Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-06-21
DRY FARM ESSENTIALS.
First Catch and Store Rain Watec
Which Falls on Land

AS the term IS usually understood.
dry farming" is crop growing with
limited rainfall. But tie methods
which bring success. in other words
dry farming methods, apply in
greater or lesser degree to farming
under all conditions.
In nutshell, the essence Of dry
farming is first, to catch and store il
the soil. the rain water winch falls
upon the land and then 10 hold it
where it will do the mos good to
crops. The first is accomplished by
making OF the subsoil a reservoir tC
hold the rains which other wise in
large measure would run of the land
This is done by deep blowing and sub
soiling
The second essential of dry farming
IS to hold in the ground against time
when it shall be needed. the inoistur
thus stored in the soil and subsoil
This is done by surface stirring, be
fore and after planting
As moisture from the soil escape
into the air by way of tubes or caDil
laries connecting with the surface
ANYTHING which breaks these up at the
surface has the effect of preventing
the escape into the air OF soil moist
ure For instance. when we boys
Young or old, in a dry time, roll over
the old logs to get worms for fish
bait we find the worms on the surface
Of the ground because there is moist
ure there The moisture is there. be
cause it cannot get out. the log oper
ating as an obstruction to its passage
by closing the soil tubes at the sur
l,.h do Nv
face stirring OF the soil serves tht
same purpose as the old log.
Experimenting to some small exten
with the soil mulch have been great
" SURPRISED at how long moisture may
he held in the ground by the establish
ment OF such mulch upon the sur
face. Last season. for instance, ! hclC
an Irish potato crop in the ground a
month Tor better prices. There wa
not drop of rain for two weeks be
fore they were ready TO dig. the l0tf
OF Nav And yet there was moist
ure enough in the ground TO bring up
to a good stand cotton planted imme
diately after digging the spuds .
month later Some of my neighbors
wondered why | should cultivate po-
tatoeS 50 long after they had matured
Fearing rain would not come in time
was merely holding the moisture &c
bring up the cotton. which by the way
made more than half a bale per acre
The same season | was taking some
strawberry plants. late planted
through the summer. After the last
rain in the spring | made, with hoe
and with NV own hands. a better soil
mulch than one could afford to dc
vote to field crops For two months
they kept green and fresh Not wish
ing them to bloom so late. ! even
pinched off a good many blossoms
But when heavy midsummer rain
came was away from home, and did
not return until seven or eight days
after the rain | was surprised to lind
my vines about all in" Seven or
eight weeks drought. in other words
did not hurt them, but they were
nearly ruined by a hard-baked surface
verv soon after the rain.
The dry farmer soon learns that
failing his soil mulch after a rain, he
is out of business. and that II is i'm
portant his mulch should be made al
the rioht time If the surface is per
mittcd To bake before il is stirred, il
becomes broke ninto clods, and ! am
afraid that moisture goes into the air
through clods as fast or faster than
through the baked surface
Among people casually ND to the
subject of surface stirring to hold in
the moisture. | find the idea prevail
ing that the thinner the soil mulch the
better Well. there is such thing as
subsurface crust, which, preventing
the rise of moisture, is as bad or
worse than a TOP crust This come,
usually where the surface is stirred
shallow after rain, and then LET
alone through a long drv spell The
first mistake is no doubt from stirring
a little too shallow and then WAITING
too long for another rain.-R r
Claridge. Longview. Texas.