Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



II 



In our small towns on the prairies we find, occasionally, homes with 

 a liberal number of trees around them, all in healthy and thrifty condi- 

 tion, having been carefully pruned, showing symetrical and uniform shape, 

 and greatly attractive. Such homes are envied by the passers by, and 

 comments are frequent with reference to their beauty and attractiveness, 

 and a very common remark is, "I would like to have such a home." 



Outside of the pleasure and real comfort to be derived from numer- 

 ous shade and ornamental trees, there is also much value in them in the 

 protection of our fields and crops. It has long been asserted by scientists 

 that the growing of trees on the bare prairies will increase the rainfall. If 

 there is any reliable evidence of this to be gathered by common observa- 

 tion, we must admit there is truthfulness in this theory, for in the eastern 

 portions of Nebraska and Kansas the statements of the older settlers 

 verify it. 



In the early days, when the prairies of eastern Nebraska and Kan- 

 sas were as treeless as is the extreme western portion of these states today, 

 failure by drought was not uncommon, while now, with almost every sec- 

 tion of land bordered and defined by trees, and with groves and wood- 

 lands everywhere, the reverse is quite true. The effect of trees in lifting 

 the hot south winds from the surface and carrying them over the grow- 

 ing crops is perceptible; especially is this noted where there is a consider- 

 able growth of trees, and a crop planted on the north side of the grove. 

 It should therefore go without further argument that the planting of 

 trees is important, even in the more humid portions of our country, but 

 especially important and valuable in the semi-arid sections. 



That trees can be grown in the semi-arid belt by the simple appli- 

 cation of the "Campbell Method," there is no further question. Evi- 

 dence is now too conclusive for any one to deny this assertion. Not only 

 is this true, but with careful attention trees may be made to grow as rap- 

 idly as in any section of the east or middle west, and conclusive evidence 

 of this may be seen now on the Pomeroy Model Farm. 



One of the principal objects for which the Pomeroy Model Farm was 

 established was to present a practical illustration and demonstration, not 

 only to show how easily and quickly trees may be grown and orchards 

 brought to a bearing condition, but how inexpensively all this can be 

 done. The prevailing notion that the cost of growing an orchard, or lines 

 of shade trees around the farm buildings, is large is very erroneous. It 

 takes but very little time and expense if the farmer but understands and 

 will practice the right method of doing it. It is not difficult at all, and 

 only requires comparatively little labor to accomplish surprising results. 

 In a subsequent chapter, entitled "Growing Trees," we have gone into de- 

 tails of our method quite extensively. The further and principal object of 

 the Pomeroy Model Farm is to demonstrate that good crops may be grown 

 each and every year by that proper cultivation which will store and con- 



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