The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-03-09
sYMoNDs A BOOSTER OF
DRY FARMING
Five acres Of white beans aver.
aged him 500 pounds per
acre last crop-bad year

tne Naliey tnat always speak in
favor Of dry farming, but no
one speaks more enthusiastically
than w. f. Symonds, and why
should he not7 Last year he
planted ten acres in beans-fve
In white and five In pink beans.
The white beans averaged him
500 pounds per acre and the 9TH
er variety 200 pounds. In ad-
dition TO his bean crop he had
milo maize and sudan grass. and
was well pleased with the Yield.
He says his maize was higher
than his head and 80 thick a
jack rabbit could not get through
IL. The sudan grass was about
five feet tall and furnished an
abundance of forage.
Mr.. Symonds Is located two
and one-half miles west of Sum
nyside school house. right in the
center Of the Lower Mimbres.
Some have claimed that dry
farming might possibly be made
a paying proposition on the side
of the mountain. but was i'm
possible down in the valley. The
results Of Mr.. Symonds efforts
proves that Il can be done down
in the valley.
Symonds Is originally from
the state Of Michigan, but came
here from FL Paso three years
ago. and since he has been here
he gained all the knowledge he
now has of farming. having had
no experience whatever. He did
not prepare his ground as Mr..
Darrow. Last year he did all
his plowing after the first rain
which fell July 10th. He plow-
ed the ground about eight inches
deep, planting his pink beans on
July 10th. and the white ones
on July goth. Just as soon after
each rain as the soil would per-
init he started the cultivator GO
ing, trying TO get over the entire
crop before the next rain.
There In a considerable n
mount of food water that passes
through his farm, but he does
not US il ut all. He said the
damaged il did more than offset
the good, and he wished that il
did not pass through his place.
i His idea 10 succeed as a farm
er in the Lower Mimbres Is TO
plant a small garden and water
II when necessary-say an acre.
ard ordinarily this will go a long
way toward making a living for
a family. On the side plant as
large an acreage as you are able
TO take care Of to beans, maize.
sudan grass and similar crops.
; There Is a possibility Of n failure
occasionally II a man depends
upon dry farming alone. and in
case there was to be a dry year
he would have his garden 10 fall
back on.
II is not his idea at all 10 wait
for the summer rains to do the
. plowing. He thinks that il
should be done in the fall, and
that the ground should be plow-
! ed Just as deep as possible. No
hope for success without cult.
, walton, thorough and often. and
: then some years there is liable
10 be a failure.
He agrees with Mr.. Darrow
- that last year was one of the
poorest for dry farming that has
/ been for several years, and the
fact that he succeeded last year
9 under the conditions. proves tC
: him that dry farming is a sue
, cess il il is gone about in a scien
z tiflic manner.
/ Mr.. Symonds had had no eX
E perience, and did not undertak,
4 to farm much the first two sea
[ sons he was here. He watched
, those who were farming and lei
i them experiment for him. HI
r had no well and decided to try
5 dry farming with the success
e stated above.
2 During the conversation will
7 Mr.. Symonds he was asked II h,
: thought dry farming could b,
!. made more profitable than irTi
cation. He replied that he wa
inclined to believe that il could
n The yield per acre will not in al
A cases be as large but the eXpens