El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-15
DRY FARMING
PROGRESS IN
The STATE
Texas Congress to Meet in
Uvalde - Prof. Attwater
Talks of It's Work.
HISTORY OF THE
STATE CONGRESS

The G. H & S A railroad indus
trial department is sending out the
following notices to all papers in
Texas:
The third Texas Dry Farming con-
gress viii be held at UvaIde on Au-
gust %. ~ and 25.
a very interesting program has
been arranged and well known au-
thorities, including state ard national
experts in scientific soil culture. win
be present. Iseprescn:ativ from the
department of agriculture IN Mex
leo, who have successfully con-
Quoted dry farming operations in
the arid regions OF that cOun-
try. will also attend and take part
in the proceedings. President G. a
Martin. of Fl Paso. and secretary F.
IL Getzendaner of Uyalde, report
great interest being taken in the COM
ing meeting and expect a large at
tendance from ali parts of west Tex
as. The National Dry Farming con-
gress, and most Of the western rail-
roads will send representatives. The
citizens of Uvalde are arranging plans
for the entertainment of visitors with
view Of making their visit a pleas
ant one and long to be remembered.
EistOry Of TIE Congress.
The Texas Dry Farming congress is
a direct result Of the work inaugU
rated by the National Dry Farming
congress: G. a Martin, news editor
OF the FL Paso Herald, and Prof H. z.
Attwater, OF the Sunset route, who
were delegates from Texas to the Sec
ond annual congress of the national
association, which was held in Ckey-
enne, Wyo., in February, 1903. recon-
mended the organization of q Texas
Dry Farming congress on their re-
turn to Texas; this movement met
with the hearty approval and active
support of the managers of The Her
aid, of Col T J. Anderson, general
passenger agent, and other Sunset Of
ficials. and from the start received
the active cooperation of the Texas
newspapers, the officials of the United
States department of agriculture, the
Texas Agricultural and Mechanical
college, the Texas state agricultural
commissioner and the director of Tex
as experiment stations.
The Past Meetings.
The Texas Dry Farming congress
was organized in 1909. the first meet /
ing being held at Alpine in the Trans !
Pecos country and there is abundant |
evidence to show that as a result OF |
that meeting the agricultural develop
ment Of that section has been encour-
SCed and settlers benefited over
large portion of the state.
The second annual meeting was held
at Eagle Pass in August 1910, with
increased interest and attendance,
many practical farmers being pres
ent, who brought samples of the pro-
ducts they had raised and explained
the methods by which they succeeded
in growing corn, cotton and other
crops during an unusually dry sea
son and where ordinary methods of
farming had resulted in almost total
failure
Importance of the Work.
In speaking Of this important eco
nomic movement, H. P. Attwater, Sun !
set industrial agent, said:
The coming meeting will undoubt- |
edly produce far reaching and lasting |
results for that entire region The |
development Of the semi-arid districts 1
of the west, where socalled dry farm /
ing must be depended upon, is grad /
uaIly bringing millions Of acres OF land !
under cultivation This land. which /
was formerly considered almost worth !
less for agricultural purposes, will /
furnish homes for many times the |
present agricultural population, will /
increase business Of all kinds and in /
time insure communities against pos 1
sible crop failures. Land once sold 4
for taxes is even now producing every |
variety Of cereal, vegetable and fruit /
From a drug on the market at so |
cents an acre 70 active market value |
OF SIS an acre is by no means al I'M |
usual advance in dry land farm prices /
in successful dry land districts during |
the past five years. Every person !
Interested in farming or in the COM I
mercial advancement of the country \
should make a careful study of this
chr II oft
er the easily obtainable proof OF the ,
already marvellous accomplishments
under socalled dry farming methods.
Means Much, to Texas.
What dry farming means to west
Texas it means to every other coun-
try where prolonged drouths and oc-
casional dry seasons cause crop fail
ures 1t means the ultimate reclama-
ton Of thousands of valuable acres,
thousands Of dollars added to the
wealth Of countries. and the possible
solution of many perplexing local
problems. Experts estimate that in
10 years every drop OF water avail
BILE for irrigation will be utilized. For
every acre irrigated there will be so
acres Of dry farm land when irriga-
ton possibilities are exhausted. Ex-
perience shows that nonirrigable land
yields crops averaging so percent the
quantity reaped under irrigation. To
this land the future homeseeker must
come.
Tt is not possible to grow crops
without certain amoant of moisture
in the soil. Dry farming shows how
TO preserve that moisture by certain
methods Of cultivation. so that evap-
Grafton will be prevented to a great
extent and growing crops receive the
benefit Of limited rainfalls. 1t edu-
Gates them in soil culture and seed
selection and guides inexperienced set
tiers in methods that bring them their
share of the harvest profits. 1t eN-
tends the limit Of acreage in arid ard
81 mi-arid regions. and therefore = the
keystone upon which the future pros
perity of the great west is established.
The Dry Farming congress TO be
held in Uvalde in August next has but
one object, the further Development of
agriculture in west Texas by the util-
"a ton of scientific and sensible meth
DDS Of conservation of moisture and
soil cultivation in dry sections where !
irrigation is impracticable or impos-
siJle."