Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-07-28
DRY FARMING vs. IRRIGATION.

DRY FARMING VS.. IRRIGATION.
Both Hold Out Great tReomise to
| American Agriculture.
Editor 81 Paso Herald: Your letter
Of the 2Sth ult. With copy 81 clipping
from the Globe:Democrat containing
item from Omaha. 7Neb., on dry land
farming in the arid region has been re.
ceived. -'a. -'l' -
It is unfortunate that so few people
appreciate the vast difference between
irrigation and dry land farming in the
west.
There are very great possibilities Of
agricultural production in the west by
means Of what is known as dry farm
ing, under the Campbell soil culture
and other improved methods, but this
style Of agriculture has no relation
whatever. to the problem Of irrigation.
Wherever supply OF water can be
developed for the irrigation OF arid or
semiarid land its production would be
enormously increased over what 1t
would yield under any system of dry
land farming. Under the latter sys-
tenn highly diversified production is
impracticable. Staple products, such
as wheat, may be raised; but the diff:
ference between the product of an
acre under dry land farming and un-
der irrigation, where dry land farming
would be thought possible without irri-
cation, would be five to one in favor
of irrigation, and probably even more.
The lands on which crops can be
raised by methods Of dry land farming
are, as q rule, the high bench lands
which cannot be economically irri-
gated, and there are many millions of
acres Of such lands in the west, which
form no part. Of the lands which it
has been supposed would ever be re-
claimed by irrigation.
It must not be inferred, either, that
all desert lands can be made to pro-
duce by any system Of dry land farm
Ing. Such is not the fact, and the
Omaha correspondent of the Globe
Democrat is talking wildly when he
says that irrigation projects will be
useless because dry land farming will
take the place Of water. The state
ment is simply ridiculous, and grows
out Of the densest ignorance OF the sub.
tect. The area, Of arid lands capable
Of reclamation has been variously esti-
mated at from seventy.four to one
hundred million acres. OF the remain
Ing western lands I should suppose it
would be a conservative estimate that
more han one hundred million acres
OF them are capable OF crop produc-
ton by dry land farming, on the high
bench lands where irrigation will al
ways be impracticable because of lack
Of water supply.
Reclamation by irrigation is one
thing. Utilization Of lands now un-
productive by more scientific methods
OF cultivation is an entirely separate
and distinct problem, and one at which
the Department Of Agriculture. is
steadily at work to find plants which
will grow with a small amount of
moisture and to, develop methods of
cultivation like the Campbell soil cul.
ture. which will conserve tosthe fullest
possible extent for crop production a
small annual rainfall. One such plan
of. cultivation is to conserve in the
soil the rainfall Of two years for the
production Of one crop in one year-a
splendid plan to make productive a
vast area of semi-desert-b a some
what different proposition from rails.
ing five crops in one year by irriga
ton, as can easily be done on the irri
gable desert lands of the southwest.
| Very truly yours,
George H. Maxwell.
Executive Chairman ~ tho Notfono,