The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-24

on the relation of the roads to dry
farming, w. II. Mcdonald of SonGh
AFRICA, who spoke on dry farming In
inc transyaal, and by w H. Fairchlld,
special commissioner from the domin-
Ion of Canada
a paper by John II. House. president
OF the Thessalonica Agricultural col
IeGe, on dry farming in Turkey, was
read by the secretary.
Dr. V. T. Cooke. State Director OF
Dry Farm Experiments OF Wyoming,
addressed the Congress on the De
vseiopmont of Dry Farming In Wyom
Ing" He said:
Dry Farming Is raising crops with
natural precipitation, with no artificial
application Of water to the soil, II
anyone had mentioned the possibn-
tiles of such a gathering as this. few
years ago, In any part OF the United
States, let alone In Wyoming, there
would have been no question OF doubt
what he was talking about
In 1905. when / first visited Chey
enne and looked into the possibilities
OF dry farming, and studied the prob
lem before me. / was convinced crops
could be raised in the vicinity or Chey-
enne by proper methods OF cultivation
and conservation Of moisture, Two
years moisture for one big crop. Near
ly every one laughed at me, perhaps
not to my face; Wyoming people are
too courteous for that. but certainly
behind my back. This opportunity or
getting the best Of this dry farm crank
was too good a one to be lost.
70
l had the opportunity of proving my
assertions. / was not given the priv
ilege of choosing a piece of ground
that was Ideal for receiving and hold
Ing moisture or even to make the dem
onstratlon where, II the crop failed, no
one would see 1t, but my first crop was
raised on what was then IN the en-
closure of the park, where the From
tier show was held. almost within the
oity limits and whore everyone at
tending tho greatest show OF Its kind,
must necessarily see tho crop OF grain.
The crop was a success, SO "a bush.
OILS Of macaroni wheat per acre. beard
less barley Sc bushels per acre. oats
not computed on account OF smut.
THE success was due.so some said,
to an exceptionally wet season. The
government records show II 65 inches
rainfall for 1906. But in 1907 | raised
good crops one and a half miles east
Of Cheyenne and demonstrated to
every one willing TO visit my farm that
season. the great difference between
conserving the moisture which fell the
previous year and using one years
moisture.
From September. 1907 to the be-
ginning Of May, 1908, there was only
a precipitation of 1.5 inches, for pracs
tically eight months. The elevation
is 5000 feet. / threshed 44,5 bushels
wheat per acre.
Il here assert that with what mois-
ture falls we can conserve enough to
raise one big crop every other year
and more often can raise two crops in
three years. 1t has been asserted that
the last three years we have had an
unusual amount of moisture This is
partly true. and partly untrue. In 1906
the precipitation was 1855 inches. In
1907 il was 1924 inches. The winter
and spring OF 1907 and 1908 were IN
months. and from May TIL August we
in a sense, had too much moisture.
Since my advent In this state. there
has been brought to light the fact that
dry farming is and has been success
fully carried on for the past fifteen or
twenty years In various parts OF the
state, but / want to direct your atten-
tion to very important point In con-
nectlon with some Of these farmers
and that is a great many OF them have
raised as high as 80 bushels or oats
per acre, year after year without
farming, In other words, their grain
was sown by hand and covered with a
disc or corn planter. What cannot
these men do by intelligent. up-to-date
methods?
Many irrigators are finding out that
methods recommended for the dry
farmer apply equally well TO them and
that to get the maximum crops. deep
plowing, less irrigation and more irri-
tation or cultivation. pays"