The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-08-15
DRY FARM ESSENTIAL
Ideas Of Practical Farmer on
Need Of Deep Flowing.
Very First Requisite In the conserva-
ton Of Molsture-PreVents Forma-
ton Of What Might Be Called
Plow-Pan.
CBy J. s. MURPHY. Practical North Da-
kota Dry Farmer.)

lby =. -. MORPft1, PraCtlCdl INOTLn La
kota Dry Farmer.)
II were asked what is the one thing
above all other things necessary In dry
farming l would say deep blowing. For
purposes of dry farming all of the sub.
soil in this state lying west Of Red
river is practically the same, and is
composed of drift brought here during
the glacial period, one of the most stu
pendous events this old earth ever ex-
perienced. Now, this subsoil or drift
is chiefly decomposed or disintegrated
rock, and has all the crop-producing
properties, such as nitrogen, lime, pot
ash and phosphorus, which are the
clements especially needed in cereal
production. Deep blowing is the very
first essential in moisture conserva-
ton, as the thing 1t does is to increase
the absorbing storage capacity of the
soil; and the first step in dry farming
is to get water into the soil, and deep
blowing is the first aid in this par
ticular.
Then, too, deep blowing prevents
the formation of what might be called.
for the want of a better name, a
plow-pan l have examined literally
hundreds of fields, and l never yet ex-
amined field, in dry year espe-
cially, that this plow-pan would not
be in evidence when the blowing was
less than seven inches. This plow-
pan is caused chiefly from the pressure
Of the subsoil, producing a sort Of q
glazed surface, and this prevents any
proper contact between the furrow-
slice and the subsoil. In dry farming
the blowing should be so deep that you
would find it quite impossible to find
where the furrow-slice ends and tho
subsoil begins. When that condition
is present there is always proper
contact between the furrow-slice and,
without even thinking, you can see
that this Is necessary, when you are
depending chiefly on the water stored
In the soil, which you get by capil.
larry and not on free water, to mature
your crop. Furthermore, when this
plow-pan exists, the average rainfall,
up to one inch, never penetrates the
subsoil at all, any more than 1t did
the sod, and for the same reason.
The subsoil is the farmers reser
voir for the storage water that sup.
plies the moisture during the season.
After you have once plowed your land
to, say, depth of ten inches, 1t is
not necessary, of course, to pillow SO
deep each year. When / summer-till
a piece of land pillow deep. for this
is the time to bring up new soil so
as to give it plenty Of time to become
weathered. Now, as soon as the crop
is harvested on this land. the next
season / disk it Immediately; and
when pillow 1t for the next crop, and
1t should be done that fall is possible,
only pillow it about six inches deep.
Some four years ago l acquired
piece OF land that had been titled ESQ
CALI for twelve years. No part Of
this land was ever plowed FIVE inches
deep, and determined to get down
into it, and l did. Now I estimate.
and my men thought by estimate con.
sentative, that it took full third
more power to break up this hardpan
formed by twelve years pillow pressure
than it would to break the original
farmer-and the average farmer is al
ways attempting to do more than his
power justifies doing-rarely plows
more than five inches deep. and he
will come nearer blowing four inches.
Turning four or five inches of the top
soil over this year and Topping 1t back
next year, is not dry farming; 1t isn't
farming at all; and the man who fol-
lows that slip-shod system. whether
he is handling 100 acres or 1900 acres
Is going to lose out.