Semi-weekly herald., 1909-08-12
NEW DRY FARM Law
HELD BOON TO WEST
CBy William e Curtis, Correspondent
Chicago Record Herald)

II thlcagu RecOrd-llrrald.)
/. LuSk. Wyo.-"Dry farming Is n
term applied to the thorough and sci.
entific cultivation of the soil of the
semi-arid regions between the Mis-.
souri, river and the Rocky mountains,
where the rainfall Is less than oigh
teen inches annually. The public.
lands where there Is moisture enough
Tor ordinary farming, have practically
all been taken up. but there is still
an enormous area of unoccupicd public
domain which. until recent years, was
considered worthless except for pas.
ltrre But patience, Intelligence and
Industry have been able to produce
from that dry soil crops of grain and
vegetables equal In quantity. and many
think superior In quality, to those pro
duced either by ordinary methods of
cultivation or by irrigation Indeed. 1t
Is contended that all of the products
of dry farming, particularly early po.
tatoes and grain. have higher value
In nutriment because they contain less
moisture than those grown either un.
der an abundant rainfall or Irrigation
Thousands and tens of thousands of
lGnd-hungry people, chiefly the over.
flow of the agricultural states of the
central west. arc going out into the
Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colo
rado, Utah and other sections of the
scml-arId belt, entering homestoads or
buying lands and establishing homes
and taking their chances for success
! In dry farming Most Of them sue
! coed; many fail The reasons for sue.
cess and for failure are equally appar
! ent, and men of experience can explain
/ the causes In every case
: The land laws of the United States
were amended al the recent session of
| now enter 800 acres Of dry land in.
stead OF 100 acres ns before, because
I all authorities agree that II ls difficult
: If not impossible for any farmer to
make "A living upon less, the funda-
. mental principle OF that method which
brings success being to cultivate the
soil thoroughly every year. and to
crop 1t every other year That is, TO
allow the moisture of two successive
years to become absorbed In the soil
before the seed is planted
Doctors differ on every subject.
There is no point upon which every
body agrees. There is n difference OF
opinion even as to the way of saliva
tion, and the authorities on agricul
tural science vary somewhat In their
recommendations but there * certain
ly no lack of instruction. and the dry
| farmer who fails cannot shift the re-
/ sponsibility upon other shoulders than
his own. Inc educational work that
IL now going on among the farmers oil
, the United States is so complete and
comprehensive that " would seem i'm
possible that anyone should go wrong.
The agricultural department at Wash.
ington under that grand old Scotch.
man. James Wilson. has done more to
educate and improve the conditions
, and the methods of the Farmers OF the
United States than all other forces
: combined. and has not failed to fur.
Dish instruction and admonition upon
every question that can possibly arise
, In the experience OF the American
farmer In every state there Is q
board OF agriculture To supplement the
, work OF the national government
there are organizations, state, county
and township. Of farmers that concern
themselves with every branch of th'
Industry; there are national organiza
tions which hold conventions annually
;, and oftener. The dry farmers held {
convention nt Cheyenne not long ago
and they hold another at Billings, Mon
tana, from Oct 2s toOct 2s. inclu
. sive. This viii not only be an insti
tute for dry farming instructors an,
dry farming farmers. bat the manager
promise to have the greatest dlspla.
. of dry farming products thar was eve
:" seen. Exhibits are already pledge
:" from thirteen states
&c Farmers Institutes everywhere 4
)" this section are making n specially Q
~ dry farming; the agricultural depar
~ ment at Washington has several &,
IT, porimental stations in each arid stat,
~ a. which great work IL being ca
g ried on. The hundreds OF agricultur,
ie papers publish results which ha,
"a been accomplished and furnish info
e. nation. instruction and advice. tn
ga railways which run through dry farr
'r- ing territory have special agents ira
III cling about delivering lectures to II
~ lpublie and visiting the farmers privat
ds " in order to encourage them in the
ey work and to insure good crops as 4
err as possible. and met on the cars I
day d. e. W, Hunt OF Alliance. Ne