The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-21
DRY FARMING
CONGRESS NEAR
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL MEET.
ING TO BE HELD OCT. rs AT
BILLINGS, MONT.

known as dry farming" and dry farm
ing is the system of conservation of
rainfall by which the great semi arid
district east OF the Rockies ip being
converted into one OF the richest farm
ing regions in America.
Ten years ago, aside from their min
ing. there was only one industry in
Montana, Wyoming and the western
Dakotas, ad that was stock-raising.
No one who has ever been through
this district can forget it's appearance
The land stretched away miles upon
miles until 1t lost itself in the foot
hills, covered with cactus and the gray
sage brush, and the herds of cattle
whose bones lie whitening In the sum-
mer dried streams. Now IL you go
through the same lands you find them
dotted with prosperous farm houses,
waving with bread stretching acres Of
wheat and oats, and orchards Of small
fruits.
The system of agriculture that has
accomplished this is dry farming, and
its principle, in brief is to catch all
the natural waterfall and then save
It, adapting IL to the cultivation OF
crops. .a s
What Dry Farming Does.
What is known as the semi arid dis
trict Of the west reaches from the
eastern slope OF the Rockies eastward
about a third OF the way across the
DalSotas and the states OF Nebraska
and Oklahoma. Thus II includes al
most entirely the states Of Wyoming
and Montana. The average rainfall
here is about thirteen inches, and, I'M
der the old system Of agriculture, II
was deemed useless to attempt to
raise crops where the rainfall was un-
der twenty inches.
But the old system Of agriculture
was In use when land in America was.
plentier than men, and went on the
principle that II most Of the rain that
fell ran off and most OF the rest that
was absorbed was afterward evapor-
ated there was still enough land where
the balance of moisture left was
enough to raise all the crops the peo-
pie needed. When the land got scarcer
as IL has with ominous swiftness In
the last few years, the problem became
how to catch the water that had once
been allowed to run of. and when it
was caught how to keep 1t from evap-
Grating back into the air again. If
this could be done, millions OF acres
more could be brought into the tillable
class. This is what dry farming is
doing.
Two Years Moisture.
The principle OF dry farming is to
keep the surface Of the ground Guilt
waited so that II will absorb all the
water that falls upon II and the lower
bed Of soil well packed so that 1t will
retain II all. The land is plowed deep
with great blowing machines, not with
horses, for the strength required ex-
ceeds the strength of horses, and then
the top three or four inches down is
narrowed so as to form thin sheath
of dust. 1t is cultivated for a year
before any crops are planted. BY that
time there is a years accumulation OF
moisture to fall back upon. Twice
thirteen Is twenty-six, and allowing
several inches for evaporation that still
brings the larger part OF Wyoming
every second year within the twenty
inch limit.
This simple process Of multiplication
was discovered and worked out by H.
v. Campbell, more or less by accident.
Campbell lived and farmed, to his sor-
row, in western Dakota. He got the
idea which he later developed into dry
farming by noticing that while wheat
didn't grow to advantage anywhere
else on his farm, IL did in certain. small
spots where the cattle had tramped
down the soil and made heavy under
bedding.
Campbell spent the next quarter Of
century of his life experimenting in
dry farming on this principle and In
teaching the fruits of his Investigations
to the farmers Of Nebraska. The re-
suit was that nearly every farmer In
western Nebraska Is familiar with and
making use of the principles of farm
ing under the moisture conserving
principle; and the result in dollars is
a s4,0O0,00 annual increase in the
value Of the crops in that state.
Passing of che Herds.
When the knowledge OF the dry sys-
tenn spread through Montana and
wyoming, those states began to pass
under the plow. It meant the passing
of the great western cattle ranges, the
coming of the broad acres Of grain. A
quarter section OF land to sage brush
and cactus keeps half q dozen cattle;
to wheat and oats 1t keeps a family.
And because at first 1t was thought
crops could be raised only every sec
ond year, congress passed bill al
lowing the entry OF double the amount
of land. with the further development
OF the system, it was found that by
putting in cultivated crops, such as
corn, every other year. the land did
almost as well as TO lie falIow, and
that, even If lying fallow during one
season, 1t produced crops nearly twice
as large as the average land the second
year. The average yield Of wheat
in Montana is 2S bushels to the acre
as against IA in the United States.
Naturally this sort OF conditions has
brought in settlers. In 1908 nearly a
million and a half acres OF public
land were located, and the land dealers
of the western cities are beginning to
report Everything between the Mis-
souri, and the Rockies sold"
Whole World Interested.
the object OF the Dry Farming con-
gress when IT was formed was to In
yestigate the tales that were told; its
purpose now is TO spread the gospel
OF the new faith. to bring 70 all the
farmers and landowners in the semi
arid district knowledge OF the means
OF getting the best out OF their land
By the system OF conserving the mois-
ture.
At the last congress, held In Chey-
3ssn.a a. a. -