The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-10-26
WORK OF DRY
FARMING CONGRESS


recent Dry Farming congress as dele
gate from this state, tells of the work
accomplished in the following article
which appeared in yesterdays Reno
Gazette:
The International Dry Farming
congress, which held its sixth session
at Colorado Springs from October 10th
to 22d. stands for the greatest single
agricultural force the world has ever
known. 1t is an organization with
working branches in nine countries of
the world with more than fifteen thous-
and individual members scattered
through fifty nations, and with an ex-
pense for agricultural propaganda in
cluding the funds expended by this
branch of more than sixty thousand
dollars annually.
Every Civilized Country Represented.
| The delegates in attendance at the
sixth congress included governors of
several states, presidents of agricul-
tural colleges, professors of similar in
stitutions, members of the United
States department of agriculture,
scores of agricultural authorities from
foreign countries, and hundreds Of
prominent farmers and business men,
all of these intensely interested in the
great problem of reclaiming the So
called arid districts of the world
These delegates actually own and oper-
ate farms to the extent of nearly six
million acres and the problems they
met to consider were vital to sixty
three per cent of the American con-
tinent and to more than fifty per cent
of the entire world IS surface.
Object of Congress.
| The congress has for its object a
cooperative scientific study of agri-
culture, the development of better
farming methods in the ub-humid or
so-called "dryo districts of the world.
1t has no country to colonize. 1t has
no lands to SELL It's work is utterly
impersonal and as such it has been
vigorously endorsed by the agricul-
tural authorities. of many countries.
| What Congress Advocates.
The congress advocates deep plow-
ing for the production of humus in the
soil; frequent surface cultivation and
| the application of a loose surface
mulch to check evaporation and pre-
serve moisture; the rotation of crops
to preserve the soil fertility; the rails
ing of livestock to the limit of the
farms capacity, and the use of plenty
of common sense on the part of the
farmer as a lubricant for the season s
labor.
The gradual adoption of these prin-
ciples by the country s "dry' farmers
has not only added hundreds of mil
lions of dollars to the value of lands
of western America, but it has added
other tens of millions annually to the
crop production of every western
state.
Congress to Raise $1,000, 900 Endow-
ment Fund.
| To carry on work an attempt will be
made to raise an endowment fund of
one million dollars of which only the
interest and income will be used. The
raising of this fund is in hands of
committee of which President Worst,
president of the North Dakota Agri-
cultural college and president Of the
sixth International Dry Farming con-
gress, is chairman. In addition to this
fund a campaign will be started to in-
crease the membership of the con-
gress. The membership fee is 81 a
year, and this entities each member to
the annual report of the congress,
which overflows with dry farming
news. 1t is hoped by the writer that
many Nevadans will show their inter
est in the dry farming movement by
sending 81 to the dry farming secre-
tary or to the writer who swill gladly
send in their names.
Congress Of Farm Women-Strong
Feature.
| One of the most important features
which helped to make the sixth con-
gress such a great success was the fact
that the congress of farm women was
held in connection with this session. IT
seems that in order to get the best
results from any congress it is neces-
sary for the women to be present. Over
two hundred delegates attended this
congress; they became a definitely or
ganized congress of farm women which
will meet each year in connection with
the dry farming congress.
Resolutions Adopted by Congress.
During this session of the congress
many important factors were dis
cussed ON the development of arid
lands in connection with these dis
cussions many important resolutions
were adopted by the congress, as fol-
lows:
/. That $l,O00,O0O endowment
fund be raised, the interest and in
come of which will be used to support
the congress.
2. That governors of states sup
pert the dry farming congress.
8. Urging the passage of bill now
before the United States senate pro-
viding permanent annual appropria-
tion for each experiment station to
conduct original or confrmatory ex-
periments dealing with home econo-
mics
A. Urging the United States fed
eral aid to agricultural extension
work.
5. That appropriation be made for
survey of the unsurveyed portion of
the public domain.
6. To influence congress to pass a
law with plans for agricultural and