East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-03-24

John T. Burns, the dry farming eX
pert who in now in Portland, ad
dressed the business men of the Com
mercial club and said IN part, as re
ported by the Telegram.
81 find that this subject is but lit
tie understood by the people of the
Coast cities" said Mr.. Burns "while
in fact, il should have been carefully
studied by every commercial anC
transportation man wherever com
merce depends upon the advancement
of agriculture.
1--WE who have made thorough in
vestigation into the possibilities of dry
farming have been converted into the
belief that study of dry farming i;
the most important economic develop
ment of the past ewo years. Dry farm
ing, although an actual science, is in
fact not dry farming at all. 1t is the
science of producing profitable crops
from so-called arid soils with a mini
mum amout of precipitation. 1t is in
no sense a rival of irrigation, but will
go hand in hand with irrigation in
opening up the now unoccupied terri
tory to prosperous farmers.
Great Possibilities.
"There are 20 acres of fine land pos
sible of operation by dry farming
methods to every acre of land which
can be placed under irrigation. When
the business men of Portland careful
ly study the situation and realize that
this means double and treble the pro-
duction of cereals and staple food
stuff; an increased population neces-
sary to produce these crops, an en-
hancement of values in every farming
community in Oregon and a general
prosperity based upon the safest
foundation in the world-agriculture
then you will be able to understand
what the furtherance Of this great Dry
Farming propaganda means to Port
land.
"The congress has advanced in two
years from an unknown movement of
local strength in Colorado to a mons
ter international organization, with
hundreds of members scattered over
the United States and with many for
eign nations represented in actual
membership.
Last Congress Widely Attended
"The third congress just closed in
Cheyenne. Wyo. Had we not suffer-
ed under the most severe blizzard and
blockade which has be-
fallen the Middle West in years, the
city would not have been able to care
for her guests and the congress would
have been the largest civic convention
ever held in the West, but as it was
we had more than 500 earnest men,
every Western State and
six foreign nations. Brazil, Mexico,
Canada, England, the Transvaal, Aus
-ralia and Russia sent representatives.
Of the government agricultural de-
partments, and appealed to US for an
official place in the congress. Each
country is now represented by vice.
presidents
1.-THE Fourth Dry Farming Con-
yress will occur in Billings, Mont, Oct
ober 26, 27 and %, and will be an in
meeting in every sense. We
nave already begun arrangements for
IN international exposition of dry land
products, and this will be Of vast i'm
oortance to the entire West, as it will |
positively set aside any arguments
against the advancement of this move
nent. We wish Portland to organize
he state of Oregon for a large dele
yation to this congress and for
tate exhibit which will prove what
We are claiming-that Eastern Ore
,on, with precipitation from to is
nches. is one of the most productive
districts in the West"