Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-07-16

v (. = As5A-~s-o -
in the dry years. whereas IN sea-
son Of much rainfall, such as 1914, the
hay crop attains to respectable pro
portions equal. perhaps, to the aver
age prairie yield. That used for hay
where available, is what is known as
.alkali grass. Buffalo grass also -four
ishes throughout this section, but IT
never attains a growth greater than
a few inches regardless OF rainfall 4
:Alkali grass is said by ranchmen to
be exceptionally nutritious.
The Governments Object.
The United States governments
field station at Ardmore was estab-
lished and is operated for the pur-
pose of ascertaining, if possible, what
sort of methods will assure an an
nual crop, even in the dry years, and
what sort Of crops are best adapted
to the prevailing conditions
That, also, is the states object IN
providing for station near Cotton
wood. but in this article we are deal
ing only with the federal station.
The Federal station.
The governments station is locat-
ed about two miles north OF Ardmore.
Mr.. r.. L. Kelso is in charge of the
work as local superintendent. The
tract comprises 240 acres. 1t has
been fenced and equipped with the
needed buildings, either completed Or
In process Of construction.
The premises are provided with
weather bureau paraphernalia, includ.
ling large tank ~ the ground leYes.
for the purpose of ascertaining the
evaporation that takes place under
different conditions. The instrument
for testing the velocity Of the wind
Is near the tank, or va It, and is only
about two feet above the ieyal Of the
surface, so as to enable 3Ae superin
tendent to test the, variations in esap
Ioration with respect to the changing
! velocity of the wind.
Four Hundred Fields
That portion of the tract now un
der cultivation has been divided intf
about four hundred fields, or plafs
of various areas, depending upon tht
purpose for which the experimental
slIstion is desired.
Here, perhaps. may be a series q
strips Of a certain width extending
across the field, Each strip is divides
into plats, and each plat in the str;ii
lis treated in a manner differing from
the method employed on; any othe
plat in fhe strip.
/ On the first plat may be sowa, 70.
instance, rye; on the next, field peas;
Ion the third, some other crop; ON ths
fourth may be spread coat of ma
nnre, and so on, one of the plats be
ing left bare. Along in the summer
/ when these crops have attained suf
fcient growth, they will be plowet
4 under, or snmmer-fallowed, as tht
case may be, and next year the entire
strip may be planted To corn or pota
toes. 81. sown 10 wheat, or some othel
Igrain, the object being to ascertain
from actual experiments what partfe
nlar plat produces the best the year
following its special treatment with
| a view to hitting upon the best meth
lod for crop rotation, conserving the
moisture, for fertilizing, and SO forth
Sitting Out Process.
These experiments win be repeated
Nntil it shall have been ascertained
that certain ones Of them are value
less In practical farming operations,
the idea being to, sift out from among
the numerous experiments and tests
those methods or systems that give
the best results.
In the same way other processes
and methods are applied to the var
ious strips and plats throughout the
station from year to year, SO that il
any system that can be suggested. or
Thought out, or conceived of, can be
made practical Ia farming iii this
eemi.arid region under the climatic
and soil condi itioi1s which there pre-