Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-22
.LAND-HUNGRY
PEOPLE WARNED.
investigations Into Country's Ag-
ricuIturaI Resources Have De-
yeIoped Some Facts.
DRY FARMING PROPOSITION.
Regarded as Critical-NIillions Of
heres Of Arid Land That Can
Never be Irrigated.

Chicago, Dec. 22.-Tn a discussion of
recent Investigations into the agricul-
tural resources OF the country William
Il. Curtis, undera Washington date. III
the Record Herald has this to say:
These Investigations have disclosed
some facts which should be made
known to the public and will doubtless
appear in official form with official
saction very soon. For example 1t is
thought necessary to warn land-hungry
people who are taking UP hornesteads
and buying small farms in tho semi
arid regions of western Kansas, eastern
Colorado. Wyoming, Utah and other
states, that dry farming is a very
critical proposition. 1t is also consid-
cred important that sllomeseekers
should know that many million acres of
our arid land can never be irrigated
under any circumstances because of
lack of water, and that the prevention
of waste of water is one of the most
important duties OF the American peo-.
Pile.
Zone Of the ablest agricultural ex-
perts in this country who has recently
made an investigation of the condi--
lions in the dry farming section on the
slopes of the Rocky mountains, says:
4 have been a pretty thorough stu
dent of what is known as dry farming
and have urged farmers, when moving
into the seni-arid section, say vest Of
the ninety-ninth meridian, to purchase
nothing less than a section or. two sec
lions, and to combine stock growing
with dry farming, and not to undertake
1T at all except with enough capital to
carry them through asperiod OF three
years. s
lover most OF the Territory west of
the ninety-ninth meridian. there has
been so per cent of rain fall above the
normal for the last three years. The
soil is rich, most Of it at least. Some
of it is very easily titled; some of it is
of adobe formation, which is hard
soil to cultivate and should never be
5plowedf at all The whole country from
the national boundary to and including
the Panhandle OF Texas has been ex-
plotted for the last three or four years
by companies more or less closely af-
sfilJated with the railroads who have
purchased their land grants and have
proclaimed far q p d VIZ oct itie,
that rein follows the ploW, that the
east Is moving west and they are sell
ing these lands pledging that a. hone-
stead can be secured along side at from
Sc to $50 an acre. They secure about
"a third payment down which is about
the original cost OF the land and take
mortgages running at s per cent inter-
est for the balance.
eff the normal rainfall should re-
turn. a calamity would strike this
whole ares, from the ninety-ninth meri-i
dian to the one hundred and third me-
ridian, the whole length Of the coun-
try, that would BIO greater than the
calamity that struck western Kansas
llieve the whole population outside ir-
rigated districts would be driven back
200 miles, bankrupt and hopeless. The
mortgages will be foreclosed on these
lands and they Will be converted sinto
great ranches and the grasses allowed
to re-seed themselves which they Will
do in the course OF probably 10, 15 or 20
years,