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Widtsoe, John Andreas, 1872-1952

"Dry-Farming : a System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall"

Where the rainfall comes chiefly in the summer, the
summer fallow is less important in ordinary years than where the
summers are dry and the winters wet. Only an absolutely clean fallow
should be permitted.
The fertility of dry-farm soils must be maintained. Return the
manure; plow under green leguminous crops occasionally and practice
rotation. On fertile soils plants mature with the least water.
Sow only by the drill method. Wherever possible use fall varieties
of crops. Plant deeply--three or four inches for grain. Plant early
in the fall, especially if the land has been summer fallowed. Use
only about one half as much seed as is recommended for
humid-farming.
All the ordinary crops may be grown by dry-farming. Secure seed that
has been raised on dry-farms. Look out for new varieties, especially
adapted for dry-farming, that may be brought in. Wheat is king in
dry-farming; corn a close second. Turkey wheat promises the best.
Stock the dry-farm with the best modern machinery. Dry-farming is
possible only because of the modern plow, the disk, the drill
seeder, the harvester, the header, and the thresher.


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