DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



133 



are under way at the present time over two hundred different rotations and 

 systems of soil management. While this work is of too short duration to 

 have definitely determined the best system of soil management for this re- 

 gion, a few important facts have been fairly definitely established. These 

 are: 



1. That the greatest success cannot be obtained by growing the same 

 crop on the land continuously. 



2. That a thorough preparation of the soil for crops is as essential in 

 western Kansas as in the more humid regions. 



3. That grain crops cannot be depended upon to produce profitable 

 returns each season even though the best methods of soil management 

 "be used. 



4. That forage crops of the sorghum family are the most dependable, 

 and for the most profitable utilization of these crops, livestock must be 

 kept upon the farm. 



5. That a sequence of crops should be so arranged that the greatest 

 possible use is made of all moisture stored in the soil. 



6. That moisture can be stored in the soil by summer fallow, and 

 that occasionally summer fallow is necessary in all well-planned system cf 

 cropping. 



Value of Summer Fallowing. 



The value of summer-fallowing as a successful means of conserving 

 moisture has been amply' demonstrated. It has been proved beyond a 

 question that moisture can be stored in the soil and held from one season 

 to another by properly summer-fallowing the land. The amount of mois- 

 ture that can be stored in this way will depend upon the amount of rain 

 that falls during the fallow period, the character of the showers, and the 

 way in which the fallow is handled. It usually requires one-half inch or 

 more of rain in order that water may enter the soil to a sufficient depth to 

 be stored. Light scattering showers simply wet the surface of the ground 

 and the moisture evaporates before it penetrates the soil to a sufficient 

 depth to be held by cultivation. 



In western Kansas from 20 to 30 percent of the annual rainfall can 

 usually be stored in the soil by summer fallowing. The big problem in 

 fallowing land is not preventing evaporation, but getting the moisture into 

 the ground. Moisture will not readily pass through finely pulverized soil. 

 Therefore, a soil that has been fallowed and continuously worked with a 

 smoothing harrow absorbs water very slowly. In cultivating the fallow 

 ground, it should be worked as little as possible with implements like the 

 smoothing harrow and disk that pulverize the surface soil, but should be 

 cultivated with implements like the spring-tooth harrow and corn cultivator 

 that leave the ground ridged, that do not pulverize the small clods, but 

 leave the small lumps of soil on the surface of the ground. This not only 

 permits rain to be absorbed more readily, but tends to lessen soil blowing 

 where blowing is a danger. 



The value of summer-fallowing for storing moisture in the soil has 



