The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30

1t is only a few years since faith in
the general possibilities of dry farming
began to be established in the hearts of
Utah citizens. The strides that have
been made in these few years are mar
veleus. The deserts are being subdued,
and little by little the desert, sage
brush, grease wood. rabbit brush and
shad scale are uprooted, and made TO
give way to the grains and grasses of
the arid farmer. Slowly but surely, the
farmers of Utah are demonstrating that
in very deed they have dominion over
nature.
Spread of Dry Farming.
This year has Witnessed a most re-
markable activity in preparations hav-
ing i'm view the subjugation of the des-
ert. The unvarying successful expe-
rience during the last few years of
drought, of those who have followed
correct methods of farming without ir-
rigation, have been so convincing that
the sanest business men of the state
- have made ventures in arid farming.
The most notable move in this direc-
ton was made when Cedar valley was
thrown open for entry. Upwards of
50, 900 acres of Ian have been taken up
I'm this valley, and great preparations
have already been made for converting
this well-known barren waste into
profitable wheat fields. There can be
little doubt as to the outcome of the
work in Cedar valley. The soil is gen
orally of a deep and fertile nature and
the rainfall is sufficiently abundant to
warrant the successful production of
crops without irrigation. For demon
stration purposes, about 500 acres of
land have been plowed in different
r.f h
this fall.
In the south end of Salt Lake valley
concerted action is now being taken to
reclaim the thousands of acres that
since the pioneers came to this coun-
try. have been owned by the sagebrush
and the jack rabbit. In Juab county
especially within a range of about
twenty miles of Nephi, almost every
available acre of land has been filed
upon. In that district. arid farming
has long since passed the experimental
stage. and is now an established branch
of industry. The dry farms on Levan
hill and Dog valley yielded this year
about 10000 bushels of wheat, whic:.
is certainly a very respectable improve
ment over the occasional spears of
grass that used to peep up among the
sagebrush. Careful agricultural sur
Veys are also being made in Willard
county. particularly between Oak City
and Fillmore The opening of spring
viii mark extensive dry farm opera
lions in that county.
Iron county is blessed with an abund-
ance of splendid land. much of which
receives a rainfall equal to that re-
ceived by the northern counties. The
people of Iron county have at last real
lied this fact and definite operations
are now under way in that county to
develop the dry land in the neighbor-
hood of Cedar City. 1t may be said in
passing. however, that the best dry
farm land in Iron county has not vet
been touched by the settlers. In that
county are thousands of acres of land
which receives an abundance of rain
fall, and on which the very best crops
can be grown without irrigation Over
i'm Washington county, also, definite
steps have been taken to subdue the
thousands of acres of land in that
county that are fit for cultivation by
dry farm methods. A number of farm
ers i'm Sanpete county are demonstrate
ing that in that county splendid crops
may be grown without irrigation. 4
big arid farm company is developing
thousands of acres in the south END of
Rush valley, near Vernon.
In addition to these leading places
experiments on the possibilities of
growing crops without irrigation are
being made in ali parts of the state
over i'm Carbon county Bishop Rowley
of Springdale has grown splendid
wheat and corn without applying any
water aTtificially. Some of the best