DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



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put in the stack, nothing in the line of forage will keep better than 

 shredded fodder. Thefore, it is, that the silo is not an absolute necessity. 



Still another method that can be employed on the larger ranges where 

 from 500 to 1000 acres of kafir can be grown, is a mill similar to an 

 alfalfa mill, and the kafir corn, head, stalks and all, can be ground the 

 same as alfalfa is ground, which, in this pulverized condition, permits the 

 juices of the stomach to extract the nutrition to a far greater extent than 

 if the forage be fed in the ordinary way of hauling direct from the shock 

 to the cattle. This, however, is too expensive a method to attempt to adopt 

 where the acreage is small, as economic grinding will require an engine of 

 100 horsepower, and other machinery costing from $1000 to $2000. 



For my own part, I have great faith in nonsaccharine sorghums, inas- 

 much as they produce both grain and forage when listed in and not sown 

 broadcast. Also, it is eminently desirable that the dry-farming region 

 raise its own concentrates. Ground kafir is an admirable substitute for 

 shorts. These sorghums not only produce grain, but the forage of the 

 kafir, at any rate, is probably better than the forage of Indian corn. It 

 serves excellently in the silo. Heading the kafir, threshing the heads, and 

 then grinding, will almost render the farmer of the dry-farming region 

 self sustaining as to concentrates; at least, for the growing animal, be it the 

 calf or the pig, and at the same time, will have the animal well on in the 

 fattening process. 



In the production of these animal feeds, generally speaking, unless 

 the soil be very sandy or shallow, as upon a gravel bed, deep plowing is an 

 essential that moisture may be stored in the soil. It is well understood that 

 the rock is only solidified earth. The rock will hold but little moisture; 

 finely pulverized earth will hold a great deal of moisture. Baked or hard 

 soil is of the nature of rock — it has but little and will retain but little of 

 the moisture. Then it is, that the soil must not only be plowed deep, but it 

 must be kept in a condition to retain ail the moisture that it has absorbed. 

 The surface must be thoroughly pulverized to stop evaporation. That is 

 done by what is commonly called the maintenance of a dust mulch, a cor- 

 rugated pulverized surface. This latter, which is not being practiced as 

 much as it should be, is, generally speaking, well understood by our West- 

 ern farmers. The deeper plowing, however, is not as well understood, is 

 not as readily accepted, and in many instances is combatted. 



In regard to firming the soil, the immediate plowing after the harvest- 

 ing of wheat or other similar grain crop, if there be plenty of rain in July 

 or August after the ground is plowed, may serve sufficiently to firm the 

 ground for fall sowing. These rains do not always come and more often 

 the plowing is not done until shortly before seeding. It is rather likely 

 that the surer way, and doubtless this is the method that will be generally 

 adopted, is to summer-fallow, and by harrowing as frequently as neces- 

 sary keeping the soil free from weeds and at the same time giving a pul- 

 verized surface, giving the ground a chance not only to firm, but to accu- 

 mulate a year's moisture before the time of sowing. May and June are 

 recommended months for plowing, but in the practical working out, the 



