Arizona republican., 1909-02-11


 ganizations of Colorado. The purpose was to consider the problems confront ing the dry farmers of the west and to organize an educational movement | that would have some permanent value. It was necessary t0 devise ways and means to protect the dry farmer against possible failure, to bring about the ultimate adoption of scientific methods of agriculture and to organize against the possibility of injury to the west through the care less publicity methods of certain land agents who were then taking advan- tage of the ignorance of the farmers in other regions to push the sale of land under conditions winch might be dangerous to the development of the semi-arid states.
 Announcement of this program att tracted attention in many states, and although preparations had been made for only a few delegates, the enroll ment in the convention reached 325 and represented eleven states and terri tories. There were representatives of the national government and of almost every western agricultural institution. For nearly four days the convention discussed the practical side of the dry farming question, and it was found that at least a dozen methods for ob- taining practical results were in favor among the delegates. This was taken as an indication of the necessity of cooperation in developing some organ ized system which, in varied phases, could be considered adaptable as a general proposition in the states where slight rainfall is the rule.
 "Dry Farming a Success" ....
 The consensus of opinion in this first meeting was that dry farming, if practiced along legitimate lines and utilized according to scientific meth ods in the conservation of the rainfall. was, as a rule, a success rather than a failure.
 Although an organization was ef fected, no operative machinery was ar ranged for, but an invitation from the Salt Lake Commercial Club was ac- cepted and the second Trans Missouri Dry Farming Congress assembled in that city in January, 1908.
 By this time the interest in the movement had so increased that. al- though the railroad rates announced for the convention were limited to four states. there were present $50 earnest men, representing the best element in the west, with the actual dry farmer in great majority. These men spent nearly five days discussing the results, methods and probabilities of the de- velopment of the arid and semi-arid states by the utilization of soil culture, the study of soils, climatic conditions, seed breeding. etc
 It was evident from the outset that this convention was going on record as desiring to accomplish something of practical value for the west. In the response, given on behalf of the congress by Governor Cutler of Utah, a Colorado delegate argued in favor o. creating a permanent organization that would be able to extend permanent help to the men who were tilling the soil in the semi-arid districts. which would stimulate a desire to study the problems of dry farming and would gain the cooperation of publications in the west :n keeping their readers informed regarding both the failures and the successes of dry farming. The congress organized a permanent ex- ecutive committee made up as follows:
 F. C. Bowman, ranchman, Idaho Falls Idaho. chairman.
 Samuel H. Lea, state engineer, South Dakota.
 c. F. Root. seed breeder, Colorado.
 O. W. Roberts, in charge of weather bureau service, North Dakota.
 George J. McCabe, ranchman. Par malee, Arizona.
 Alfred Atkinson, agronomist, Mon tana Agricultural College.
 A. P. Moore, ranchman, Brule, Mont.
 J. NJ. Patterson os the experiment station at The Dalles, Oregon.
 Harry B. Henderson of the State Dry Farming Commission, Wyoming.
 H. J. Evans, eXperimenter, Garden City. Kan.
 George F. Parker, ranchman, Ely. Nevada.
 L. A. Moorehouse. agricultural ex- pertinent station, Saltwater, Okla.
 J. w Paxman, ranchman, Nephi. Utah.
 J. D. Tinsley. director agricultural experiment station New Mexico.
 Dr. R. w. Thatcher, director of ex- periments, Pullman. Wash.
 Douglas White, publicity promoter, Los Angeles, Calf.
 Dr. L. J. Briggs, United States az ricultural department, Washington, D. c.
 Politics Kept Out.
 These men assumed control of the congress at once and engineered the program so that practically all of the time of the Salt Lake convention was consumed either by directors of state experiment stations or by open discus sion of dry farming. so far as the or ganization could afford to do so with the income under it's control.
 It was also to encourage the estab- lishmert of more dry land experiment