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
Jardine has reminded the dry-farmers of the United States that
before the production of wheat on the dry-farms can reach its full
possibilities under any acreage, sufficient quantities must be grown
of a few varieties to affect the large markets. This is especially
important in the intermountain country where no uniformity exists,
but the warning should be heeded also by the Pacific coast and Great
Plains wheat areas. As soon as the best varieties are found they
should displace the miscellaneous collection of wheat varieties now
grown. The individual farmer can be a law unto himself no more in
wheat growing than in fruit growing, if he desires to reap the
largest reward of his efforts. Only by uniformity of kind and
quality and large production will any one locality impress itself
upon the markets and create a demand. The changes now in progress by
the dry-farmers of the United States indicate that this lesson has
been taken to heart. The principle is equally important for all
countries where dry-farming is practiced.
Other small grains
_Oats _is undoubtedly a coming dry-farm crop. Several varieties have
been found which yield well on lands that receive an average annual
rainfall of less than fifteen inches. Others will no doubt be
discovered or developed as special attention is given to dry-farm
oats. Oats occurs as spring and winter varieties, but only one
winter variety has as yet found place in the list of dry-farm crops.
The leading; spring varieties of oats are the Sixty-Day, Kherson,
Burt, and Swedish Select. The one winter variety, which is grown
chiefly in Utah, is the Boswell, a black variety originally brought
from England about 1901.
_Barley, _like the other common grains, occurs in varieties that
grow well on dry-farms. In comparison with wheat very little seareh
has been made for dry-farm barleys, and, naturally, the list of
tested varieties is very small. Like wheat and oats, barley occurs
in spring and winter varieties, but as in the case of oats only one
winter variety has as yet found its way into the approved list of
dry-farm crops. The best dry-farm spring barleys are those belonging
to the beardless and hull-less types, though the more common
varieties also yield well, especially the six-rowed beardless
barley. The winter variety is the Tennessee Winter, which is already
well distributed over the Great Plains district.
_Rye _is one of the surest dry-farm crops. It yields good crops of
straw and grain, both of which are valuable stock foods. In fact,
the great power of rye to survive and grow luxuriantly under the
most trying dry-farm conditions is the chief objection to it. Once
started, it is hard to eradicate. Properly cultivated and used
either as a stock feed or as green manure, it is very valuable. Rye
occurs as both spring and winter varieties. The winter varieties are
usually most satisfactory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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