Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-23
Dry Farming Congress.

For the first time in the history of
America, general movement has
been inaugurated looking toward the
rapid development and settlement Of
the dry land sections of the west. Act
ing on the suggestion of many of Col
orado S business men, Governor Jesse
\ f. Mcdonald of this state has called
the Trans Missouri Dry Farming Con-
gress' to meet in Denver on the Oath
and 18th of this month. The call has
been sent to every state west of the
Missouri river and assurances have al
ready been received that delegates
will come, with state sanction, from
practically all of the sixteen common
wealths included in the call.
The importance of this movement
cannot be overestimated. Nine acres
of farm land out of every ten in the
whole country west of the ninety
eighth meridian can never be irrigat-
ed, and, because of slight rainfall,
most of this great territory must look
for its redemption entirely to some
method of scientific agriculture.
Within the last decade the spread of
the so-called Campbell system, more
commonly known as dry farming" has
convinced the thinking men of the
country that in some such method as
this lies the agricultural salvation of
the west, and it is now proposed to
start a broad, unprecedented move
ment, in which every state affected
shall take part, to further develop
these soil culture systems and bring
them to the attention of the world at
large.
1t is necessary, also, so it is said
by those who are interested, that
some steps be taken to educate the
farmers who are today coming into
the dry lands of the west. In. Colo
RADIO alone rs, 900 new homeseekers have
settled themselves within year.
Twelve hundred homesteads in Kit
Carson county, Colorado, were taken
up in 1906, and this record was almost
if not quite, equalled by other coun-
ties in other western states. Of
these great bodies of settlers, the
larger proportion are from eastern
states, and are entirely unfamiliar
with western conditions.
The purpose of the Congress which
will meet in Denver this month is,
first Of all, to form permanent, edu-
cational, interstate organization some
what on the line of the National lrri-
cation Congress, and second, to afford
a full and free discussion of the prin-
ciples of scientific soil culture, and of
their development in the west. Speak
ers will be present from every state
west of the Missouri river The United
States Department of Agriculture will
be represented, it is hoped, by Secre-
tary Wilson, Every agricultural col
lege in the west viii have Its man in
attendance. Gov. Mead of Washington,
Campbell of Nebraska, DIN of Colo
RADIO, Jardine of Utah, and a score of
others of the brightest agricultural
minds in the country are on the pro-
gram, and few things that refer to
dry farming will remain unsaid.
In order to prevent the gathering of
large and unwieldly voting body,
Governor Mcdonald has limited the
number of official delegates who may
attend. Adams county, however, is
entitled to ten delegates. Copies of
the official call, and an urgent invita-
ton to appoint delegates at once,
have been sent to the County Com
missioners, and it is expected that
they will act in the matter within the
next few days.
In spite of the voting limit, however,
it is desired that every farmer and
business man in Adams county who is
interested in dry farming and can get
away from home should attend, re-
CARELESS of whether or not he is an
official delegate from the county. Con-
vention headquarters have been opened
at Room 5, Albany Hotel, Denver,
where all visitors to the city will be
made welcome, and full information