El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-09

Spokane, Wash, April 9-In order
TO determine the dry farming sections
, of the west for eligibility of exhibits
for the International Dry Farming ex-
position, which viii be held here next
October in connection with the Fifth
Dry Farming congress, the congress
viii chart the entire west on the basis
of precipitation and evaporation. This
work Will be independent of that TO be
done by the United States weather bu-
reau to determine more accurately the
rainfall and evaporation of the semi
arid districts. but will be based upon
the results of observations recorded at
the weather bureau stations in the wes-
tern states and territories.
At previous expositions held under
the auspices of the Dry Farming con-
Sress, exhibits were admitted to COM
petition for premiums on the basis of
precipitation under which the crops
were grown. The rule adopted was
that crops grown without irrigation,
subirrigation of seepage. with precipi-
tation of 20 inches or less per annum.
were eligible for entry as dry farm pro-
ducts, This rule gave rise to more or
less contention between prospective ex-
hibitors and the exhibits committees,
because, under strict Interpretation of
the rule, many districts, locally regard
ed as dry farming sections, were barred
from competition for the premiums.
That is, regions where the precipitation
is more than 20 inches per annum, ac-
cording to the weather bureau records,
but whic his so distributed throughout
the year, or so affected by evaporation
as to make dry farming methods nee
essary for the successful production of
crops, and where the crops were legiti-
mately considered as dry farming pro-
ducts, were barred from competition
n he 11arai1 .a1
raised in a district of greater than 20
inches annual precipitation.
A New Ruling.
Recognizing the obvious unfairness
of establishing any such rigid rule.
Superintendent of premiums and awards
". H. Olin. of the International Dry
Farming exposition, has undertaken to
formulate a rule which will permit
farmers using bona fide dry farm meth
DDS in all the legitimately dry farming
sections TO enter the competitions at
the coming exposition? and at the same
time draw distinct line of demarka-
ton between dry grown and humid
farming products.
It is recognized that the maximum
limit of precipitation under which dry
farming methods are required, speaking
broadly and without regard to distinct
~ local conditions. is 20 inches. The
NdAAOuS dulHoIlltcS Oh dry ldHQ dSIlcul-
ture have come to speak of this phase
of agriculture as being applicable TO
regions where the precipitation is 20
inches per annum or less and to consid-
er farming with more than 90 inches
annual precipitation as humid district
farming. Hence, as a general rule,
crops to be exhibited at the Dry Farm
ing exposition must be grown with pre-
cipitation of 20 inches per annum or
less.
Another Farming Factor.
But another factor which enters in
to the dry farming problems and is
considered as important as that of pre-
cipitation, is evaporation. A study of
the evaporation records compiled by
the United States weather bureau,
shows that evaporation is greater in
the southern than in the northern dry
farming states. It varies largely in
different sections of every state. In
the official report of the Fourth Dry