The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-07-16
DRY-FARM PRINCIPLES
BENEFITS RESULTING SOON BE-
COME EVIDENT TO FARMER.
importance OF Packer and Other Inn
piements Fully Realized by Early
ssttIers-summer Rains Sup
ply Needed Moisture.

There IN few districts In the west
ern provinces and very few farmers in
any district but what would be greatly
benefited by q more careful and intsl-
ligent application Of dry-farming prin-
ciples to their operations On the land
These principles embody the essen
ual elements of all good cultural meth
DDS, "Thoroughness and System" and
are based on an experimental and
scientific knowledge OF the nature and
requirements OF the soil and the va
riety and dependability Of the climatic
conditions peculiar to ones wi local
ity. writes John Trumbull OF Sask-
~katchewan in Farmers Advocate.
The benefits resulting from the en-
ploying dry-farming methods In the
handling Of western soils soon became
evident to many of the early s~ettlers
In the arid and semi-arid districts. dur
Ing dry seasons and dry spells In many
seasons. They sought to follow these
methods In measure. a. far as the,
means Mt their disposal would permit
This was before the fame OF Mr.. Camp
bell had reached their ears. or his
doctrines had been as clearly expound-
ed as they now are. While the packer
and other dry-farming implements nec-
essary to fully carry out the system,
were lacking. II was evident they fully
realized their Importance by the many
schemes and homemade c-ontrivances,
tried and used In cultivating and pack
ing for the control and eradication OF
weeds and the receiving and conserve
ton Of moisture In the soil.
Moisture supply.
The cardinal principles of dry farm
ing are now 30 universally understood
that little explanation is required. See-
ing we are dependent upon the sum
mer rains Va the greatest source or
our moisture supply. II is surely wis
dom on our part to endeavor TO take
the greatest possible advantage OF
what is offered in this way by having
a goodly portion OF our land under
summer tillage each year whether It
be breaking the virgin prairie, thus
preparing new land for next seasons
crop, or summer-fallowing land that
has already been in crop.
The blowing should be done well, as
early In June as possible and from,
five to six inches deep. We do our
breaking as early in June as we can
and do not favor breaking much after
July ia In, as for various reasons the
sod does not rot so well except In un-
usually wet seasons. This we put into
good filth and texture with disk har-
rows and plank drag; we prefer the
plank drag to the packer on breaking.
az 1t fills up holes and levels It OF bet
ter. facilitating the rotting process.
and Is handy for hauling on stray
stones.
The land intended for summer till
age should. as far as possible, have
had some kind OF surface cultivation
the previous fall. In fact, all stubble
land should be SO treated II possible,
as this prevents undue loss of what
moisture may yet be In the soil by
evaporation during the dry fall days.
and at the same time mingles the stub
BILE roots and fiber with moist earth 30
that they more readily rot and decay
when turned under by the pillow,
Hitherto the disk harrow has been
about the only implement we could
use at This job. This at times, how
ever. where the grain had been lodged
and . heavy stubble had been left, did
not do very good work; In such cases
u was necessary to pillow or await a
convenient opportunity to burn the
stubble. ! have often tried Z o figure
out something that would cut under
meath the stubble roots from the rear
as the over-cut principle of the disk
harrow requires much pressure and
angle to turn them out and has a bad
habit OF riding over the strawy
patches. etc. :