Show DAIRY ON A DRY FARM MAY BE MADE profitable UP TO CERTAIN LIMITS summer bummer grazing winter fodder and ample supply of grain are arc three questions question to be considered rye makes good crop by PROF THOMAS SHAW 0 that dairying in dry areas Is lesa profitable and more difficult than in humid areas or on lands landa supplied with irrigating waters will be apparent to td those who have thought upon the sub jcck this does not mean however that it may not be made successful up to a certain limit on the ranch in them dry area in the prosecution of dairying under any conditions three questions come up tor for consideration the first Is sumi sum i mer grazing the second Is winter fod tod i ders d ors and the third is the supply of grain that is needed wherever all these may be grown on the tarm farm in sufficient quantity dairying may be successfully carried on in dry areas the first of these Is the most difficult of attainment the pas ture problem Is the roost most difficult of 0 all problems which the dry land tanner farmer must face but this problem Is by no means unsolvable the difficulty with grass pastures in a dry country arises from the tact fact that from these the farmer may only get what nature gives him whereas in growing other crops he Is enabled to stimulate growth through the conservation of moisture but there are other than grass pas turee lures that will aid him materially la in his work in all dry areas winter rye may be made to furnish much pasture it may be sown tor for such a use almost any season seabon when germination may be secured where the rain falls in the growing season it may be sown say in june the time when moisture Is abundant it may be grazed during all that summer and again the following spring when rain falls in the late autumn and winter the rye is best sown when the autumn rains begin to tall fall when rye is grown tor for pasture it must be grazed so as to prevent jointing usually rye rya pasture may be followed by summer tallow fallow but to this plan there may be exceptions grains mixed in character may be sown autumn or spring to provide pasture this may be sown in mixtures those should be chosen which are the least costly for the time being the grazing of these crops will cease in time to summer tallow fallow the land the time tor for sowing them will depend or on the season when moisture talla falls there are locations also in which the pasture problem may be made much simpler to the dry land farmer if his ranch is adjacent to rough landsi landsa he be may get his pasture from these la in some instances because it Is open range in other instances he may secure title to it at nominal tee fee ranch men thus situated are so tar far fortunate tortu nata in their location the pastures especially in the autumn 1 may be supplemented with fodder corn where the elevation is not too high for growing the same in yet other instances pastures may be grown that will give higher yields than those which nature furnishes unaided such tor for instance Is brome grass and possibly a lew few other grasses the fodder problem Is not so alfs cult fodders are grown usually by the aid more or less of conserved moisture the two leading fodders in most localities will be oat hay bay barley hay bay and most of all alfalfa in many ahei areas these will be supplemented by fodder even the straw of certain grains may be made to serve an excellent purpose along with other suitable adjuncts as straw in dry areas Is more valuable than in those of frequent rainfall the grain problem to the dry land farmer la Is easy he can grow grain almost any season which gives abundant yields it if he can furnish this factor so that it can be fed without threshing the grain he be Is so much farther ahead this he can do in many areas by growing a mixture of oats gate and peas or white holless barley and peas and cutting them a little under ripe the dry land farmer who dairies should be careful not to overstock he Is a more affected by the weather than the cae who farms by the aid of irrigation in an unusually dry season he may have some difficulty in providing enough food it if the ranch is stocked beyond its power to food the plan is good also which combines grain growing with dairying on the dry land farm |