The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-10

Fol the first m In the history or
America, a general movement mas
been inaugurated looking toward the
rapid development and settlement of
dry land sections of the West. Act
ing ON the suggestion of many of Col
orado's business men, Governor Jes-
Sc F. Mcdonald called the Trans
Missouri Dry Farming Congress-" to
meet in Denver on the 24th and 25th
of this month. The call has beer sent
to every state west of the Missouri
river and assurances have already
been received that delegates will
come, with state sanction, from prac-
tically all of the sixteen common
wealths included in the call.
The Importance of this movement
cannot b. overestimated. Nine acres
of farm iand 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 country must look
for it's redemption entirely to some
method of scientific agriculture. With
in the last decade the spread of The
s~o-called Campbell system, more
commonly known as dry farming"
has convinced the thinking men of
the country that in some sucn meth
cd as this lies the agricultural saliva
| ton of the West, md it is now pro-
nocal 70 Ctort n hrnni InnraiIdinnh
movement, in which every state af-
fected shall take part, to further de-
| velop 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 interested, that some steps
be taken to educate the farmers h
are today coming into the dry lands
of the West. In Colorado alone
$4,000 new h~omeseekers have set
tied themselves within a year. Twelve
hundred homesteads in Kit Carson
county, Colorado, we're 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 wes-
tern conditions.
The purpose of the congress which
will meet in Denver this month is,
first of all, to form a permanent, ed
ucatio1al, interstate organization
somewhat on the line of the National
Irrigation Congress, and second, to
afford a full and free discussion of
the principles of scientific soil cul-
ture, and of their development in the
West. Speakers will be present from
every state west of the Missouri riv-
er. The United States Department
of Agriculture will be represented, it
is hoped, by Secretary Wilson. Ev-
cry agricultural college in the west
will have its man in attendance. Mead
of Washington, Campbell of Nebras-
ka, Olin of Colorado, Jardine of
Utah, and a score of others of b
brightest agricultural minds in the
country are On the program, and few
things that refer to dry farming will
remain unsaid.
In order to prevent the gathering
of a large and unwieldy voting body,
Governor Mcdonald limited the num-
Der of official delegates WHO may at
tend. Chaves county. however, is en-
titled to ten delegates. Copies of the
official call, and an urgent invitation
to appoint delegates at once, have
been sent to the county commission
ers. and it is expected that they win
act in the matter within the next
few days.
In spite of the voting limit, how
ever, it is desired that every farmer
and business man in Chaves county
who is Interested il dry farming and
can get away from home should at.
tend, regardless of whether or not
ne is an official delegate from the
county. Convention headquarters havs
been opened, room S. Albany Hotel.
Denver, where all visitors to the ct
ty will be made welcome, and fun
information given.