The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-01-30
DRY FARMERS
MEET IN ZION
Delegates to the Trans-Missouri Dry
Farming Congress Talk Things
Over at Annual Session.
Governor Brooks Of Wyoming Chosen
as Next President Of Association,
Which Is Expected to Mater
tally Aid Agricultural
industry.

Salt Lake City.-About 500 dele
gates were present Wednesday morn
ing at the opening session of the
Trans-MIssouri Dry Farming con
gress, gathering of notable men who
are interested in the reclamation o.
the arid lands of tn west, and who ex
pect, by these meetings, to he enabled
to gain much practical knowledge
that will be of value to the farmer
who must depend upon the moisture
that falls from the sky to bring his
yearly harvest to successful frui
ton.
The congress was called to order by
b. c. Buffum of Wyoming at 1C
o'clock in the forenoon. Governor Cut
Ter of Utah was chosen to preside
and G.. r. Root of Denver was made
secretary. The invocation was deliv-
cred by the Rev. p. A. Simpkin. Gov
ernor ]. G. Cutler delivered an ad'
dress of welcome, following an ad
dress by Mayor John 8. Bransford,
The governor gave ]. F. Mcdonald
former governor, the credit for sug'
gesting the organization. He paid
a tribute to Fisher Harris, the retir.
ing president.
w. ]. Halloran, president Of the
Commercial club and of the Manufac-
turers and Merchants association,
welcomed the visitors in pleasing
address.
The convention hall is decorated
with dry farm exhibits, and many sug-
gestive banners have been placed
upon the wall.
Among the speakers at the opening
session, was F.. B. Linfield, of Boze-
man, Mont, who reported that there
are in Montana 20,000,000, maybe 30,-
100000 acres susceptible to cultiva.
tion, and the conditions are favor.
able, speaking from the viewpoint OF
climatologist. Much, very much, OF
the land is only 1000 or $500 feet in
elevation"
]. w. Paxman, speaking for Utah,
said there has been a great increase
In the area of arid lands placed under
cultivation to the extent of $4,000
acres. There are now in cultivation
100000. The annual wheat product
Of this system amounts to 100000
bushels, to say nothing of the value
Of the other grains. Potatoes can be
successfully grown.
"The state of Wyoming" said w. J.
Rowell. now has under cultivation
100000 acres of arid lands; ulti.
mately the hope is that there will be
10,000,000 acres. Mr.. NOVEL; said the
total area susceptible of cultivation is
10000, 0,000" "a
A letter from e. w. Hoch, governor
of Kansas, was read. In it the gov.
ernor stated his regret at his inability
to attend.
Secretary of the Interior James
Wilson pledged the support of the de-
partment to the arid farming. Secre.
tary Wilson dwelt upon the success
which had been achieved In Texas,
and discussed the aims of the govern
ment in bringing In seeds from for
eign countries and breeding new
plants here.
Salt Lake City.--The delegates to
the Trans-Missouri Dry Farming con-
gress on Thursday selected officers
for the next year, as follows: Presi-
dent, Governor b. b. Brooks on Wyo'
ming: first vice president, Lieutenant
Governor e. A. Burrell of Idaho; sec
ond vice president, H. w. Campbell
of Nebraska; third vice president,
Governor George Curry OF New Mex
leo, and an executiwes committee con.
sisting of one member from each state
represented.
A resolution introduced by Repre-
sentative Tolton of Beaver, Utah. in
dorsing the bill of Senator Smoot,
known as senate bill 1543, which in
creases the number OF acres In a
homestead in the arid region from
16Q to 800 acres, was passed and the
officers of the congress were directed
to notify the congress of the United
States of the action taken
II was unanimously agreed by reso-
luton that the city securing the next
congress must make a guarantee of
entertainment fund. even as Is re-
quired by the American Mining con-
gress, the National Irrigation asso-
citation, and other similar bodies.
w. M. Jardine. assistant cerealist
in the office of grain investigation of
the department of agriculture, read a
paper on the various kinds of grains
that were best. to be used.