Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1910-09-23
ARID-LAND FARMING
Much Ground Cultivated Where
Rainfall Is Deficient.
Some Of the More Important Facts
Bearing Upon subject a. Brought
Out by U. s. Department Of
Agriculture.

CBy W. H. BEAL.. once of Experiment
The importance OF extending the
productive area of farm lands In the
United States has been especially en-
phasized in recent years, with the
result that much land hitherto consid-
cred unsuited to farming has been
brought under cultivation. In this
class are the large areas In the west
ern half of the United States, where
the rainfall IL deficient, II was cyl
dent that II these lands we're to be
probably utilized for agricultural pur.
poses other than grazing. new meth
this object In view this department
and several OF the experiment sta
tons situated In arid OF semi-arid re-
gions have carefully studied the agri-
cultural conditions and possibilities
OF these regions and made extensive
tests OF the crops and methods OF cul-
ture adapted TO them. These investi-
cations. as we'll as the practical ex-
perience OF settlers on dry lands, have
now gone far enough to make Il pos
sible to lay down some general prin-
ciples and to indicate certain meth
DDS which must be observed In order
to guard against failure In dry farm.
ing. The following is a summary OF
some OF the more important facts
bearing upon this subject as brought
out by recent reports of this work
by the department and the expert
ment 5tativiss,
Dry farming is also called 1...;y-,und
farming or arid.land farming. II 10
generally DENIED as farming without
irrigation IN regions whefe the annual
rainfall is between eight and twenty
inches. The fact that rainfall alone
Is not the only moisture condition
which determines the crop production
OF n given locality is indicated by the
Investigations of the Office OF forage
crop Investigations OF the bureau OF
plant industry OF the department.
which states that for the production
OF such drought-resistant crops as
alfalfa, slender-wheat grass, tall-oat
grass and bronze grass the "investiga-
lions indicate that the minimum rain
fall is approximately 16 inches in the
Dakotas, Is inches In Nebraska, 20
Inches In Kansas and up to
30 inches farther south" In other
words, to produce given crop the
amount OF rainfall necessary is much
greater In the warmer regions, where
evaporation removes so much mois-
ture.
Dry farming is made possible in
two ways % BY careful tillage, and
GU by the introduction OF drought.
resistant crops or drough-resistant va
rieties. Even where dry farming is
followed. irrigation is usually recon-
mended for the small areas to be de-
voted to garden crops to carry the
household through years OF crop
failure. which are more frequent In
these semi-arld regions than In re-
gions where the rainfall Is greater.
The principles OF tillage are almost
| exactly the same as for other regions,
or even for the semi.arid regions
where irrigation is practised. with
emphasis laid upon the conservation
OF moisture: ~ Because the supply
Is low, and (2) because one and one.
half times as much water is required
to produce pound OF dry matter In
the plant in these drier regions as is
required In more humid climates.
gust