The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-01
Day FARMING PRoHLEM
HAS NOT YET BEEN SOLVED.
R.InfalI 10 asst Dee.ds has Made ],


HAS NOT YET BEEN SOLVED.
Rainfall In Last Decade has Made II
Easier Than in Dry Years Ahead.
That the success OF dry farming in
the last few years must not be taken
as evidence that the problem of arid
regions had been solved because of
the excess of rainfall ON the plains dur
ing that period was the statement
made by f. H. BrandS7burg. district
United States Weather f~orecaster in
an interesting paper read before the
Trans-Missouri congress on Thursday
night. Mr.. Brandenburg's subject was
Sufficient for Successful Farming with
out Irrigation" The article follows:
To the desire for cheap lands, coup
led with the belief that the cultivation
of the sol in the sub-humid region
had Increases the rainfall to the west
ward, has been due the periodical
movements in the last 40 a of
thousands of enterprising and hardy
farmers into the dry plains region, OF
which much was classed as an ire
claimable desert. Several a of
heavy and well distributed rainfall
gave a remarkable impetus tt the diff
ferent movements westward. In local
tiles they extended eve beyond the
Tooth meridian. With the coming OF
a series OF dry years disaster was
widespread; lands that mad been TAX
en- up and improved by erection Of
homes and other buildings, were aban
doned, and much distress was general
Here and there a few who combined
and were thus able to tide over the
years of drought.
Bureau Stations Were
Then Widely Scattered.
At the time of the earlier of these
movements the stations of The wealth
er bureau, established primarily for
the data used in weather f~orecasting
were widely scattered. The bureau,
however, was quick to recognize the
Importance of a more definite knowl-
edge of the amount n distribution
of the rainfall, and as rapidly as OBJ
servers could be obtained cooperative
stations were established. The rec
ords of many of these stations now
cover periods of sufficient length to
afford a good knowledge of the pre-
cipitation that may be expected. The
normal rainfall he Snd On an auaiIa h1o
up to the close of last year,
but not including any of a shorter pc
riod than 10 years, has been determin-
At best there are wide huctua-
tons in the seasonal and yearly amo-
UNITS. but, in general, on the great
amount falls il the six months.
April to September, inclusive, while
west of the continental divide the
colder half of the year is the wettec.
The part of the plains with an annuai
fall of more than % inches embraces
the extreme southeastern part of s.
Dakota, about one-third of Nebraska
east of a inc extending from Knox
county, on the northern border, south
westward to the Tooth meridian. OF
Kansas, it embraces somewhat more
than the eastern half of the state, the
line running nearly due south, begin
ming in the western part of Smith
county, and leaving the state in the
eastern part of Barbor county. OF
Oklahoma, only the extreme western
counties have a normal less than 25
the line extending from the
northeast corner of Woods county,
west and southwark to the southeast
of Greer county. In Texas the
line is a waving one, running south
ward to Uvalde county, and thence
s-outheastward 10 the Gulf.