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Show KEEP MULCH AT ALL TIMES ' Principal Factors in Preparing Stor-; age for Water Are Cultivation and Deep Plowing. Most of the farmers in this section practice dry .farming, but in my1; opinion less than a third of the land; farmed is cultivated according to dry farming methods. The term dry; farming, as I understand It, is farm-! lng and growing crops on arid lands; where precipitation is so light that special methods must be adopted for success. Many farmers will always adopt the best methods which have proven of advantage to themselves by observing the failures and successes of others. The average annual rainfall rain-fall in this section of North Dakota Is twenty Inches, so that some system sys-tem of conserving moisture must be practiced. Where land is summer fallowed and allowed to remain Idle every other season, I consider 320 acres a very good size for the dry farm, while 160 acres will furnish, plenty of work where crops are rotated ro-tated and the land is utilized each season. The latter plan I look upon as being the most favorable and employ em-ploy it on my farm. In my experience I find that the very best soil for dry farming Is a chocolate-colored loam, with potash, limestone and other soil ingredients, writes E. D. Baker of Morton county, S. D.. in the Orange Judd Farmer. The necessary equipment for managing the farm are a plow, a disk harrow, a drag, a disk press drill and a cultl-vator. cultl-vator. For wheat growing upon dry farm land that Is rotated, spring plowing is the best. I usually make it a rule to get out In the field Just as soon as the frost goes out of the ground. Where land Is summer fak lowed plowing Is done during the month of June, as there is usually enough moisture In the ground at that time to stir the soil without turning up clods, and late plowing also has the effect of destroying weeds which draw heavily on soil moisture. Deep plowing is always preferable, but the depth will depend upon the soil "type. The principal factors In preparing storage for water are cultivation In summer, breaking the top crust and keeping the ground from cracking. In winter the field should be left In stubble In order to hold snow and prevent pre-vent plowing. Deep plowing acta as a sponge and allows the moisture to be taken and prevents it from being evaporated or from running off. I do not recommend deep plowing on lands that have a shallow surface soil. In case weeds get started on summer fallowed land during wet seasons, I recommend plowing the second time. When plowing I always al-ways aim to do good work and get straight and evenly turned furrows of uniform depth. Each furrow is turned over against the previous one so that there is an air space between the furrows. Skips are entirely absent and no cuts or uncovered places exist. All rubbish and grass are completely covered and the soil is stirred to a sufficient depth that Is of best advantage advan-tage to the crop grown. |