Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-11-19
WHAT is MEANT BY
DRY FARMING
By Prof. Shaw in the Dakota Farmer

vi course dry farming. or as 1t IS
sometimes called dry land farming,
does not mean for one moment farm
ing without water, which would be
All impossibility, but farming that is
done with much smaller amount of
rainfall than is normal where crops
are grown under ordinary conditions
us to precipitation. Usually such
farming is done where the precipita-
ton is not more than Is inches in the
year. When the rainfall is more
than Is inches in the year. it is pos
sible to grow crops every year on the
land. Where the rainfall is less than
that amount this is not always pos
sible.
Dry farming is usually confined III
the United States to what is known
as the semi-arid country. This means
Il country that begins about $50 to
200 miles west of the Minnesota bOr-
der and extends westward to the Cas-
cade mountains. All of the land that
is arrable in the area named cannot
be farmed, but much Of it can. Some
of the land is arid in the absence Of
irrigation, and cannot be farmed un-
der other conditions. Such lands are
frequently found in the river valleys,
but they also comprise other lands.
The lands that are farmed on the dry
farming plan are usually bench lands,
but they do not all come under that
class. They also include lands that
lie close to the mountains where, III
many instances, there is more or less
Of subterranean irrigation.
Dry farming may be said to embrace
two kinds Of farming, that is, it may
be conducted by two different meth
DDS, dependent on the nature Of the
lana more especially with reference
to it's conformation. When the land
is all arrable, from 1870 to 32O acres is
ample for Il farm. When the larger
portion is hilly and furnishes only
grazing then from one to several sec
tions should be included in the farm.
This large area is necessary for the
reason that the production of this
farm must consist mainly of live
stock which must be graZed, on pas
lures grown under dry conditions.
Within these rough and hilly lands,
valleys or level stretches may usually
be found, and on these fodder may be
grown on which to feed the stock in
stormy weather in winter. On the
farms that are all tillable, the pro
duction of grain is the chief aim.
Dry land farming cannot in many
instances secure more than one crop
in two years. The land, or much of
it, is summer-fallowed one year, and
the crop is grown the next. Very
frequently the crop grown is winter
wheat, but in some instances spring
crops also are grown. The object Of
the summer-fallOwing is to conserve
the moisture. The same end is Sc
cured by growing a cultivated crop,
as corn, potatoes or field roots.
Where such crop alternates with
grain, crop is obtained from the
land every year. 1t will be apparent.
therefore, that the dry land farmer
will not get so many crops from Il
given area as will the farmer in IA
country with ample rain, but he will
get larger yields, and this aids in put
ting him on the level with other farm
ers in the rainy country.
Where Dry Farming Must Be Done.
Some engaged in selling land object
to the use Of the term dry farming.
They claim that the very term con-
veys Il bad impression? Why should
not the truth be known with reference
to any country? Ihe impression con
veyed by the truth should always be
much superior to an impression that
is incorrect. The people who locate
in dry country are soon going to
know how dry it is, consequently ii is
better that they should know before
they locate in it just how dry it's
If they have been deceived they will
not stay, and their leaving will do
the country harm.
But it may be said that settlers will
not come into a country that is dry
Some may not come. Let those who
will not stay away: others will
come. All the dry country, that is al
the country that has rainfall Of not
more than II to Is inches annually is
going to be settled and farmed, ant
this settlement is going to be made
within the next few years. 1t is not
only going to be settled and farmed
but it is going to be successful!
farmed. 1t will not be 80 farmed by
all who locate on it, but it will be b!