The daily sentinel., 1908-04-09
HOMES FOR MILLIONS
ARE TO Be PROVIDED
Secretary Wilson Has Completed
Plans for Enormous Land De-
veloping Work-Interest-
ing Investigations.

y dispatch from Washington says
that Secretary Wilson has developed
large plans lately for the improve
ment of the dry land areas of the
country. These areas comprise hum
dreds of thousands of square miles
of territory in the western half of
the United States. They constitute
the semi-arid regions of the country.
where for the most part the soil is
good, but where rainfall is scant and
the so-called dry farming is the
only method of agriculture that
brings results. To some extent, irri-
| CATION Will reach to the semi-arid
and arid belts. but outside of the
irrigible district there are vast eX-
panses that are dependent entirely
on the success of dry farming.
Homes for millions of people. and
good homes. could be had if it were
possible to cultivate the semi-arid
! regions successfully. What Secretary
Wilson is trying to accomplish is to
develop varieties of grasses, grains
and leguminous plants that can be
grown successfully where the rain
fall is light A great deal was ac-
| complished for the dry belts when
durum wheat was given a successful
start in this country. Buc what Sec
retary Wilson wants is to bring
about rotation of crops in the semi
arid parts of the country. Unless
! this is done, farming cannot be sue
cessfully carried on year in and year
out in the dry districts. To grow
wheat season after season exhausts
the soil and some plan of rotation
or alienation of crops must be de-
vised If the farming of the dry areas
is to be permanently successful.
Soil Surveys Taken.
The first thing to be done is to
undertake soil surveys of the semi
arid part of the United States. This
is a gigantic task in itself. 1t in
wolves careful examination by eX-
perts of vast territory compromis
ing large percentage of the west
ern half of the United States. This
spring. parties will be set to work in
the northern part of the dry areas.
They will work in the northern lati-
tudes until winter comes on and will
then go down to the Mexican border
and work northward. BY keeping at
the soil surveys throughout the year
it is calculated rapid progress can be
made in the survey, mapping and
studying of the semi-arld sections.
The survey parties will be followed
up in due time by parties that will
undertake to call meetings of set
tiers and enlighten them on the char
acter of their land, the rainfall. the
best methods of cultivation and what
crops can be successfully grown. In
other words, Secretary Wilson pro-
poses to have his own department
learn the facts about the semi-arid
belts and then go out and preach the
facts to the people who are trying
to make their living out of land that
has to get along with little moisture.
All the while, the experts of the de-
partment will give their most care
full attention to the pest methods of
cultivation of the dry states.
But aside from these things Secre-
tary Wilson proposes to import
grasses and plants that grow success
fully in semi-arid lands of other con-
tinents. Last year Prof. n. f. Han
son of South Dakota. graduate of
the Iowa State College of Agricul-
ture, and one of the ablest plant
scientists and horticulturists in the
department went into the regions of
northern Siberia in search of grasses
and vegetables that would grow in
land where the climate was cold
and dry Professor Hanson had a
highly interesting experience. He
went into the dry, cold, treeless re-
gions far to the north of Lake Baikal. I
He found these varieties of grasses. 1
alfalfa and other plants that are
grown successfully by the peasants,
and which would be of great value if
they could be utilized in the semi /
arid regions of the United States.
Trip to Siberia.
So well pleased was Secretary Will /
son with inquiries of Professor Han /
son that he has determined to send .
him ON a second trip to Siberia this
spring. He will go for the purpose
of collecting large quantities of
seeds of grasses, alfalfas, grains and
other plants that experience has
shown will resist cold and drouth
He will be ordered to
ship carloads of seed to this country. !,
''There are no seed stores in that
remarked Secretary Will 1
son the other day. Consequently, II
the explorer will have to find some
other way of getting the seed He II
will go into the villages in the ST.
berian far north, will tell the villag-
ers what he wants, and men, women
and children will be set to work
supplies of seeds to be
shipped to America. A large sum
will be expended by the department
Of agriculture this year in this effort.
1t is interesting that while the trip
hat Professor Hanson will under
AXE involves many hardships, one of
hem is not hostility or ill-usage
rom the inhabitants. They are a
Il.