132 



DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



Worst, North Dakota; A. F. Mantle, Canada; Hector M. E. Pasmezoglu, 

 Greece; W. M. Jardine, Kansas. 



I want also to call the attention of the international representatives, 

 most of whom I think are in the hall at this time, to he fact that it is the 

 desire to take a picture of them ana of President Waters sometime between 

 now and 12 o'clock. 



I have here, Mr. President, a telegram from Professor Mark A. Carle- 

 ton, which you might read at your convenience. 



CHAIRMAN ATKINSON: 



Professor Carleton was to have been on the program this morning, 

 but sends a message stating he cannot get away from Washington. 



This audience will need no introduction to the next speaker, L. E. Call, 

 Agronomist at the Kansas Agricultural College. 



Address of Mr. Call. 

 CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR WESTERN KANSAS 



In the more humid and older districts of the eastern United States 

 definite systems of cropping are followed on nearly every farm. 



Crops have been grown in this section of the country for more than a 

 century and it has been definitely proved that under most conditions it is 

 unprofitable to grow the same crop continuously even on the richest of 

 ground. The different crops adapted to the region have been studied until 

 accurate information is available regarding the effect of each upon the soil. 

 The particular crop which follows another to the best advantage is also 

 known. With this knowledge it has been a simple matter to plan for almost 

 any combination of crops, cropping systems that will utilize to the fullest 

 extent the moisture and available plant food in the soil, that will maintain 

 the soil in the highest state of productiveness, and at the same time insure 

 the greatest ultimate profit from each crop grown. 



It has been impossible in the short time western Kansas has been 

 farmed, to work out with any degree of certainty the best cropping system 

 for that section of the state. New crops better adapted to western Kansas 

 conditions are frequently introduced and each new crop requires a little 

 different manner of soil preparation and handling. It will probably be im- 

 possible to plan systems of soil management and crop rotation as definitely 

 as the farmers of eastern United States have planned their rotations. It 

 will, at least, be impossible to do so until we have greater knowledge than 

 we have today of the soil, crops and climate of the region. It is, however, 

 important that a study be made of the cropping systems that promise to 

 be most profitable. 



Such a study has been started. During the past ten years the Kansas 

 Experiment Station in cooperation with the United States Department of 

 Agriculture has made a study of the cropping system best adapted to 

 western Kansas. This work has been done at the Branch Experiment 

 Stations at Hays, Garden City, Dodge City, Tribune, and Colby and upon 

 the farms of farmers with whom we are cooperating. On these farms there 



