The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27

joining this forty acres is still covered
with the sagebrush that has decorated
it since the beginning. This farm, IN
which Professor Merrill takes Justiiia-
BILE pride. is within plain view of the
historic site of the Mountain Meadow
massacre. He expects to see every a. ere
of the whole territory under cultivation
and yielding good crops within a lew
years. This year a tract of 1000 acres
is under dry farm cultivation within
ten miles of the experiment farm, and
is yielding satisfactory returns.
Other Counties Active.
San Juan county offers one of the
best fields in the entire state for dry
farming. There in the vicinity of Mon
ticello there are tracts of thirty and
forty mixes in extent that present the
finest possible opportunities for dry
farming. From all points in tic state,
from the extreme north to the southern
limits of Dixie, come reports of success
where proper methods have been fol-
lowed In Cache county one man. who
came from Scandinavia sixteen years
ago. and borrowed $40 after getting here
70 get start, is now the owner of b.
900 acres of good land, and this year is
marketing $4,000 bushels of good wheat
raised by dry farming Wheat is yield
ing the producers from SO to 50 cents
a bushel on the farms this year. Twen-
" bushels to the acre is considered
satisfactory yield, and as the ground
is to be cropped but once in two years.
this would mean an average annual
yield OF ten bushels. AT the prevailing
price of 80 cents a bushel, this would
mean gross annual revenue of s. per
acre from dry farming.
George l.. Farrell of Cache county
who occupies an unique position in re-
lation to dry farming in Utah. having
Deen one of the first to demonstrate its
wonderful possibilities, reports that he
raised 500 acres of wheat this year. His
crop totalled $4,000 bushels. or an av-
erage of twenty-three bushels to the
acre. He is of the opinion that 80
acres is the best size for dry farm.
and strongly recommends the raising of
horses. Mr.. Farrell but represents what
many others are doing in Cache and
Box Elder counties. although not or so
large a scale. In most every instance
where the proper methods were used
success has attended the efforts Of The
dry farmers.
Notes From Other Points.
This is equally true of every other
county. Davis and Salt Lake counties
entered into the new industry extern
factory results come from all points in
these counties. I. F. Becker OF San
pete county reports an average yield of
twenty bushels per acre from 100 acres.
Peter S. Barsen of Charleston in Wa
satch county reports 10000 acres IN dry
farm wheat in that vicinity, lnd an
average yield of twenty-eight bushels
per acre. Dan Witback of Sterling re-
ports an average yield of tw 1ty-three
bushels efor the first crop on fcrty-five
acres. ]. Q. Adams from Logan. in
cache county. reports an average OF
twenty-five bushels on 1870 acres. J. ".
Paxman of Nephi reports a yield of
5000 bushels on 300 acres or an aver
age yield Of twenty bushels. These are
but samples of the reports coming in
from all parts of the state.
These men do not agree as to the
proper size of the dry farm: they 90
not agree as to the kind of wheat to
raise; they do not agree as to whether
steam power or horse power is he
best; they do not agree on all points in
relation to the cultivation of the soil.
but they are all enthusiastic students
of dry farming, and have unlimited
faith in its ultimate success.
Favor Larger Homesteads.
Naturally. great interest centers in
the efforts of western representatives to
secure the enactment of a law enlarg-
ing the government dry farm to 32O
acres 1t is felt that this would give
a wonderful stimulus to dry farming
especially that provision enabling a
man to operate a dry farm without
living upon it. Great interest also 2on-
tiers in the convention soon to be held
IN Cheyenne, WyO- 1t seems to be the
most progressive farmers of the state
who are turning their attention TO dry
farming, and they are al lanx;ous fer
the latest and best advices as to how
to proceed.
1t is certain that the scope of dry
farming will be wonderfully extended
next year. Washington county is talk
ing deep interest in the matter and
promises TO pass. in a short time, Cache
and the other counties that have been
taking the lead in recent Years