Gunnison news-champion., 1921-09-09
Ranch and RangG
News of the Ssoek-Iterns
about Stockmen-FoIlcvine
Pio~ and Shovel-Dry Farr-
ing Notes Of Interest
Redeeming Flooded
Lands i'm Arkansas
Valley Big Problem
Western Far1u Life:-

Western FarIn Life;-
How would you like TO have ten
feet Of sand deposited on land which
you valued ~ $4,000 an acre.
The farmers Of the Arkansas valley
didn't Ike il either but that is precisely
what happened in n number of cases
when. on June 3. the Arkansas river
swept 5000 acres Of Land and exact
cd a tribute Of $4,000, 900 from agri-
culture in the valley. The damage
10 soil crops and property alone
amounted TO $50 an acre on flooded
and, 10 say nothing of the immense
loss to irrigation projects
But the destruction of property
and crops was not all the Arkansas
river accomplished. In washing the
s0ils and leaving sand. silt and adobe
deposits. the food has altered the
farming practices Of hundreds of
places in the valley for number of
years All classes OF deposits have
been left 10 alter the nature of the
sOil and make necessary a change in
the method Of handling and cropping.
Where Sandbars and worthless sedi-
meHts have not completely destroyed
farming possibilities, the farmers are
confronted with a serious problem
Their soil Is different-abnormal,-
sick as it were, and each farmer must
become a soil doctor, administering
faithfully to his charge II he would
rcstore il.
The deposits resulting from the
food have presented to the farmers in
the Arkansas valley three general
types Of soils to be dealt with. In
most cases the soil is different from
that formerly existing upon the land.
4 coarse, heavy gravel exists in some
places and has destroyed the crop
ping possibilities completely. Again,
. very loose loan has been left and
Il must be made tighter for satisfac-
tory productivity. Then there are
the heavy clay or adobe sediments
which present the most formidable
problem to the farmers. They bake
easily and are difficult to handle.
In some cases the coarse gravel de-
posts have covered only a portion of
the fields, but in all too many instances
i has claimed considerable acreage
with varying depths. On one farm
three miles from Pueblo, fiNd of 20
acres, valued at 500 an acre and of
excellent river-bottom soil which fur
nishei alfalfa and silage corn for the
maintenance Of a large dairy herd,
was hit by the food, leaving the lower
half of the field a sandbar and rep
rescnting a total loss. According to
Prof Alvin Kezer of the State Agri-
cultural college, the cost of removing
the 1S or 2f-inch coat of gravel from
this field would greatly exceed the
worth of the land.
I Another instance of the destructive
Q II L. Al, fAnI IN do
4 posting worthless sand was noted at
! I4aJunta A farmer dug ten feet
thru sand and gravel where once he
had grown field crops. The land was
I total loss TO him. Cropping was
absolutely out of the question. 1t is
likely that the productive soil was
I first washed away in many instances
before the gravel was deposited.
In the case Of sandy loans which
are too loose TO retain moisture and
grow the crops desired, manure is now
one of the most importat medicines.
A light, sandy soil gives up its mois-
ture too readily for the production of
some crops, especially when irrigating
water is not abundant Manure
serves to bind loose soils together and
help them to retain the moisture long
er Humus releases the moisture more
slowly than the sandy particles and
manure is the most valuable source of
all humus.
Manure has another effect on sandy
soil which will prove valuable in re-
storing Arkansas valley soils to pro-
iuctivity. The plant foods which ex-
list in sandy soils need a stimulant for
their release. The acids of manure
and decaying humus is the stimulant
needed. and since natural humus from
decayed roots and weeds is too slow
in making, manure is the short cut
to productivity. II furnishes nitrogen
which is often lacking in light, sandy
soils.
Cultivation of extremely sandy soils
is rather important problem in their
handling. Il must be done properly
and that means not too often, nor yet
too infrequently. Too frequent STIR
ring of sandy soil to depth may
mean loss of valuable moisture where
irrigation is lacking. Again, cultiva-
tion tends to disturb and disintergrate
manure and hurnus and thus make
sandy soils more compact while releas-
ing plant food to be dissolved and
carried to plant roots by water.
In handling the clay loans and
adobes that have tendency to bake,
the problem is ute different. While
similar treatment is applied, the re-
suit is somewhat different. Cultiva-
ton, manuring and cropping have a
different effect. The chief function Of
manure in this kind of soil is in max
ing it more workable and reducing
the baking tendency.
While the acids and the nitrogen
of manure are very beneficial in heavy
soils the greatest benefit to soil is the
permitting of aeration and reducing
the tendency to stick and clod when
handling. The baking tendencies Of
such soils is also relieved by cultiva-