Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-04-02
DRY FARMING Theme
INTERESTING FACTS VOICED
BY D. I. HAM.
States Spreads to Foreign Lands-Has
Brought Settlers and the West and
Northwest Are Developing Fast Under
These New Methods.


These New Methods
Probably no subject of public inter-
est in recent years has attracted such
wide attention or spread so rapidly as
that of dry farming. Four gatherings
have been held for the discussion of this
subject and preparations are now going
forward for the fifth convention of the
Dry Farming congress and Interna-
tional Dry Farming exposition, which
will be held in Spokane the first week
in October.
Every state and territory in the So
called arid and the semi-arid west and
many of the states IN the humid dis
tricts of the United States are pre-
pairing to send delegates to this con
| gress, and the provinces of western
Canada and the provinces and nations
on every continent are also making ar
rangements for representation with
delegates and exhibits.
Not only agriculturists and opera
tive farmers, but scientists of the fore
most agricultural colleges and expert
ment stations, of the national depart
ments of agriculture of many govern
ments, as well as economists and pub
licists everywhere are interested in this
movement.
Wonder of Age.
The growth of the dry farming move
ment is one of the wonders of the
present age. A term that was pro-
vocative of incredulous smiles and
deprecatory jests five years ago, today
is recognized as symbolical of the
higher agriculture toward which all ma
tions are striving. The first meeting,
at which the Trans Missouri Dry Farm
ing congress was formed, was regarded
as joke; the fifth Dry Farming con-
gress, which will meet in Spokane, holds
the serious attention of nations.
Growth Phenomenal.
The growth of the dry farming move
ment has been phenomenal in that it
has spread to all quarters of the globe
in four years, but its advancement to
the front of public questions in eco
nomic Importance is particularly notice
able in the western United States and
Canada.
Five years ago there were a few
farmers struggling against adversely OF
the plains of eastern. Colorado, in New
Mexico, Utah and elsewhere in the semi
arid west The settlers who took VI
land in nen-irrigable sections of thu
west were regarded as foolhardy, O
worse Their efforts to make the DIR,
farms productive were condemned as in
: viting nothing but failure.
q Early Settlers Struggled.
q Many settlers who had gone int
the dry regions did fail and man.
Il struggled along for years eking out
bare existence with the aid of a fey
exceptionally propitious years, but nun
bers succeeded. Scattered Throughout
the west in Utah, Wyoming, Montana
s Colorado, and in other states were NOR
or less isolated exceptions to the eA
II pectations of the pessImists. In som
II sections, notably in eastern Washing
lie ton, Oregon and Utah, there wer
lie notable exceptions, and in these state
N dry farming was accepted as fact.
Is Five years ago the newspapers {
70 the country were reluctant to publis
he articles of the successes of dry farm
IN ing. There was prevalent ide
in throughout the east that the create
-
ne ing; that desert land would remain ba
E. rem and desolate, where the irrigatin
j. ditch was unknown, and that so-calle
is dry farming was ridiculous in conce
ne ton and impracticable in application
ir Scientific Cultivation.
The failures that have been recordt
among the settlers on the dry LAM
and the prejudice in the minds of cas-
be ern and western skeptics against d.
ty farming had a common origin
ignorance of the conditions under whi'
of dry farming was attempted and of Il
al methods necessary to successful d
,e- farming. The settlers who found t
conditions on the dry lands too har
or did not know how to combat those co
he ditions. They did not know how to pic
en- their ground, what kind of seed
plant, what kind of cultivation to gi
IL their growing or dying crops. In brit
IN, they did not understand the conserv
an tion of moisture or the scientific CT
tivation of soil.
ST. The unbelievers in the east did n
nd know the west, did not understand t
f. conditions necessary to successful far
ing in apy region, did not believe t
IN facts when they were presented,
us cause they did not know the we
ad Skeptics in the west did not know thu
M west or were influenced by motives
ief selfish interest, inspired by a mistak
idea that the settlement of the count
of by farmers was somehow in conf
as, with their own private interests.
Grasped the Possibilities.
alt When the Trans Missouri Dry Far
ing congress was organized, John
Rnrns then secretary of the Colora