Dry-Farming : A System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low RainfallWidtsoe, John Andreas
Science
Dry-Farming : A System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall
Widtsoe, John Andreas
Dry farming
attachments whereby the soil is pressed around the seed and the
topsoil afterwards stirred to prevent evaporation. This permits of a
much more rapid and complete germination. The drill, the advantages
of which were taught two hundred years ago by Jethro Tull, is one of
the most valuable implements of modern agriculture. On dry-farms it
is indispensable. The dry-farmer should make a careful study of the
drills on the market and choose such as comply with the principles
of the successful prosecution of dry-farming. Drill culture is the
only method of sowing that can be permitted if uniform success is
desired.
The care of the crop
Excepting the special treatment for soil-moisture conservation,
dry-farm crops should receive the treatment usually given crops
growing under humid conditions. The light rains that frequently fall
in autumn sometimes form a crust on the top of the soil, which
hinders the proper germination and growth of the fall-sown crop. It
may be necessary, therefore, for the farmer to go over the land in
the fall with a disk or more preferably with a corrugated roller.
Ordinarily, however, after fall sowing there is no further need of
treatment until the following spring. The spring treatment is of
considerably more importance, for when the warmth of spring and
early summer begins to make itself felt, a crust forms over many
kinds of dry-farm soils. This is especially true where the soil is
of the distinctively arid kind and poor in organic matter. Such a
crust should be broken early in order to give the young plants a
chance to develop freely. This may be accomplished, as above stated,
by the use of a disk, corrugated roller, or ordinary smoothing
harrow.
When the young grain is well under way, it may be found to be too
thick. If so, the crop may be thinned by going over the field with a
good irontooth harrow with the teeth so set as to tear out a portion
of the plants. This treatment may enable the remaining plants to
mature with the limited amount of moisture in the soil.
Paradoxically, if the crop seems to be too thin in the spring,
harrowing may also be of service. In such a case the teeth should be
slanted backwards and the harrowing done simply for the purpose of
stirring the soil without injury to the plant, to conserve the
moisture stored in the soil and to accelerate the formation of
nitrates.--The conserved moisture and added fertility will
strengthen the growth and diminish the water requirements of the
plants, and thus yield a larger crop. The iron-tooth harrow is a
very useful implement on the dry-farm when the crops are young.
After the plants are up so high that the harrow cannot be used on
them no special care need be given them, unless indeed they are
cultivated crops like corn or potatoes which, of course, as
explained in previous chapters, should receive continual
cultivation.
Harvesting
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