THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



235 



Causes of Failure. 



"Uncle Charlie advised me to plow only four inches and not culti- 

 vate too much or I would lose moisture. About two years ago, before I 

 was interested in dry farming, a friend of my father's came from the 

 East to buy a dry farm. Father took him over to see Uncle Charlie, 

 who wished to sell his place. The old gentleman showed him some very 

 good corn, saying that his crop the previous fall yielded thirty bushels 

 to the acre. My father asked him how much corn he raised in all. He 

 replied, 'Oh, I had nearly ninety bushels.' On being asked how many 

 acres he had to corn, he answered, 'Oh, about fifteen acres.' His wheat 

 was fine. He had a large patch, at least two rods by five rods — an old 

 garden plot that had been ploughed many times. He always ended his 

 discussion by saying, 'I could have raised a lot more if I were younger.' 

 He has lived there twenty years, and hasn't raised any more yet. 



Effect of Hail. 



"We were hailed out twice; the leaves were cut in shreds; we 

 could not tell which way the rows of squash and melon field ran. Things 

 looked blue, but we cultivated immediately. We must give our dry farm 

 at least as fair treatment as irrigated land. 



Soil Treatment. 



After irrigation we cultivate, so with dry farming; after a shower, 

 cultivate immediately. 



"The squash and melons were set back by the hail to such an extent 

 that they did not mature in time to market to good advantage, The 

 squash went about eight tons to the acre. We had wagon loads of 

 melons. We gave a neighbor two loads of melons and squashes. The 

 next day he came back accompanied by a friend who wanted a load of 

 free melons. Our hired man told the old gentleman that he did not 

 believe that Miss Frink knew his friend. 'Well, said the old man angrily, 

 'I think you might give him a load anyway. He is my neighbor.' This 

 reminds me of a story that my father tells of an actual occurrence in 

 New York state. Ben Merchant, a wealthy bachelor, married a woman 

 with many relatives, who visited her one after another. They built a 

 beautiful home in town, but had no barn. One man and his wife came 

 to visit, put their horse in the livery barn, and stayed two weeks. Mer- 

 chant gave the livery man instructions to charge the grain to the visitor. 

 He was very indignant when the man refused to let his horse go until 

 he had paid his bill. He angrily sought Merchant and said: 'What do 

 you mean by telling the livery man to charge the grain to me? Isn't 

 my wife your wife's cousin?' 'Yes,' replied Merchant, 'but your horse 

 isn't a darn bit of relation.' 



Acreage yields. 



"The corn averaged about twenty-eight bushels to the acre. I might 

 put my yield higher, but I am not like the preacher of whom dry farmers 



