228 DRY-FARMING 



on the dry-farm when the croj)s 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 



The methods of harvesting crops on dr}'-farms are 

 practicall_v those for farms in humid districts. The 

 one great exception may be the use of the header 

 on the grain farms uf the dry-farm sections. The 

 header has now ):)ecome well-nigh general in its use. 

 Instead of cutting and t)inding the grain, as in the old 

 method, the heads are simply cut off and piled in 

 large stacks which later are threshed. The high 

 straw which remains is i)l(jwed under in the fall and 

 helps to su])ph' the soil with organic matter. The 

 maintenance of dry-farms for (jver a generation 

 without the addition (jf manures has been made pos- 

 sible hy the organic matter addend to the soil in the 

 decay of the high vigcjrous straw remaining after the 

 header. In fact, the changes occurring in the soil in 

 connection with the decaying of the header stubble 

 aj^pear to hav(> actually increased the available fer- 

 tility. Hundreds of Utah drj' wheat farms during 

 the last ten or twelve years have increased in fertility, 

 or at least in productive power, due undoubtedly to 



