on summer fallow. This
presupposes that the land has been
properly summer fallowed and that
the cultivated crop has been proper
ly grown.
When land is summer fallowed in
the plains country where the bulk
of the precipitation falls in the grow
ing period, the ground should've
plowed then because it is more
easily plowed when it has maxi
mum of moisture in it, and because
much of that moisture may be re-
tanned for the growing of the crop
that will follow. 1t should be
plowed deeply for many reasons.
One of the chief of these is that at
such a time deep blowing is most
easily done.
The day that it is plowed it should
be gone over with a roller, a plank
er, a sub surface packer or a disc.
The conditions must term n e
which of these will be best. 1t
must then he narrowed as soon as
possible. The dust blanket thus
made must be maintained through
out the season. After every con-
siderable rain the ground must be
narrowed when in proper condition
for narrowing. The frequent har-
rowings given will aid in keeping
the land clean. 1t ought TO be kept
clean, for weeds will soon sap all
the moisture out of the soil if al
lowed to grow unchecked.
When the fallow is managed thus,
in normal season there will be
moisture enough in the land to ger
inmate winter wheat or winter rye
sown on it. even in a dry year,
sown as early as August. If the
wheat is not sown, the mulch must
be maintained till the close of the
season. Small grain of any kind
may be sown the following spring
When a cultivated crop is grown,
the ground for it should be plowed,
preferably, in the autumn. 1t may
be stubble ground. Early autumn
blowing puts the soil in condition
to admit precipitation that subse-
quently falls. In the spring the
moisture should not be- allowed to
escape from the soil.
Corn will be chief crop grown
as cultivated crop in dry land
areas. 1t will be grown more as a
fodder crop than for the grain. If
the proper kinds are chosen and if