200 DRY-FARMING 



The theory, recently proposed, that in the Great 

 Plains area, where the rains come chiefly in summer, 

 the growing of hoed crops may take the place of the 

 summer fallow, is said to be based on experimental 

 data not yet published. Careful and conscientious 

 experimenters, as Chilcott and his co-laborers, indi- 

 cate in their statements that in many cases the yields 

 of wheat, after a hoed crop, have been larger than 

 after a fallow year. The doctrine has, therefore, been 

 rather widely disseminated that fallowing has no place 

 in the dry-farming of the Great Plains area and 

 should be replaced by the growing of hoed crops. 

 Chilcott, who is the chief exponent of this doctrine, 

 declares, however, that it is only with spring-grown 

 crops and for a succession of normal 3Tars that fallow- 

 ing may be omitted, and that fallowing must be re- 

 sorted to as a safeguard or temporary expedient to 

 guard against total l(3ss of crop where extreme drouth 

 is anticipated; that is, where the rainfall falls below 

 the average. He further explains that continuous 

 grain cropping, even with careful plowing and spring 

 and fall tillage, is unsuccessful ; but holds that certain 

 rotations of crops, including grain and a hoed crop 

 every other year, are often UKjre profitable than grain 

 alternating with clean summer fallow. He further 

 believes that the fallow year every third or fourth 

 year is sufficient for Great Plains conditions. Jar- 

 dine explains that whenever fall grain is grown in the 

 Great Plains area, the fallow is remarkably hel])ful. 



