DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



225 



cultivated and clean. When the potatoes were about as large as hen 

 eggs we had a heavy shower. A few days afterwards I was passing through 

 the patch and although the soil was only medium heavy the ground was 

 cracking open badly. I spoke to my son about cultivating once more, 

 and although a good boy, like some others, knows more than his father, 

 he protested against the cultivating any more, saying the potatoes were 

 the cleanest we ever had. Besides, he said, it was against my religion to 

 plow potatoes after they were as large as hen eggs. I finally persuaded 

 him to start the cultivator over the patch, cautioning the boys to not cul- 

 tivate deep or too close to the potatoes. They only cultivated about half 

 of the patch, and went to cutting alfalfa and never returned to finish. I 

 plowed out these same potatoes myself with a lister, commencing on the 

 side cultivated. The ground was mellow and moist and the potatoes turned 

 about 225 bushels per acre, until I came to where the land was not culti- 

 vated, and I had to put the clevis to the top of the beam and stand on 

 the beam to plow the balance out, and the soil turned up in large chunks 

 and the yield from that was only about 160 bushels per acre, of a poorer 

 quality. It would have paid me $150 per day to the team to finish culti- 

 vating. (Applause.) This same land was put to wheat the following 

 year, and although the crop was not kept separate the yield was much 

 larger on the part that received the late cultivation. Since that time I 

 and my neighbors believe in cultivating either corn or' potatoes even after, 

 the crop is matured, if the land shows signs of cracking, in order to con- 

 serve the moisture. 



Another problem I do not understand. We can raise watermelons 

 weighing 20 to 40 pounds without irrigation, and they are about 92 per 

 cent water. 



Grain for seed similar to what is on the far end of the table that 

 has been raised for a number of years can be had of Henry Swan, Hugo, 

 Colorado. 



Let me tell you about Henry Swan. This gentleman is over 35 years 

 old. He has been raised from childhood a cattleman — cowboy, as the boys 

 call him. About five years ago he took a notion he wanted to raise 

 some feed for some calves and he had such great success in the raising 

 of corn, barley and some kaffir corn that he has continued farming, and 

 this past season he had some 270 acres of ccops, and he is now one of 

 the most successful and scientific farmers we have in the neighborhood. 



I would like to say a few words about Prof. W. H. Campbell. Not one 

 in a thousand that talk Campbell system is following it to the letter, but 

 partially following same is showing good results. He has been criticised 

 for using ancient theories, but he has been the right man in the right 

 place for the good of a large number of people in the semi-arid regions, 

 inasmuch as he has brought it before the people, and kept it before the 

 people tmtil thousands of people have partially followed his teaching, and 

 suggestions with wonderful good results, and although some of his theo- 



