Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-27
FAST PROGRESS IN FARMING
Utah is Showing Other States What
Can Be Done.
DESERT WASTES HAVE GONE
Fields of Grain Now smile welcome
20 visitor aud stand ~ Evidence
of the sturdy westerner's
Thrift.
Rv 1 q PRATT.

in regions where there are less than thirty
inches OF precipitation. The greater por-
ton Of the land Of the United States west
OF the Missouri river is classed as arid or
semi-arld. and the problem Of successful
crop growing within this area is OF more
vital Importance, and the solution OF which
means more material prosperity, than any |
other industrial question before the Ameri-
can people today.
The state Of Utah proudly claims the !
distinction Of being the first state in the |
union to seriously attempt the solution Of |
this mighty problem. More than forty |
years ago a few intrepid pioneers sue
ceeded in favorable localities in demon !
stratinR the great possibilities OF success
ful crop growing without artificial irriga-
ton.
state Was Quick.
Following these isolated examples Of sue
cess the state was not slow in recognizing
the necessity OF conducting experiments
with a view OF establishing the fundamen-
tai principles upon which to base a scien-
tific thesis for the production Of crops
upon these lands. and for this purpose
many experimental stations were estab-
lished in the state under the able direction
Of DR.. John A. Widtsoe and Prof Louis A.
Merrill Nearly ali the western states soon
IOlOWeu with appropriations HultlCltnA 10
establish hundreds OF experimental stations
throughout the entire west, and the won
derful progress made has dissipated the
obstinate prejudice prevailing and the old
methods have gradually given way TO the
new. with the acquisition OF greater
| knowledge came a marvellous transforms
| ton and thousands of acres which were
| but yesterday desert wastes, supporting
| rank growth of duh gray sage brush, are
now covered with fields Of grain and al
| falfa, a change to fill the heart Of man
| with joy and thankfulness.
Step by step science has unfolded the Sc
crets of nature and the world problem OF
food production becomes relatively easier.
There Was a Drawback.
Heretofore a serious drawback in the de-
| velopment Of these vast tracts of fertile
lands has been the government require
ment of residence; the homeseeker being
unfamilarwith the possibilities of securing
water for culinary purposes has been back
ward in pre-emptinR homesteads; to over
come this difficulty Senator Reed Smoot Of
Utah introduced a clause in the
homestead act of February 49, 1909
which requires no residence the act
also provided for homesteads of 800 acres,
of which forty acres must be put under
cultivation within period of two years
and forty acres each year thereafter for
four consecutive years, at the expiration
of which time the land could be proved up
on. This act has made IL possible for the
first time in the history Of the union for
all classes of people to acquire agricultural
lands, and the increased development
which will result therefrom will very
, materially increase the prosperity of Utah.
, Land in Rain Belt.
Most of the land under this act Is stu
ated within the belt of the heaviest rain
fall in the state. in Boxelder, Tooele, Juab
, Willard Iron, Beaver and San Juan coun-
ties, and all OF these counties are produc-
. ing excellent crops without irrigation
south Of Nephi City there is a stretch OF
land fifteen miles long and about five
miles in width which a few years ago was
considered absolutely useless; this land
produced last year from twenty to thirty
I bushels per acre OF the finest quality
r wheat, and with scarcely any rainfall dur
= ing the growing season. In the eastern part
\ of Willard county extending sixty miles
!, north to south there is strip Of land
2 from two to five miles wide within the
Il belt OF greatest rainfall with soil of ex.
I ception fertility free from erosion OF the
a great mountain chains OF limestones
n quantities. and sandstones containing In
n abundance mineral carbonites phosphates
n and nitrates, with silts washed from the
a heavy timbered forests. full of humus, ant
, enriched TO such great depths that a gen.
n Grafton of tillage will not exhaust it's fer,
tility; this country has long been the cat
teman's paradise as the benches and val
leys are covered with succulent native blue
grass these fertile government lands ar,
y now fat being filed on under the new en-
y larged homestead act, and like the land
n along the same mountain range further
ie south, will produce abundant crops o.
, grains, fruits and vegetables, and from
" production standpoint are destined to be
- come as valuable as any lands in Tn,
a world. and they who have learned the les
J. son taught by past experience in our stat
al and who grasp the opportunities nov
II awaiting the homeseeker in Utah will real
4 the rich reward of the wise and progressive
10 citizen.
Winter wheat Money Crop.
d Winter wheat and alfalfa, the great stocl
1t food, are the great money crops OF semi
IN arid Utah There is no country in tn
ID world that produces larger continuou
Of yields per acre than Utah Through tn
In adoption OF scientific principles Utah ha
ne increased its acreage yields until we ar
ID first In the United States in barley, All
r alfalfa seeds, $40 pounds; sugar beets lt
IT,
O. oats, with AL, and potatoes, 1881. In con
ne neotion with wheat production II is an in
io teresting fact that rs per cent is raised b
yh dry farming methods
CO Science has taught the lesson Of conser
be walton and utilization OF moisture, and tn
knowledge has been so widely disseminate
that IT is needless to enter into details c
- principles involved; deep blowing, nine
twelve inches. for Teservoiring the moist
ure; early spring blowing and the fallo,
during the summer 20 better hold IN
spring rains, which during the Eumme
months are dissolving the plant foods an
:" holding them in solution, so that whe
planted in the fall the plants begin to sen
20 their roots I'm the soil in search OF SUI
~ tenance, the plant takes up barely MOI
10 than half the moisture OF the reservoirs
water as It would require of water fires
nu on the land and holding little plant food
rs solution; sad II 10 by the process OF tram
piration through the stomsta OF the leav,
70 that the largest quantity Of moisture
10 consumed.
An ImuortanR ProbIem