Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-18
BELIEF OF EXPERT WHO
HAS SEEN THE RESULTS
Dry Farming Products Shown
at the September Fair De-
cIared to Be the Equal Of
Best Products Of Colorado
Farms.

served to attract y kftdi utti u ~
%tcptlon TO dry farming throughout me
west and southwest. Delegates are
going from an Of the western states
and the attendance from New MeNiso
now promises 10 be large. IN thls
connection. mn article 10 The current
number ~ "rhe Earth, The santa re
railroads. Immigration magazihei = p
unusual Interest and especially 70 AZ
bnqucrque and central New MeNifVi
FOR the article tells Of the products
Of dry farming In this territory az
shown az the Albuquerque fur m sep
tUmbor.
The article is by John l. cowan, a
dry farming expert, and FOLLOWS N
part;
There has been no more signifocant
DEVELOPMENT Within recent years than
the sudden awakening Of public in-
terest IN Dry Farming" on the west
ern plains. Yet II Is not essentially
new. II has been pfacticed with sue
cess in Isolated places for many years,
III Is nothing more than the adaptation
Of agricultural methods 20 actual con
ditiona IN the region OF deficient RAM
fall. The sole important object IN
which IL differs from ordinary farm
ina III the conservation Of moisture,
once that object ~ accomplished, the
~pfnducwon Of crops is less Of an un-
certainty than III any other portion OF
America.
The last word on the subject Of dry
farming comes from the United states
department Of agriculture With It's
well known, and doubtless wise, con-
aervaiism, the department has been
sloW tD commit itself on the subject Of
fnrmlug III the Remi-nrid region With
out Irrigation. Private parties, real
astate men and railroad companies
have experimented with the Campbell
system Of dry farming for years, anu
had demonstrated It's effectiveness bS
the production OF good crops even
through the dry years of 1901 ana
laO3. Ia sections where the preelpita=
lation Ia those years was little IN ex-
cess OF nine inches. Yet the depart
ment Of agriculture remained non
pnmmltfal or openly sceptical Two
years ago in connection with the ltah
Agricultural college, il began expert
ments on It's WI account a iitlle
mbre than a year ago, IL began iurther
experiments at Cheyenne, wye sun
more recently, experiment stations
have been opened for the testing OF
lrv farming methods IN eastern Colo
RADIO. Although not prufesNcdlN dry
farming experiment stations, YET con-
siderable work along that line mas
been done at the government AND state
stations IN Western Kansas and Me-
DIlAk1s - ~ ~ itltAA AAfH' NV
ence Of others would not be accepted,
hat the government experimenters
would not even accept the evidence o.
their own senses. that they Wouid
state nothing ts possible nnlt theN
mad themselves accomplished Y. ~ IS
certain, therefore, that the department
az agriculture Is sure or W W.
ground, and that IL has made no uns
duly optimistic statements X Is not
addicted TO enthusiasm, and least OF
an on the subject Of dry farming IN
the scmi-arid lands
consequently the %weightiest en-
dorsomont thai the dry farming move
ment has ever received : cohlalheu
ia the cautiously worded FARMERS
Bulletin No. 2b2, belAlllnb the -
ime made ia ntlh, the conelns-
Ian N drawn that under such eondl
lions. With a %rainfall averaging twelve
inches nor annum, dry farming N
feaslhle'r It's out at lastl a GOOD
many have know It Tor years, ana
have made money by their knowieukV'
hui to receive the endorsement 81 toe
departments OF agriculture seemed past
prasiHE FOR. Now that the government
admits the feasibility OF farming with%
out irrigation viii a rainfall averag
ing as low as twelve inches per an
mum. those of US who have heeh
nrcachlng the possibility of dry FARM
ing In the great southwest no longer
rest under the suspicion OF being fak-
lrs or fanatics.
Ii "a true that the results Of dry
farming operations az the government
experiment stations, as reported In Of
fetal documents, are not az good az
have been obtained on hundreds OF
private farms. one can see better
crops growing IN western Kansas,
eastern Colorado. eastern New Mexico
and the Texas Panhandle any daN
than are reported in any official
paper. Yet the result secured at the
experiment stations are good enough.
The wonder is hat so much has been
accomplished a. these stations In the
short time that dry farming has there
been under trial
The catching of every drop possible
~ the natural precipitation and the
prevention of its loss hy evaporation
IS an there g. 10 dry farming The
faiufall over The gre1tcr part 81 semi
arid America IS sufficient for crop
production 10 % can bee saved. That
30 can be saved, Ue are now assured
by departmental report as well a. by
actual experience.
New Mexico has not been much
spoken on written about in connection
with the development OF the dry farm
ing movement In fact The great tcr-
ritnry D. Just on the threshold of It's
development and o. noteworthy dry
farming history g. set to be made.
Nevcrtheless. The exhibits at the Al
b%uquerque fair proved a revelation of
the agricultural possibilities of the
territory. even % longtime residents
Especially noteworthy was the show
ing made by the Estancia valley.
Among these were mammoth squash.
forty inches IN sircumforence. cah-
haec and cauffluNcrs, seventeen
inches In circumference. aud early
ohio potatoes that would nave been
no discredit 10 the famous Greeley dis
trlcf. all from the ranch of Nj = A.
rarawell Nnt less notable. as show
ing the possibilities Of diversified AZ
rirulture, We're the exhibits az dry
farm beans and corn. y ~ pump
kins fnriy-=pxen inches ln circumfer-
grown BY Mr. A. " Lentz and
Nj Thomas " Hrads and 81 water
melons f~hirfy-fno inches m girth pro
duced by Mfs } A. Brown. John "
Corbcfi and Mr March. of Esiancia
attracted wide attention by exhibits ~
particularly fine Durum az Nacaroni
wheat. showing hat b soil and cli-
of n territory are admirably
adapted n ~ production ~ tnis neW
drought-rrsistant crop. OF LEES impor- A