The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-08-07
PROFITABLE DRY FARM
Possibilities OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN DESERT.
Great Thing 10 to Learn How 60 Pa,
Land In Proper Condition to Alb
sorb Molsture-Aiso to Know
Which Crops Are Suitable.
(By v. T. COOKE.)


ried on during the recent Year, In the
state Of Wyoming have demonstrated
beyond cavil the great possibilities OF
utilizing the immense areas OF land,
commonly known as part OF the Great
American desert, On the experiment
and demonstration state farm. ore
and orehah miles east OF Cheyenne,
the following crops have been raised
successfully:
Winter and spring wheats, winter
and spring rye, emmer, commonly
called speltz, several kinds OF barley,
oats, Canadian field peas, sorghum mil
let. kafr corn. potatoes, sugar beets.
alfalfa and bronze grass.
The past seasons have tested the
work The question as to whether
we can make dry farming pay Ia. In
my opinion, determined by the men
who have to do the work These men
must learn to do their work intelii-
gently. Hit or miss farming will not
do. There are certain fundamental
rules which. II followed, will give good
returns, year In and year out. even II
the seasons are not just as we would
like them to be.
We must put our land In the proper
condition to absorb moisture and
learn when and how to cultivate 1t,
so as to keep this moisture In the
land. We must find out which crops
do the best on our farms All soils
are not alike. We must learn to 70
tate our crops and improve the fertil-
ity OF our land. instead of depicting
It.
The more / SEQ Of the state and find
out the character of its soils. eli
matte conditions, vegetation growing,
the more l am convinced that this
state Is going to be filled up with men
who will make good In farming. But
to be successful. these men will have
to realize that they must use an intel
ngent system, must make their soil
In that condition that no moisture runs
on. but acts the same as a dry sponge
would, and absorbs that vital necessity
to vegetation, moisture. Our Wyom-
ing soils are extremely fertile; our
climatic conditions, although erratic,
give US crops that are unsurpassed
elsewhere In quantity or quality An.
other phase In our farming which will
be better understood by and by Is, we
can mature good crops with less mois-
ture than at lower attitudes. Cattle
and sheep fattea on our native grasses
get fat without being fed any kind of
grain. This proves that these grasses
are OF superior nutritive value. The
conditions which make them SO, neces-
sarily make our cereals, alfalfa and
bronze grasses also Of superior quail
ity. Our growing season Ia short, but
what Is the difference whether our
crops mature in so, 30, or 100 days.
1t Is the crop we are after, and II we
get large ones of superior quality, that
Is what We want There Is no doubt
we can raise Canadian field peas to
perfection. Just think what this
means to any state. First, as a feed
ing and fattening proposition; second,
improvement in fertility OF the land.
We have been too prone to make
hard and fast rules about farming, and
have been very derelict in studying
our conditions. The farmer, as a rule.
has not made as much progress In his
work as have other men In theirs 1t IL
Just as easy to raise large crops as
small ones and far more satisfactory.
The men who understand this are tho
men that will be successful in the
arid and semi-arid states. So many
say, you cannot dry farm in Wyoming
men Of brains Tin their own line OF
business), and even men who knew
SO much. Not any of u can tell un.
I'll the matter has been thoroughly
tested, and 1t takes time to test the
many points In agriculture anywhere.
But, although we know so little about
anything as whole. there are some
things we do know, as for instance,
deep blowing under certain conditions
Is better than scratching the soil or
shallow blowing. That good seed
gives best results; and improved ma
chinery enables us to do better work.
Any kind of farming to be successful
must be done intelligently Therefore.
l say to the careless man, who expects
God Almighty to do seventy-five per
cent OF his work. and he to do twenty
hve per cent, to keep away from
Wyoming. The results Of dry farm
ing, as seen by me the last four years
carried on In different parts of this
state prove that men with the neces.
sary capital can dry farm here and
that 1t will pay. The motto of the
newcomer should be. Brains and
Muscle" in the order mentioned.
If the early failures of any PROPOSE
zion were a criterion of success or
failure, the world would not be where
it is today. Many early settlers In
all new states fail through not know
Ing the proper way to farm in the To-
cality wherein they happen to be. Con
ditions are not the same everywhere.
and we must learn to apply proper
methods for best results.