THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



267 



ducing the new methods of soil culture. The interest of a great many 

 of our farmers in this subject is excellent and we shall see results 

 soon. Only a few farmers have been able to conduct experiments but 

 success has attended the few that have tried. 



Acreage Yields. 



"Near Cottonwood in the western part of the county in 1908, Mr. 

 Levi Burgstahler raised twenty-nine bushels of winter wheat per acre 

 on forty acres. At our ranch in northern Stanley county, spring wheat 

 made about twenty-five bushels and oats forty bushels, in 1908, 



Experiment Stations. 



"The state of South Dakota is about to establish an experimental 

 station at Cottonwood where we believe many experiments will be 

 made in dry farming and a more thorough demonstration made as to 

 the proper methods required to get best results from our gumbo land. 



Deep Plowing. 



"On the Mcpherson truck farm, ground that was plowed deep in 

 the fall contained a good deal more moisture the following season 

 than the spring plowing contained. The greatest difference in the 

 amount of moisture, however, was noticed in connection with different 

 degrees of cultivation. 



Soil Treatment. 



"Potatoes cultivated twice made a poor yield. The ground became 

 hard and dry and cracked open in August. Potatoes plowed four or 

 five times yielded better and the ground kept considerable moisture in 

 it. The same experiments with different plots of sweet corn had simi 

 lar results. The corn that was plowed frequently kept its green color 

 longer and did not fire at the bottom. 



Vegetables. 



"Vegetables that were continually cultivated made as fine products 

 as one would care to see. Wherever the cultivation was continued, 

 the ground kept moist until the entire crop was harvested. 



Acreage Yields. 



"The fact that the produce from eight acres was sold for a little 

 over $1,200 cash, determines that dry farming is not a failure in 

 Stanley county. South Dakota. 



Result of Methodical Work. 



"Mr, E. Shaffenberg says: *I will tell you as best I can how I be- 

 gan breaking prairie and seeding last spring until I had broken and 

 seeded sixty acres on my own homestead. At the same time kind peo- 

 ple told me I was putting too much work on my land, that I was work- 

 ing the life out of it, but I kept on as I had started and my good neigh- 

 bors and friends watched results. Some of them had farmed before 



