Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-12
LvF0RD- RAYM0NDvrLlE SECrlON
FOUNDED ON DRY FARM SYSTEM

every five, there is not a wet fall; but
they further show that in one half OF
these years, a wet season the following
spring will make up for it, so that in only
one year out of ten will it be impossible
to make a crop. In addition, it is shown
that on an average of one cut of every
four years, a wet fall is also followed by
n wet spring, in which years a farmer with
any initiative can make two crops; 80 that
the average of a crop a year and over can
be easily maintained.
These records are not hearsay ones.
handed down by the oldest settlers, but
are authentic ones kept by the United
States Government mt Brownsville and al
Point Isabel, where the rainfall is practi-
cally the same as at Raymondville and Ly-
ford. When tabulated in such n way a. to
show actual conditions, they form a trea-
tise in themselves on the possibilities Of
dry farming.
PRESENT YEAR is ILLUSTRATIVE.
The present year is an excellent one 10
illustrate the truth or fallacy of this theo-
ry. II is a well known fact that last fall
and late summer were very wet, while this
spring has been very dry. Now / saw
farms in the vicinity of Raymondvillc and
Lyford, planted in crops which to all APP
pearances had plenty of moisture, and
still the top of the soil was a. dry a. n
hone. But in every ease il was noted that
where there were such crops growing, the
soil was kept with a fine mulch on it, an
inch or so deep, and it was noted that
fields which were not so cultivated, had
been unable to produce any crop this
spring. In addition, ii one digs down a
couple of inches in one of those fields on
which a mulch is maintained, he will find
that two inches below the surface, there Isl
abundance of moisture, in many cases the
ground being almost wet. To look Mt n
field and see how dry it appears on the
surface, il was little less than astonishing
to one unfamiliar to the methods of dry
farming to discover that this dryness was
only skin deep, and hat lurking beneath
the surface was an abundant supply of the
life giving moisture, stored up by the pru-
dent farmer against the evil days. II is a
splendid lesson in preparedness, this dry
farming method, and illustrates most
beautifully the parable of the wise virgins.
PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION SHOWN. |
A practical illustration by a coincidence
may be seen i'm the field of Mr.. C. III. Peascl
lie has several acres growing in a beautiful
crop of beans, on which field about an inch
of rain has fallen in the last five months, |
the nlaufc soam,ryIv ,e haaIfbr a,1 a.. all
watered as could be desired. But in one
corner Of the field is a small spot in which
the plants have failed miserably, and are
plainly suffering for water. | was told
that this spot was last summer planted in
a garden by Mr.. Pease's little son, and in
the fall it was allowed to stand unculti-
waited, while the rest of the field was con-
stahtly cultivated during the frequent rains
The result was that while the rest of the
soil became thoroughly saturated with the
moisture, this spot was not so fortunate,
with the result above indicated.
Any such system of farming a. this, 80
exactly topsy-turvy from the usual meth
DDS, quite naturally is not adopted all at
once. While it has been actually and sue
NCcoA0Af urtu th OtnCI ~tttioH- " lHUHNl
years, yet it takes an old fashioned farmer
a long time TO become convinced Of its eff
ficacy, especially a he insists on hoping
that next year it will rain, and will not look
the cold facts and statistics in the face.
But gradually the people are being edu-
Gated on the subject, and every year more
and more of them become converts, and
make good crops. Ii is thought that within
a few years, a general adoption of these
methods in this section will mean n great
farming community. This of course does
not preclude the extension of irrigation
from the Rio Grandc 20 a to ultimately
reach this territory, which will undoubtedly
take place; but dry farming IN the mean
time produces good results.
DRY LAND CROPS ARE r.AISED.
Another way in which farming in this
section is carried on with a maximum Of
success is by the raising of dry land crops
cotton and corn are reasonably success