The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-11-11

Eastern Limit Of Arid Belt Has Retreated
Three Degrees.

Oklahoma and the Panhandle OF Texas
the new agriculture has spread. In
Nebraska and South Dakota broom
corn millet is conspicuous crop TO-.
day, and both broom. corn and the
common miliets have exhibited q note.
worthy energy in the conquering of
the dry belt. Both kinds Of millets
are grown for forage only, though in
India the broom-corn is great source
Of hasssn food supply.
"The introductioa OF drought-re.
sisting crops, IS means of invading
the desert. is supplemented by peoisl
methods of tiilage adapted to make
the most of what water there is. To
induce the moipture that falls upon
the soil to enter it and stay in it is
the idea back Of the methods referr ed
to. One means Of accomplishing this
end is to keep the surface soil pulver.
lied in the dry season, but resort is
had to various other devices.
"All of the plants mentioned, ex-
cepting only the maosroni wheat, are
for forage-even the barley. The
most important agricultural movement
In this country at the present time is
in the direction of substituting stock
raising for the growing Of grain AID
cotton. In the cotton region Of the
South the farmers ere turning attcn-
tion more and more to stock farming
and grass culture. The Government
is. giving every encouragement to the
movement, in the belief that il will
put agriculture on more profitable
basis.
"Stook farming requires less labor
and drudgery than cotton growing. It
gives diversity Of crops that helps
the farmer to keep his land free from
weeds and furnishes o greater variety
Of products, thus increasing his
chances Of having something to sell
at good price every year. Further
more this kind Of agriculture is oalou-
lated to restore the fertility Of OK
hausted soil and even to make it more
fertile than when it was virgin.
Cotton growing hitherto has been
the main industry Of the State Of Tex
as, which has raised as much Of that
product as any two other States put
together. But the cotton boil weevil
has made the Industry Improbable
and the farmers Of that section are
ttlrning to cattle and aog raising and
the planting Of forage crops for con-
version into meat. At the present
time there is craze FOR alfalfa and
seed houses in Dallas sold last spring
squsrter Of million pounde Of alfalfa
seed. Near Sherman, Texas, I myself
saw 300 acres OF alfalfa in one field,
tie same area having been occupied
formerly by cottnns Thia Geld seee,
yielding four tons e hay to the acre
and the owner WAS selling it at els q
ton. As source Of profit it beat cot.
ton out Of sight.
''Two other great regions in the
United Statee have had single crop
eystoms, like the cotton growing sees
tion Of the South, wheat being the
produot in both cases. One Of these
embraces Minnesota and the two Da.
kotas. Bnt an all-wise Providence
sent the Russian thistle, which put q
stop to the growing OF wheat exclu-
sively, and today that part Of the
country is one Of our greatest dairy
districts. Herds Of fine horses and
beef cattle Craze over much Of it's area
and 1t ie. very prosperous, The other.
region ID the Pacifo Northwest, COM
.prising Eastern Washington, Eastern
Oregon and Northern Idaho. It is
one Of the richest agricultural seotione
and its people call il the Inland EN-.
pire. For generation itraised moth
ing but wheat, but at the present time
il has thousands Of acres planted with.
'alfalfa and broom grass and its cattle
are numbered By millions. 81 6.
,Ss'W here will our breadstuffs come
from, itsmay be asked, IL these great
an ! highly productive areas, formerly
devoted TO the growing Of grain, ara
given np,to cattle raising2 The an
sWer il that We have plenty Of room
left elsewhere. II is fact, likely to
surprise most people. that only 1e
per cent Of the area OF the United
States ia improved land. Pennsylvan-
.ia5 has 64 per cent of wild land, un-
touched By the plough, New York so
Per cent, Massaeh husstts rs per cent,
Wisconsin c9 per cent and North
fgo v,n Tx vs.,s :, rS. 4 - :. :. r..