Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-10-11
.1Hl errir iuEpicly DESERT"
Interesting Facts about It, Present Ag-
riculturnl Condition.

The desert Of few years ago, so bare
and barren and so hopeless in the view Of
all beholders. estimated only at the value OF
its carrying capacity for range cattle and
sheep, is rapidly changing in appearance
aud in public appreciation. Its eastern
portion, AS a newly found rain belt, has
been carved into homesteais aud farmed
without regard to irrigation. 1t was held
alike bv sage aud citizen, twenty years ago,
that half of Nebraska was agricultural, the
other half pastoral that successful agricul-
ture could not be expected beyond the Tooth
meridian The settler gradually moved
westward and utterly regardless of this
dictum, passed the desert line, building his
cabin and turning the soil and growing corn,
stopping not even at the Colorado line and
today he is growing a better crop Of maize
in all the eastern counties Of the Centen-
NAL state than is the farmer of Michigan or
northern New York. He has been told that
a year of drouth and starvation would come,
aud some pinching drouths have confront
ed him. as they have the farmer Of Illinois
still he has pushed westward with heroic
determination, breaking and subduing the
soil and showing 10y his improvements that
he is there to stay.
In visit to Yuma col there were found
farmers who had fled from the drouths Of
Illinois, some old men of 60, starting anew
on a desert homestead who had broken the
soil deeply with horses and cattle, and even
cows. and are getting wheat yielding 20
bushels per acre, cribbing hundreds of bush
els Of corn. growing oats and potatoes, hay
aud vegetables, aud converting "A former
scene Of desolation into one Of beauty and
bloom. Deep breaking, sub soling and fire.
quent utiyatiuu-processes the very re-
verse of those practiced by the pioneer far
mer-are the sources Of the new prosperity.
Colorado agriculture is contesting with
mining for superiority in value Of produc-
ton, and her wisest pubicsts assert that
one third will this year be produced with
ont irrigation. The eastern counties, the
great divide between the Platte and the
Arkansas that extends eastward from the
base of the mountains, and other areas
where potatoes and other vegetables, alfal-
ia or millets, will grow without irrigation
aud the range with its natural pasturage,
will give this year of the fruits of the earth
many millions Of dollars in value by virtue
Of the rainfall properly utilized.
What is the cause of this magical change
As the mines in which the ores have been
hidden for ages were discovered, so new
agricultural country, that has existed for
ages has been discovered by the light of
practical experience and a higher science.
Has there been an increase of rainfall
The records Of the rain gauge do not show
it very conclusively, though it is now said
that this instrument is no true test Of real
prccpitatiun Yet there is change Of eli
mate The agricultural values Of the eli
mate have increased The moisture that
was before carried away, flowing from the
surface like water from a ducks back, is
held in the soil, taken up by the roots of
plants, given out through their leaves or
evapOrated from the surface of the soil, and
"a marked increase of humidity Of the at
mosphere is the result, which is shown in
dews unknown before This humidity is a
factor in plant growth, though it is not made
apparent by such "A measure of precipita-
ton as the rain gauge.
Thus the homestead area, supposed to be
limited to 200 miles west of the Missouri
already extends about 400 miles The err
ror arose from deficient knowledge of az
ricultural meteorolugy. "a misconception of
the quality of the arid soil, an uuderesti-
mate Of the actual rainfall, and failure in
adaptation of rural methods and processes
to the unusual conditions prevailing. Nor
/ Is the lesson yet fully learned there are
/ surprises of success in store for the expert
mental arid-lands farmer of the future.
There is another transition in progress.
/ 1t is partially the effect of this above indi-
Gated These POO miles of homesteads were
| formerly ranges for cattle and sheep The
great hocks have been driven back to the
higher plains or the mountain peaks and
valleys As the prosperity of the ranch
became known in the east and in Europe
initiation set in, prices advanced, and young
cattle were quoted and bought and sold al
higher rates than in any other markets OF
the United States Millions were invested
in ranch property and privileges The sell
ers, infatuated rs were the buyers, eStab
lished new ranches, crowded the range in
iuring the pasturage and enfeebling tn,
| stock. Then came the hard winter of 1856
-, and fearful losses occurred, which add
ed to the depression caused by declining
prices and deepened the dependency of tn,
cattle grower, who began to feel that hi
business must in the future be conducte,
less on the nomadic plan and more in ac
cordance with economic principles Tn,
stock must be kept in hand, looked after
fed in winter storms when grass cannot b,
obtained, and water must he provided; TO
it is understood that cattle die of unquench
ed thirst when streams are frozen over, a
well as from starvation when the grass i
covered with snow or ice.
1t was a wise and patriotic idea to utiliz
the grasses of the plains and mountain
that We're wasted 30 years ago. 1t was
loss of national income nearly as large a
would he the loss of the cotton crop
was public property, common wealth, an
the profits stimulated utilization till the yer
cheapness Of pasturage threatened its de
struction-a forcible illustration of tn
wastefuness Of communism.
The iusiupss of rauchiuy has tested il
capacity to found a state 1t has not ell
dowed with great wealth IA pOpulous con
muuity, established churches, built scho,
houses, and dotted the landscape with home
of comfort and abundance. Nor can it.
has done something, if not its best it he
at some points overdone, if it has not don
its worst 1t is a useful industry yet,
supplement all others that are practicabl,
on lands that can be irrigated extensively
+ but there are metals, the useful as well
the precious to he mined and manufaCtul
ed, requiring transportation to all point
labor rude and skilled, and all the applianc,
of art and industry, aided by science an
inventive genius. These points gained, al
riculture, which has now no motive or o.
. portunity, will flourish and he extended an
, IA better style of ranching will utilize IL
, areas that would otherwise ever be waste
I / Inc pdIIlOIlc tltlLeu, lbOhlllB 10 Jue pro
perity of the future does not regret I'll
O decadence of the old idea of ranchin,
Twenty-Five acres of pasture used fol
4 years in fitting one bullock for the shan
. bles is no basis for the wealth of stat
10 Population cannot be sustained or civiiz
ton advanced on this idea 1t was a zoe
enough theory for few pioneers wi
sought wealth to spend elsewhere but lii
- cotton in the SOUTH utterly incapable
k sustaining population of millions, who
income from this source would be less tina
: S25 per head America can give no perm
&, nent adhesion to the Arab or any other II
D. mad Even the cattle grower of the par
pas is tending toward agriculture, al
q progress is apparent in semi civilized cou
tries The Rocky Mountains are resona
k with the echoes Of progress
There are further transitions. The ca
n tie no longer wear the Texan charact
r prominently, nor even that of the gau
and ungainly native Of degenerated Eur
/. peau blood, but are becoming modified
n the Shorthorn the Hereford, and Poll
q, Angus. This is one reason for the increa
of beef Animals are heavier, and d
q quality of the meat is improved. A simil
e Improvement is going on in herds of hors
# by the impress Of the Clydesdale and &
Percheron This improvement leads to a
s. other, Of necessity better care aud fee
.e All of these tend to improvements viii
are Of the farm rather than of tine ranc
re A notable example of this tendency
ct seen in the course of the Warren Live Sto
ID company. 1t is the consolidation of a SEQ
~ or more of small ranches established oril
in nally 10y Gov. +. r.. Warren and others
points where water could conveniently
il, obtained on Bear, Horse and Pole creel
80 west of Cheyenne, Where water "