The Colorado statesman., 1909-10-30
HOLDS To NAME
OF DRY FARMING
RAILROAD BOOSTERS AND LAND
BOOMERS FAIL TO CONTROL
THE CONGRESS.
ELECTION or OFFICERS
FATHER OF DRY FARMING DE.
FENDS HIS SYSTEM AGAINST
SECRETARY WILSON.

Billings, Month"; spite of the fact
that the railroads interested in the
Northwest, as well as every land
agent in the Northwest and Middle
West who is interested in boosting
dry farming, wanted the name chang
ed, the congress, by a vote of 372 to
148, decided to let it stand.
The railroads and land agents be-
lieve tnat the term dry farming" is
misnomer and is detriment to the
movement.
The farmers themselves, and they
had the votes, while they admit that
the farming of dry lands is impos-
sible objected to making the name
more attractive. The fight in We'd
nesday mornings session of the
fourth dry farming congress, when
the question came up, was a warm
one.
Mr.. Hill characterized the govern
ment opening of the Flathead reser-
vation as a huge fake" enticing
people from all over the United States
to draw land while only per cent.
got farms. He said the people spent
not less than $12,000,0O0 in railroad
fares, and while the Great Northern
got it's share, he said that the money
was not what it wanted.
Mr.. II. W. Campbell, whose expert
mental farm operations have covered
twepty-six years, and who is known
as the Father of Dry Farming" took
occasion to answer Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson, who was quoted re-
Gently as saying that the Campbell
system of dry farming is wrong and
hurtful, and that the methods fol-
lowed by the dry farmers will de-
stroy the fertility of the soil
Il regard it as exceedingly unfor-
tunate," said Mr.. Campbell, that en-
couragement from official sources
should be given those who are crying
down and belittling the work you and
and all of us have been doing in re-
cent years in relation to dry land till
age"
Referring to Secretary Wilson's
| plan to change the character OF the
soil by growing drought-resisting
plants to turn under and suggesting
the use of the Russian thistle and
sweet clover he said:
81 do not know what can be done
with those plants, and l do not want
to dispute him as to the utility of
those familiar plants. But l am will
/ i,,,x I'll ,Nr
of the usefulness of the thistle and
sweet clover and similar plants from
Siberia and the far North to the De-
partment of Agriculture.
81 do insist" added Mr.. Campbell,
that it is wrong and hurtful and
wholly inexcusable for authority to be
given at Washington for sensational
attacks upon the work that we of the
West are doing. Better that aid and
encouragement be given in our work
of development of scientific soil cul-
ture by and through which we have
already achieved so much that is of
permanent value
The officers of the congress for the
coming year as announced by the re-
port of the committee on nominations
which was adopted, thereby electing
the officers. the following:
President. f. w. Mondell, Wyo-
ming.
First American vice president,
Frank c. Bowman, Idaho.
Second American Vice-president,
II. B. Henning, New Mexico
Third American Vice-president, R
w. Thatcher, Washington.
Foreign vice-presidents, George Har-
court, Alberta, Canada; w. r. Moth.
erwalk, Saskatchewan; Senior Ing
Lauro Viada, Mexico; Laszto Goyer,
Hungary, DR.. Theodore Kryshtofo-
witch, Russia.
Members of the executive commit
tee were also named as follows:
w. H. Olin, Colorado; w. H. Phil
brick, Idaho; George c. Scharschug,
Illinois; Ora Williams, Iowa; Miley
Bunnell, Minnesota; F. l.. Vandergrift,
Missouri; A. Atkinson, Montana; C. S.
Knight Nevada; d. Glen Devaer, Ne
braska; ]. D. Tinsley, New Mexico !;
]. w. Worst, North Dakota: A. L
Mordt. Oklahoma; j. NJ. Patterson.
Oregon; A. j. Mckay. South Dakota !;
G. A. Martin, Texas; ]. w. Paxman,
Utah; H. l.. Moody, Washington; l.
r. Crumpton, Wisconsin; j. D. Tower,
Wyoming; l.. j. Briggs, District of
Columbia.