American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-01-13
Successful Colorado Dry Farmer
Tells the Secret of His Success

will do in a year when the precipita-
ton is twenty inches OF more, but
when 1t falls below the average summer
culture alone will insure a reasonable
yield. Slowly this well established
fact is being recognized. To grow a
crop requires a certain amount of
moisture and without this moisture it
is as impossible to farm successfully
as it would be to build a house without
lumber. If n years moisture is in
sufficient, then the problem arises how
to supply the additional moisture. Here
is where the idea, of using two years
moisture to make one crop comes in
and the method whereby this can be
done. There are two universal causes
which absorb moisture from the soil
vegetation and sun heat. The problem
of getting the moisture of two years
for the benefit of a crop is in prevent
ing absorption Of the moisture. This,
in the first place, is accomplished by
keeping the field free from vegetable
growth of all kinds and, second, to SO
cultivate the ground that the sun heat
will not cause the moisture to evap-
crate. The first is connected with no
especial quality of cultivation. Any
ordinary weed destroying implement
will answer the purpose. How to keep
the summer heat from drawing the
moisture out of the ground is a little
more complicated, but entirely feasible
To obtain the best results compare
lively old ground should be selected
for summer culture. This should be
we'll disked early in the spring for the
double purpose Of destroying the
sprouting weeds and to destroy the
small, hairlike cavities which the mois
ture from the melted snow or rain has
formed by soaking down the ground
during the winter. Plow about eight
inches deep any time in June or early
July, thoroughly turn the soil and
avoid leaving any hollow spaces. Har-
row until the surface is perfectly level
and pulverized. A tool which is now
available in all implement houses.
called the paralizer pulverizer is well
adapted to this purpose. To get as
much moisture into the ground as pos
sible and then to keep it there is the
object.
AS soon as the sun heat becomes
intense after a rain the ground must
be gone over and the caked surface
reduced to a mulch. This may be done
by narrowing or if the caging is toe
hard, the p~ulverizer must be used. In
this way the ground can be kept in
fairly soaked condition. 1t is really
surprising how a field thus properly
cultivated will show q depth of mois-
ture. Actual investigation has shown
where in roads or fields alongside 9
summer cultured field not more thar
a few inches of moisture was found
the moisture in the summer cultured
field went down to a depth of four OF
five feet.
How often the ground Should be har
roved depends entirely on conditions
and every farmer must use his owl
Judgment and decide when and wher'
~rultiyattion is needed. II would be use
,ees 20 say that the ground must b.
zone over after every shower. for tha
might be practically impossible. A
long as he surface is comparativel!
moist, the moisture below viii 10
come up. When the surface becomes
thoroughly dry then only will the mois
ture below become affected. II tn,
rains are not too far apart very littl'
culture is needed, but in a period o
hot weather of several weeks dura
ton, if the surface is not broken, mucl
damage will result. The greatest Wig
Hence will be needed in this matter.
1t should be remembered that sum
mer tillage has for its singular ain
the conservation of moisture. Wer
1t not for the peculiar function O
moisture to rise to the surface dur
ing hot weather, the necessity of cul
tiyation would not be pressing, but tn
fact is that when the surface Is har
! and dry the moisture will rise lik
oil in a lamp and 1t is consumed /
! the same way.