The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-10-27
DRY FARM. S
|. OPEN CONGRESS
SEC. WILSON SENDS PAPER
Governor Norris Gives Opening Adj
dress-Papers Point Out Value of
Intensive Methods.

BILLINGS, Mont, Oct. 26.-That
big fight is to be made to change the
name of the dry farming congress is
apparent at the very first session of
the fourth annual meeting, which
convened here today. Suggestions for
suitable substitute for the word
dry" are forthcoming but none
seems to suit all delegates. Some want
it to be scientific" while others
favor the term practical"
The opening sessions were largely
attended and of great interest to del
egates. At the first session addresses
of welcome were made by Governor
Norris and others.
Address by Governor Norris
Gov. Edwin l.. Norris, of Montana,
in calling the Second international
Dry Farming congress to order, said
| in part:
Ladies and Gentlemen The peo-
| pie of Montana extend to the delegates
attending the Second International
Dry Farming congress a welcome as
| hearty as our area is extensive and as
generous as our spirit of hospitality
| is broad.
And here permit me to digress suf-
| ficiently to express my objection to the
word dry in the title of this congress.
1t is misnomer; it is not truly de-
scriptive and conveys a wrong impress
sion to those familiar with the cultiva-
ton of the soil by irrigation or by
moisture from reasonable rain fall.
| Need Better Name.
II trust that this congress will
adopt a name that will more correctly
describe cultivation with moisture
stored in the soil l am informed by
Mr.. Louis Hill that unless a more ap-
prOpriate name is selected the Great
Northern Railroad company will seri-
ously consider the ACCESSIBILITY of with
holding future contributions for the
support of the congress.
"The lands in the rain belt are rapidly
reaching their highest degree of
efficiency and the reclama alton of arid
lands cannot be indefinitely postponed
There are millions of acres of land
that await only the touch of the intel
ligent and diligent farmer to become
productive. The day for the use of
| the waste places of the earth is al
hand. Production is not the only ben
eft that will result from scientific cul-
| tivation. The conservation of mois-
ture in the soil by cultivation as a
means of raising crops without irriga-
ton will teach the users of water for
irrigation purposes the economic value
Of such storage. More thorough cul-
tivation of irrigated soil and the use
of less water will follow, thus leaving
a surplus of water for other useful
purposes.
West Granary of Nation.
Those engaged in the work OF
teaching the principles of scientific
farming are performing valuable
service. The west will be the gran
airy of the nation and we now realize
| that the so-called dry lands will be the
largest contributing factor. Progress
prosperity and the highest type of CIV
ilization go hand in hand with the cul-
tivation of the soil.'
Advice by j. j. Hill.
James J. Hill, chairman of the
board of directors of the Great North
ern railway, made friendly talk cal
culated to aid the dry farming move
ment. Speaking from the standpoint
of railroad builder, he sounded a
note Of warning and advice to the
people of Montana suggesting that
they "be good neghbors to your rail-
roads and depend upon it they will be
good neighbors to YOU
2OO,OOO,OO0 i'm 1850.
Mr.. Hill expressed the opinion that
this country will have a population OF
200, 100000 by 1850 and called upon
his hearers to work for the develop
ment of the great west to care for this
vast population and to attract to it a
good percentage of the ever increas-
ing population. He referred to the
wheat which this population would re-
quire and counselled the farmers OF
the country to go into scientific farm.
ing in order to get the most out OF
their land and the greatest remuner-
alton for crops. He predicted ter
years would see this a non-exportinp
wheat country unless the methods oil
cultivation are improved. He declar-