Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-04-27

SALLlSAW Okla, April 26.-(Spe
ciaD-Seyen miles from this town is
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and we will never have any more like
that just experienced. The coming
Of the great International Dry Farm
ing Congress at this time can help
IMPRESS upon as the fact that most
of as live in section where rainfall
is uncortain-not altogether defi-
! cient-and evaporation great, The
thing which | believe makes II hard
er for us to adopt what is commonly
known as "dry-farming methods" is
that we live in a section whore for
| years we had ample rainfall, crop
production is pretty sure and Ger
tain, no matter how cultivated, and
under these conditions our farmers
are losing sight Of the fact that other
conditions are apt TO confront them
at almost any time. Western people,
owing to the fact that they never en-
| 10y but scant rainfall, are compelled
to adopt such methods Of cultivation
in order to succeed. There are years
when we can get along without it,
but we never know when "A dry pc
riod is coming The only safe way,
then, is to adopt better methods and
| thus be prepared for any conditions
| that may confront us. ] don't be
! ieyc we will ever be able to lay
down any hard-and-fast rules or
| special systems of agriculture In
oklahoma that will be universally
successful, or in any other state or
country. Methods change and vary
| from year to year, from one locality
to another, and there are certain
things that are necessary, and those
| things can be brought about by adopt
| ing methods under conditions which
are affecting your own soil. We will
necessarily continue to have just
such periods as We have just passed
through. Successful farming is car
| ried on in regions where they have
much less rainfall than we have in
oklahoma, even during our periods
Of drouth. Why is It that Oklahoma
farmers cannot succeed as well in
growing crops during such periods as
in other places? The Dry-Farming
! Congress- especially at this time, has
two distinct functions to perform;
one, to show that dry-farming
practices will do in sections where
rainfall is always under normal.
That can be done by the people of
these sections by cooperating in a
united effort to get the farmers to
attend this convention this fall and
see the results for themselves, and
to see that exhibits are brought here
in order that this result may be ac-
complished.
On the other hand, I hope and
most certainly trust that the diff
culties confronting the dry-farming
work, the uncertain features, the
things we hear very little about when
we attend the Congress meetings.
where these questions seldom come
up. will be given to the farmer for
consideration. There is no denying
the fact that the dry-farming meth
ods will compel us to do things that
we would not care to do and do not
do. in many instances because II
means hard work, hard study and
thought, doing lot of things that
the farmers who are here today have
perhaps not been doing in the past,
| If they succeed in way at all wor-
| thy of the name. II means intelli-
gent farming, more so than some or
us are doing today, and 1t will not
be successful unless those things are
done. 1t is a duty of the Dry-Farm-
ing Congress to show these things up
lust as much, and more so, perhaps,
as the rosy side ] do not believe
| that Oklahoma will gain anything by
inducing people to locate here and
adopt what appears to them very
easy. simple way Of farming under
rainfall, and after coming, find that
| there are certain problems that were
never discussed with them and which
| they never knew about. ] do not
believe ANYTHING will be gained by
having the people come into dry
| farming sections with a misappre-
hension of the things they had 20
| confront when they went there.
| DelltNt we Sioull ldN Hp''lbi 80 'H'''
special emphasis, on that feature or
the work to show that certain things
are absolutely necessary If the farmer
| is TO succeed with its teachings. II
is nothing out of the way to make
that point clear 1t Is no disgrace to
the state to admit that our rainfall
is occasionally little bit scant. There
is no place on the face Of the earth
where crop conditions are ideal at
all times; where they are absolutely
sure nnd certain year In and year
ont. We do not hear very much
about that, though, as every country
is inclined to do what we are and
we have done in the past, picture the
rosy side and forget the rest. 1t Is
so easy TO tell about the good things
and say nothing whatever about the
other side Of the situation; and yet,
people taking you at your word, when
! they come and experience the things
which have not been mentioned, are
probably keenly disappointed and are
apt to criticize your failure to In
form them: are greatly depressed II
they feel those things were delib-
erately left unsaid. They are far
better off II you will frankly admit
conditions as they really exist. We