THE DRY FARMING CQINGRESS. 



289 



dozen eggs during the season. She also cleared $110 from three da'ry 

 cows. 



Forage Crops. 



Henry Swan of Hugo, for a number of years has successfully grown 

 wheat, oats, corn and feed or forage crops. In 1907 he husked 40 bush- 

 els to the acre of sound, marketable corn. He has never failed to grow 

 seed and feed for his farm. 



Estimated Profits. 



Milo McGowan of Lrmon, says that dry farming has been tested 

 in his district for 12 years. His experience leads liim to say that three 

 years out of five, non-irrigated lands in his district can be made to net 

 the owner $5 per acre. 



Poultry Raising and Dairy Products. 



He advises the new settler to first, buy some milch cows and poul- 

 try, and let extensive farming alone, if his means are limited. Figure 

 on hard times, for this is the history of all new countries. Do not farm 

 too much land, but farm it right. 



Soil Treatment. 



Practice summer culture; use the harrow and sub-surface packer. 

 Plow deep, sow early, pack soil as fast as plowed, do not give it an 

 opportunity to dry out. Best crop for soil is corn or cane. Better buy 

 a cow than to pay for steam plowing. 



Precipitation. 



E R. Parsons of Parker, states that his farm record shows, on a ten 

 year average, 14 7-8 inches rainfall per annum. The major portion of 

 this precipitation occurs In May, April, August, July, October, in order 

 of months named. 



Average Yields. 



Mr. Parsons has been farming his present ranch since 1886 — 23 

 years. The following yields are from ranch records. Minimum 

 yields were obtained dry years as '93, '94, '96 and 1898, maximum yields on 

 ordinary years: Winter wheat, 20 to 40 bushels; spring wheat, 15 to 

 30 bushels. Durum wheat, 10 to 30 bushels; winter rye, 25 to 45 bush- 

 els; oats, 10 to 50 bushels; bald barley, 20 to 30 bushels; corn, 20 to 40 

 bushels; alfalfa, 3-4 to 1 1-2 tons. 



Dry Land Horticulture. , 



Horticulture is successful. Mr. Parson's orchards, in bearing, bring 

 hira from $100 to $150 per acre. This successful ranch-man speaking 

 of his orchard, says: "My orchard depends upon cultivation, no part 

 of it irrigated. My trees are dark and glossy, showing the effects of 

 cultivation. My orchard is a quarter of a mile long and down hill, and 

 a hundred ditches could never seep through my solid clay. I have been 

 gaining moisture in my orchard for a long time by cultivation. It now 



