The Elbert County tribune., 1907-01-31
FOR DRY FARMING
TRANs-MIssoURI DRY FARMING
CONGRESS MEETS.
BIG GATHERING IN DENVER
Sixteen States Represented by Dele
gates-Active Discussion EvInces
Present.

MUCH EnthuSidSfn-mdhy Ni6itOTS
Present.
Denver.-Fraught with a potential
Importance which is almost beyond
the power of any person to estimate,
and attended by nearly 300 accred-
tied delegates, the Trans Missouri Dry
Farming Congress, the first gathering
OF its kind in history, convened Thurs
day morning at the Albany hotel and
commenced active discussion as to the
best methods for reclaiming the arid
and semi-arid regions of the great
West. In addition to the regular dele
gates, there were 500 visitors to the
convention and many more will be in
attendance.
Farmers representing sixteen states,
from California to Kansas and from
Washington to Oklahoma, are to be
found among the delegates and all
seem to be here with the determina-
ton to get every possible item of in
formation on the subject of farming
without irrigation that there is to be
had. All of the acknowledged experts
who are on the list of speakers are
subjected to numerous questions at
the close of their respective remarks
and there seems to be a general deter
mination on the part of the delegates
to make their visit count by the
amount of information they can carry
back to the several sections from
which they come.
The morning session was called to
order by Chairman Jesse F. Mcdonald
at 1890, after which Secretary Ar
thur Williams read the call to the
congress, which was sent broadcast
throughout the country. Governor
Henry A Buchtel was next introduced
and when the greeting of applause had
subsidized, delivered an earnest address
of welcome to the delegates.
Following the address of Governor
Buchtel, ex-Gov Mcdonald introduced
A. ]. Spengel president of the chamber
of commerce, who also welcomed the
delegates and guests with all the
heartiness at his command. He pointed
out that the role that Denver is play
ing in mothering a new commercial
organization is no new one for her.
He cited the National Irrigation Con-
gress, the American Mining Congress,
the American National Live Stock AS
sociation and the Transmississippi
Commercial Congress, as thrifty Off
spring of this city, which have far ex-
ceeded the hopes of their organizers.
He said in part:
1--WE are proud of every one of our
children; they have all brought re-
suits far beyond our most ardent ex-
pectations, and each and every one
will be of marked and lasting benefit
in their own peculiar spheres, but
am free to say in none of these organi-
cations are reposed such great oppor-
tunities and vast possibilities as are
these intrusted to you gentlemen OF
the Transmissouri Dry Farming Con-
gress, and / can truthfully add that
none of these organizations started
out under more favorable auspices.
THAT the wonderful possibilities of
scientific dry farming are becoming
appreciated is amply testified to by
the presence of so many eminent and
learned men from all our western
states. and Denver is indeed proud to
add this latest child to the distin-
guished list of renowned organiza-
tions.
"All honor to Professor Campbell and
the other noble men who, seeking
neither wealth nor fame, gave their
best thought and energy to this great
and glorious work.
Gentlemen, l bid you God speed
in the great cause in which you have
enlisted"
John w. Springer, president of the
Colorado Cattle and Horse Growers
Association, was introduced by the
chair and spoke on THE Aims and OBJ
jects of the Congress.
Owing to other engagements eX-
Governor Mcdonald relinqulshed the
chair to Fisher Harris of Utah. 1t had
been planned to make the roll call OF
states, with five-minute responses de-
failing local dry farming conditions
the next order of business, but owing
TO lack of time Mr.. Harris passed over
this portion of the program and called
upon e. C. Chilcott, United States ex-
pert in charge of dry land agriculture,
for his address on DRY Land Agricul-
ture in the Great Plains Area"
Mr.. Chilcott then took the floor and
with the aid of a collection of charts
and maps on the wall back of the
speakers platform, explained his por-
tion of the governments agricultural
experiments.
'I have been twenty-five years in the
West, experimenting with all kinds of
drought-resisting grains" he said,
land while my residence is Washing
ton, D. c., want to say that the agri-
cultural experts there are in sympathy
with the West and that the only rea-
son they live there is that they are
given the facilities to work for the
Vests greater benefit"
At the night session at the Baptist
church Mark A. Carleton, United
States cerealist, Washington, D. c., de-
livered an address on Government
Work with Dry Land Cereals"
"One misfortune for the dry farm
err" Mr.. Carelton continued, during
the last few years when so many of
us have been so enthusiastic over dry
farming, is the fact that the dry sec