The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-08-15
GOVERNOR NORRIS.

: NY mission on this occasion IL two
fold First, to tender on behalf OF the
s.aople Of Montana greetings ana con-
.rratulatinns to Spokane and tho great
INLAND Empire upon the spiendlu prog
sess of tie past and tho fntur" deNei-
,prneut assured. and, second. 10 can
,ba attention of the delegates here as
.embIed To the Importance OF arF
farming ~ factor in western deVel-
.b,,,ent and To extend to them an ihFt-
aatinn To attend the International DfS
Iarr,inp congress. tn hc held at Bill
,inps Mont. october 26. = and ~. l9o'
This is n joint invitation exien"eu 'n
t,ab.If Of the board nj control OF me
INV farming congress ana the St"'e
Wherein the 1cssinns are To he he"-
Not the Case.
...r IN MOI unnindfui of the iact
that to those not familiar with c"hal-
lions In the semi-arid west II may APP
a,ear that dry farming j. entirely TOT
,ign to the subjects under c"nsid'fa-
zion here. Such. however. Is not the
fort. Dry farming Is becoming one "i
-sa mast important and far-reachihs
cuastiors the west will be called upon
ia consider Familiarity with condi-
lions brings the conviction that irr'-
CATION and dry farming Will be twin
factors in promoting development In
IA, r,rtlons where the natural RAIN
fan Is not sufficient to produce crops.
..rt IL not my purpose to minimize
the irarortanco IF irrigation. N"hth
rather eSalf its Importance ana an
nounce myself as most willing L" ala
and assist in its extension IN every
way AT my command. / fully reaii|e
that irrigated lands do now and Will
ever produce the surest ana most
profitable results. The irrigation
therefore of every acre of iand p"Ssf-
HE should be encouraged. ana state
and national aid to reclamation shouiu
be f:ealy given. The amount %, ithd
which NAV lie irrigated Is. however
l.mited 10y the water supply ara 1T"
cost of reclamation. When every
available second foot ~ water has been
appropriated and applied tn land that
win Justify the cost of reclamation,
ANA perform thereon the highest pos
siblc duty, there will remain millions
OF acres Of land which. under like con-
LANDS reclaimed. Sucn lands have
heretofore been. and are now. chiofiy
used for the grazing Of livestock. THIS
is not unimportant. but the junction
thus performed is not a ttthe nf that
which may be performed under differ
ent conditions.
Reached Soon.
THE limit of production viii he
reached nj no distant date if cultiNa-
ton Is confined To lands watcred by
irrigation or natural rainfall. The
thinking mind OF man, spnrred on no
doubt by anticipated necessity, has
discovered means whereby these
grazing lands may h, made 10 produce
in greater quantities than under nat
ural conditions. IL has been dr9nn-
strated that the soil. when properly
prepared and cultivated. viii absorh
and hold moisture. The preparation
and cultivation Il the soil 50 thai il
viii gather and retain sufficient rain
fan To produce crops is dry farming.
or, more properly designated. scientific
farming. In otEe~ words. tho soil is
converted into storage reservoir for
the moisture which supports plant lie
during lii. season. when precipitation
lis not sufficient.
Dry farming Is not Il theory: il Is
an accomplished fact There is a vast
area OF arabla land which cannot be
reclaimed and situated where the rain
fall is not sufficient Ia make il pros
ductive. Consider for moment what
the cultivation of this lard will mean
To future production"