The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-03-02
FRED DARROw A REAL
LIVE DRY FARMER
II you are trying 10 farm and
hitting on only one cylinder
get a pointer from him

Mtuiuitat NuOst VINO ufN Iafm
and those who irrigate. may be
hitting on one cylinder" and
getting nowhere. with the re-
suit that they condemn New
Mexico, Luna County. and the
valley in particular. laying the
blame for their failure on every
thing and everybody but not
really placing the blame where
blame Is due; lie. on themselves.
II Is a pleasure. therefore. 10 find
farmers in our midst who will
lingly admit their mistakes, cite
examples Of how they rectifed
their first wrong impressions
and after study and considera-
tion Of the problems confronting
them have gone ahead and are
sure Of their future.
No farmer in our valley has
made a fortune as of yet; some
have made better than their ex-
penses: others have broken even
and still others have lust reach
ed the point where they realize
what must be done and what
crops 10 raise in order TO more
than break even. Having de-
cided that he. and not the wealth
er. nor yet New Mexico. nor Lu-
ma County. nor the Lower Min.
bres Valley. was responsible am
that the proper things will grow
In the proper place he tightens
his belt and digs in harder thar
ever 10 make up for past lad
performances in the farming
line.
Some who come into the val
ley know before hand what sort
of crops are best adapted TO our
soil and to the pecculiar wealth.
rr conditions; these are few
Others have an idea that they
will put in an assortment Of
grains and garden produce am
trust to Divine Providence to see
that they reach the point whore
they become marketable. Then
we have some who with expert
ence as a teacher have decided
that beans, or maize. or sudan
grass or alfalfa or kailir corn
should be- planted and from these
they select what Is known as n.
whole crop" and specialize on
that. making this selected Gro,
their money maker; 10 this end
they put their biggest acreage
in this one thing.
Down near the southeast toe
of the slope that forms part of
the watershed from the Tres
Hermanas mountains on ground
cleared by himself Fred Darruw
has what we know as "dr,
farm" This April three years
ago this hard-wOrking farmer
came TO our valley from Califor-
mia and while he had an idea as
to what would grow here he was
not exactly sure; especially as
to what would grow without the
aid of irrigation. Depending on
the natural rainfall in this sec
tion he took up homestead and
with careful study and much
hard work has reached the point
where this years crop should
net him a handsome profit. In
the two years gone by he has
broken even and then some.
without the aid of irrigation
and in this his third year If
Ity acres of ground cleared and
plowed for cultivation shows
whether or not he believes that
farming (dry or otherwise) in
the Lower Mimbres Valley pays.
Beans are 10 be his whole crop"
Milo maize and feterita his
grain crop.
Ground already broken by Mr..
DaTow and fully prepared for
planting shows moisture to an
unbelievable amount lust two or
threee inches below the surface.
, Experience has shown him that
without counting on any great
amount Of rain the moisture now
held in the soil is sufficient for
him 10 raise a crop, and a good
one, and with the usual amount
Of rain that this country gets
il will jump from the good TO
the excellent class, thus assur.
ing him a profit on his labor.
Fred Darrow, Clyde Darrow
and the Gard brothers are us.
ing about the same methods and
: that thav ara qugpaeaful Il ppoN.