The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-12-16
DRY FARMING Is OLD
Attention Called to It Recently BY
Increased Population.
Methodlcal and Scientific Development
Demonstrates Possibility Of UtiI-
lzlng Advantageously Large
Areas of Land.

Hon. p. w. Mondell, member of con
gress from Wyoming, at the recent
dry farming congress at Billings
| spoke at some length on legislation af
fecting dry farming. Continuing he
said:
The bountiful growth of agricuft.
ural crops In many and widely separ.
ated regions of our country, with an
amount of annual precipitation which
a Few years ago we considered entire.
~ inadequate, has so abundantly dem.
onstrated the success of what we call
dry farming that 1t is no longer neces-
sary to make elaborate arguments as
to the possibility and practicabiity
OF profitable agriculture under condi-
tons of limited rainfall.
While dry farming Is as old as
history, and has developed a large
held of experience and information. as
well as wide range of drought-re-
sisting crops, 1t is only recently that
the necessity of providing for our in
creasing population has brought this
system of agriculture to prominent at
tention In the United States and de-
veloped class OF men who have with
characteristic American energy and
Intelligence evolved dry farming from
n more or less makeshift and slipshod
policy into real science.
The development of methodical and
scientific dry farming has not on,y
demonstrated the possibility of utiliz-
Ing successfully, advantageouslv, and
TO the benefit of mankind, large areas
OF lands In the United States former
" held to have no higher value or
usefulness than that of permanent dry
pasture lands, but has made clear the
conditions under which dry farming is
most successful. 1t has also pointed
out the necessity for larger area for
the energetic and successful dry farm
er than Is required either under arti.
fetal irrigation or In regions of plen-
tiful rainfall.
Because crops are grown success.
fully on the right kind of soil by thor
ough tillage. with limited rainfall,
no one should get the idea that crops
can be grown on all sorts of land with
any sort of tillage and no moisture to
speak OF. 1t cannot be done success
fully. On the other hand there are
In the aggregate millions of acres in.
cluding some extensive and many linn
tied areas where dry farming may be
carried on with satisfaction, success,
and profit which are now utilized only
for grazing.
Above all things the dry farmer to
be successful must farm we'll With
plenteous rainfall the slipshod farm
er may get along in way, the dry
farm Is no place for him. or course,
you Will find doubling Thcmases.
dry farmed extensively and success
fully In Wyoming as long ago as 1892.
There are men who saw the results of
that farming who are not yet con-
vinced that you can raise crops west
of the 9Sth Meridian without irriga-
tion. There are lots of such people
in the country. Do not spend your
time trying to convert them. It is a
waste of effort, but go right on rails
ing crops and developing the country.
There are irrigationists who are
short-sighted enough to imagine that
In some way dry farming is a reflec-
tion on, or interferes with, reclama-
tion development. The fact is that
dry farming always has been, and al
ways will be, the companion and
handmaiden of irrigation development.
The two methods are practiced al
most universally in the same general
regions the world over With the in.
creasing value of irrigated lands and
the dedication of such lands to the
growth Of special crops of high acre
value the encouragement of the dry
land growth OF cereals and of Ger.
tain classes of fruits and vegetables
is constantly augmented
mo fallacy is more prevalent than
the notion that the amount of precip-
ltation is approximately the same
gion. The fact is that there is a wide
range in the amount of precipitation,
owing to differences in elevation and
other typographical conditions in COM
paratively arid and semi-arid terri
tory.
ert until reclaimed by irrigation oft
en- lie within a few miles of bench |
lands with fertile loan soil and suf- |
iicient precipitation, for profitable |
dry farming. These conditions occur |
all over the mountainous and hilly |
portion of the intermountain country |
and afford many opportunities for
homes.
Il hail the dry farmer as one of the
most potent factors in the develop
ment of our western states. Many
millions of acres will remain perman- I
ent grazing lands. He should select
his location as carefully as must the
lrrigator If he does he will
find abundant opportunities for the
of prosperous dry farm
homes in the land of sunshine and