6 
COLORADO EXPERIMENT STATION 
CROPS FOR UNIRRIGATED LAND. 
BY J. E. PAYNE. 
After seven years of experience in Eastern Colorado we feel 
justified in making some recommendations for the use of those who 
may try crop raising there without irrigation. 
Soils. We have never seen any good crops grown without ir¬ 
rigation upon adobe or very heavy clay soils. But upon sandy 
loam, sandy and medium and light clay soils, we have seen crops 
raised on a paying basis nearly every year when given especial 
attention. 
Seeding and Culture. The natural vegetation of the country 
shows that thin seeding is necessary. The buffalo grasses are 
thin where they do not get the use of the rain which falls, and 
thick in locations which catch extra water, as in low lands partly 
surrounded by hills. All crops should be planted thinly, so that 
they will not need too much water to make the growth high enough 
to harvest. All crops should be thoroughly cultivated, so as to give 
them the benefit of the largest per cent of the rainfall. Thorough 
and clean culture should be pursued until August ist, whether rain 
falls or not, as the crop is thus kept in good condition to use rains 
which fall late in the season; while if the crops are not kept clean, no 
amount of cultivation after the late rains will take the place of the 
cultivation which should have been given before. The most important 
thing—next to water—is doing the work at the proper time. 
Ground intended for planting in May should be thoroughly disced 
in March or early in April so as to hold the eg-riy moisture. 
These remarks refer only to crops which are recommended in this 
bulletin, and to crops usually planted in rows and cultivated. 
Crops to Depend Upon. Eastern Colorado is mainly a stock 
country, and the needs of the country demand rough forage for win¬ 
tering stock. 
We have found that the sorghums and a few acclimated varieties 
of corn produce paying crops, taking an average of five year’s crops 
as a basis for estimates. Very few of the sorghums ripen seed in North¬ 
eastern Colorado, so if one wishes to produce seed of either corn or sor¬ 
ghum, he should be careful to plant seed which was grown in the vi¬ 
cinity . 
The following table gives the most important facts concerning 
the varieties best known. 
